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IN THIS ISSUE: H NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS AAVSO MEETINGS . 3 HAPPY 150TH BIRTHDAY, RASC! . 4 2017 ECLIPSE EXPERIENCES . 6 H OBSERVING ISSUE NO. 75 JANUARY 2018 WWW.AAVSO.ORG HOW THE AAVSO SOLAR OBSERVERS OBSERVE THE SUN . 12 OBSERVER’S CORNER . 18 OBSERVING CAMPAIGNS UPDATE . 19 Complete table of contents on page 2 AAVSONewsletter SINCE 1911... The AAVSO is an international non-profit organization of variable star observers whose mission is: to observe and analyze variable stars; to collect and archive observations for FROM THE worldwide access; and to forge strong collaborations and mentoring between amateurs and professionals that promote both scientific research DIRECTOR’S DESK and education on variable sources. STELLA KAFKA Starting a new year… And based on what you said, we improved old tools and we built new ones. We gave you a PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The year 2018 marks new light curve generator, we updated VSP and KRISTINE LARSEN three years since the VSD, we provided means for you to build your beginning of my tenure at observing program through a new target tool, A First Magnitude the AAVSO and, looking we created new training material that would Meeting of the Minds back, I appreciate how much make it possible for you to observe exoplanets progress we made together during this short and the Sun, we translated our manuals in With the start of the new time period. The AAVSO is an exceptional more languages, disseminating their content to year, I want to begin my organization, the only organization that from its more individuals around the world. We built President’s Column by infancy aimed at building a Citizen Astronomy tight relationships with sister associations, thanking each and every community, a community of individuals who we joined international collaborations, and one of you for your hard work for Variable acquire data for scientific research. As such, we ensured that the professional scientific Star Astronomy over the past year. Whether the AAVSO is an evolving organization, and community is continuously aware of your you are a visual or CCD observer, prefer short during those three years it evolved even more. great work and contributions and continues to period or long period objects, or count the engage our observers in scientific projects. We Sun, Mira, or SS Cyg as your favorite variable Since 2015, I have had the chance to closely meet highlighted accomplishments and we insisted on star, we could not have added so many high with many of you, members of the AAVSO’s acknowledgements. We continued celebrating quality data points to our databases in 2017 international community, and discuss science our observers’ great work and milestones, and without you, our loyal observers. But many of projects and aspirations, talk about the place of encouraged those who are hesitant, to get started. you made just as significant contributions to the AAVSO in the current science landscape, the organization without looking through an get excited over light curve peculiarities and The new year finds us planning the AAVSO’s future, eyepiece or reducing photometric data. Whether stars that misbehave. But most importantly— ensuring that its infrastructure is sustainable. At through contributing monetary donations or I listened. At the AAVSO HQ, we all listened. HQ, we are working behind the scenes updating time toward the development of software, It became our mission to listen. Listen to our development and live servers, improving mentoring a new observer or giving a talk on what you cherish from the AAVSO, what our web page infrastructure, documenting our the AAVSO to your local astronomy club, you need to improve your observations, what software, and ensuring that programs you use every bit of the time, effort, and resources you tools you use to spy on stars, what projects for your work run smoothly and are bug-free. have given to the organization over the past interest you. We listened to our community. With the help of our volunteers, we are attacking 12 months is greatly appreciated. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 1 The AAVSO Newsletter Number 75 January 2018 THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS DIRECTOR Stella Kafka PRESIDENT Kristine M. Larsen 1ST VICE PRESIDENT Bill Stein 2ND VICE PRESIDENT Kevin B. Marvel DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTINUED... CONTINUED... SECRETARY Gary Walker TREASURER Robert Stephens the challenge of curating and maintaining both The AAVSO is not merely a collection of data old and new software code, while anticipating points, although each data point is certainly COUNCILORS disruptive technology of the near future. Our important. The AAVSO is an association of aim is to ensure that our observers’ work remains individuals who have a passion for those peculiar Richard Berry Katrien Kolenberg uninterrupted. As part of this, we are asking for stars that stubbornly refuse to conform. Just as Tom Calderwood Arlo Landolt your feedback, and are very pleased to see your no two variable stars are identical, so are no two Michael Cook Gordon Myers participation. Improvements, ideas, and steps AAVSO members. Each and every one of you Joyce A. Guzik Gregory R. Sivakoff forward stem from dialogue and our common has a different reason for being a member, just Michael Joner wish to improve the AAVSO and better serve as each individual member contributes to the our community. organization in a constellation in different and NEWSLETTER very personal ways. EDITOR Elizabeth O. Waagen Most importantly, we learned from you, our PRODUCTION EDITOR Michael Saladyga volunteers, our mentors, our instructors, our As I reflect on my experiences at the recent The AAVSO Newsletter is published in January, observers, our council and committee members. Nashville meeting, I keep coming back to April, July, and October. Items of general interest We incorporated your suggestions, we followed several discussions I had with members, both to be considered for the Newsletter should be your lead, we brainstormed for future directions, individually and in larger settings, including sent to [email protected]. Photos in this issue courtesy of Michel Deconinck, Mike Linnolt, and we overcame hurdles. We became a stronger an informal brown bag lunch meeting open William M. Wilson, Molly Bathrick, and Mario organization because you constantly reminded to all attendees. We discussed the past and Rana. us that you are in our corner, that you value future of the organization, observing sections our services and you appreciate our collective and techniques, and especially meetings. As the Membership in the AAVSO is open to anyone who is interested in variable stars and in contributing to work, you support us, and you are eager to see attendee of about ten conferences per year the support of valuable research. Members include the AAVSO prospering. of all different sizes and formats, I certainly professional astronomers, amateur astronomers, have my own opinions and preferences. But researchers, educators, students, and those who I am looking forward to this year. I am looking this wasn’t about my opinions, it was about love variable star astronomy. forward to continuing to serve you and learn our members’. It was refreshing to listen to AAVSO from you, while ensuring that the AAVSO members openly and honestly describe what 49 Bay State Road is a healthy and strong organization which they prefer in meetings, what influences their Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA serves an enthusiastic community of Citizen decision to attend particular meetings, and even 617-354-0484 / 1-888-802-STAR(7827) www.aavso.org Astronomers. I am looking forward to the new offer their constructive criticism about what discoveries and exciting phenomena we will all they felt worked (and didn’t work) for them unveil together, and all new knowledge that in recent AAVSO meetings. The take away will stem from our observers’ data. With your message is that no one size fits all members, help, we will keep “enabling anyone, anywhere and two members could have diametrically ONTENTS C to participate in scientific discovery through opposed preferences for and opinions of the From the Director’s Desk 1 variable star astronomy.” exact same event. But what we all agreed upon President’s Message 1 was that meetings are vitally important for our AAVSO Meetings 3 I would like to end by wishing you all a healthy, community in order to keep it exactly that—a Talking About the AAVSO 3 prosperous, and productive new year, and I am community. Meetings are about people, about AAVSO in Print 3 Happy 150th Birthday, RASC! 4 looking forward to seeing you in person this year. that personal experience. They are about shaking US Team Shines at Internatiional Olympiad 5 hands with a friend you only get to see in 2017 Eclipse Experiences 6 Best wishes—clear skies, person once a year, sharing sandwiches and In Memoriam 9 Stella. conversation in a coffee shop between talks, Mensaje del Director 10 getting observing tips from another member Mensaje del Presidente 10 you’ve never met before, or having dinner How the AAVSO Solar Observers Observe the Sun 12 LPV Section Update 15 with college students attending their very first Exoplanet Observing Section Update 17 AAVSO meeting. Face to face meetings make Photoelectric Photometry Program Update 17 all this possible. Looking at Legacy Stars 17 Ed. note: the Spanish language versions of the Observer’s Corner 18 Director’s and President’s messages can be found on Observing Campaigns Update 19 page 10. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 2 The AAVSO Newsletter Number 75 January 2018 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTINUED... AAVSO MEETINGS The AAVSO has two very exciting meetings Next meeting planned in 2018, a joint Spring meeting with the BAA in England in July, and an annual 107th Spring Meeting: July 6–8, 2018, AAVSO-British Astronomical Association (BAA), meeting at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, University of Warwick, Coventry, England (2018 Spring Meeting) Arizona, in November.