AAVSO Services to Astronomy

Margaret Mayall

Margaret Mayall was director of the AAVSO from 1949-1973. She is remembered for guiding the AAVSO through the most difficult years of its history, seeing not only to the survival of the AAVSO as an independant organization, but also, with great devotion, seeing to maintaining the continuity of the fellowship of variable star observers and friends of astronomy that has been the keystone of the AAVSO since its founding in 1911.
Photo by Walter R. Fleischer

The AAVSO provides a wide range of services to the astronomical community. AAVSO International Database data, both published and unpublished, are disseminated extensively to astronomers around the world, upon request, and are becoming increasingly available from this web site as well.

AAVSO publications provide the global community with valuable observing information. The type of published information ranges from our collection of 3,000 star charts (fields) to the Journal of the AAVSO, a collection of papers on variable stars and related topics.

AAVSO data and services have been used, referenced, and acknowledged in hundreds of professional astronomical publications.

Services to Astronomers

AAVSO services are sought by astronomers for the following purposes:

Real-time, up-to-date information on unusual stellar activity;

Assistance in the scheduling and executing of variable star observing programs coordinating earth-based large telescopes and instruments aboard satellites;

Assistance in simultaneous optical observations of program stars and immediate notification of their activity during earth-based or satellite observing programs;

Correlation of AAVSO optical data with spectroscopic, photometric, and polarimetric multi wavelength data;

Collaborative statistical analysis of stellar behavior using long-term AAVSO data.

Collaboration between the AAVSO and professional astronomers for real-time information or simultaneous optical observations has enabled the successful execution of hundreds of observing programs, particularly those using satellites such as:

A significant number of rare events have been observed with these satellites as a result of timely notification by the AAVSO. The collaboration that the AAVSO provides between amateur and professional astronomers extensively impacts astronomical research.

Requests for AAVSO data should be submitted online from our new Data Request page. Other data and services may be obtained by writing to the Director of the AAVSO, Dr. Janet Mattei, at AAVSO Headquarters and stating the purpose of the request and the type of AAVSO services needed.

Services to Observers and Members

The AAVSO enables variable star observers to contribute vitally to variable star astronomy by accepting their observations, incorporating them into the AAVSO International Database, publishing them, and making them available to the professional astronomer. Incorporating an observerÆs observations into the AAVSO archives means that future researchers will have access to those observations, so the observer is contributing to the science of the future as well as the present.

Also, the AAVSO coordinates observing runs between professional and amateur astronomers, in which observations from amateur astronomers play an important role in correlating observations obtained with special instruments at earth-based observatories or aboard satellites.

Upon request, the AAVSO will help set up an appropriate observing program for an individual, an astronomy club, an elementary school, high school, or college, etc. In this way observers, students, and faculty are able to make the best use of their resources and to do valuable science. The AAVSO can also assist in teaching observing techniques and in suggesting stars to be included in a program.

Services in Education

For many years the AAVSO has been a source of information and guidance to students who decide to study variable stars for class or science fair projects. The AAVSO's most recent project in education is Hands-On Astrophysics - a curriculum for high school and college science and math classes which uses the AAVSO's unique variable star database.

Also, its Mentorship Program connects experienced and enthusiastic variable star observers with anyone in their vicinity who is interested in learning how to become a better observer.

Areas in which AAVSO services were used in 1999:

The AAVSO is a non-profit organization which serves the astronomical community. The different areas in which AAVSO services were used in the year 1998-1999 are illustrated on the pie graph below: