British Astronomical Association Variable
Star Section
Latest News
Observing Campaign - epsilon Auriga
July 1st 2008
The BAAVSS and SPA Variable Star Section will soon be announcing an observing campaign to monitor the long awaited eclipse in epsilon Aur. This observing campaign will also be held in conjunction with the AAVSO. Full details will be announced shortly (see http://www.aavso.org/vstar/vsots/eps_aur.shtml for information on epsilon Aur).
BAA/AAVSO Awards
April 12th 2008
At the climax of the joint BAA/AAVSO Cambridge meeting, two awards were made to members of the BAAVSS.
The first award of honorary AAVSO membership was presented to the VSS Director Roger Pickard by AAVSO Director Dr. Arne Henden. Dr. Henden writes...
In recognition of his contributions to and support of international
cooperation in the creation and dissemination of standardized
comparison star sequences and charts, encouraging and promoting the exchange of
information, data, and ideas between the British
Astronomical Association, Variable Star Section, and the AAVSO, his lifelong
contributions to variable star research as an observer, and
his distinguished service as Director of the BAAVSS, this is to certify that
Roger D. Pickard
is an Honorary member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers
for life, and is thereby entitled to all the privileges pertaining thereto.
The second award was made to Gary Poyner, who received the Charles Butterworth award from the VSS Director Roger Pickard. Roger writes...
Members will be pleased to know, I'm sure, that Gary Poyner was presented
with the Charles Butterworth Award at the joint meeting of the BAA and AAVSO
last weekend. This is given to individuals who have made an outstanding
contribution to variable star astronomy.
The citation reads:
"This, the second Charles Butterworth award, was presented to Gary Poyner on
12th April 2008 by the Variable Star Section of the British Astronomical
Association in recognition of him becoming the first European to accrue 200,000
visual observations of variable stars."
The award took the form of a slate bed inscribed with the light curve of DY Per
(taken from Gary's web page!) and with the above wording around the
edges.
The only observers to have accomplished this amazing feat include Albert Jones
with over 500,000 and still observing; Danie Overbeek with around
285,000 and Wayne Lowder who made some 209,000 observations. From the UK only
two other observers have done 100,000 (half Gary's total) John Toone
with 128,000 and still counting and, of course, Charles Butterworth who made
some 106,000 and was the first to achieve this goal. It should be noted
that Gary has now also surpassed Wayne Lowder's remarkable total.
I should also perhaps remind members that Arne Henden was the first recipient of
the Butterworth Award.
BAAVSS & SPA VSS Joint Observing Programme.
March 3rd 2008
The Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA) and the BAA VSS have agreed to launch a
joint observing programme, namely to observe delta UMa and beta Leo as suspected
variables.
The SPA already have visual observers conducting naked eye observations but we
feel it will be advantageous if VSS observers also contribute. In addition, it
will be useful for observers who
have the capability to undertake photometry to submit observations.
It'll be interesting to see what, if any, variations we see with what amplitude
and with what periodicity.
Richard Miles and Des Loughney have already performed photometry on both stars
but it is too early yet to draw any conclusions.
Charts for delta UMa and beta Leo can be downloaded here:
Roger Pickard, BAA VSS
Dave Scanlan, SPA VSS
OJ287 Final Update - July 1st 2008
The observing campaign has now ended, with the results published in the following papers...
The Structure of the October/November 2005 outburst in OJ287 and the precessing Black Hole model. M. Valtonen, M. Kidger, H. Lehto and G. Poyner. A&A, 477 2 (2008) 407-412.
A massive binary black hole system in OJ 287 and a test of general relativity. Valtonen et al, NATURE (letters) Vol 452 April 17 2008.
The web page displaying the complete set of light curves compiled throughout the campaign will remain.
Gary Poyner
http://www.garypoyner.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/oj_camp.html
Section Meeting
- Saturday 3rd June 2006 - Brief Report
