Advancing Variable Star Astronomy Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- PART I PIONEERS IN VARIABLE STAR ASTRONOMY PRIOR TO 1909
- PART II THE FOUNDING OF THE AAVSO – THE WILLIAM TYLER OLCOTT ERA
- PART III RECORDING AND CLASSIFICATION – THE LEON CAMPBELL ERA
- PART IV THE SERVICE BUREAU – THE MARGARET MAYALL ERA
- 10 Learning about independence
- 11 Eviction from Harvard College Observatory
- 12 Actions and reactions
- 13 In search of a home
- 14 Survival on Brattle Street
- 15 AAVSO achievements
- 16 Breathing room on Concord Avenue
- PART V ANALYSIS AND SCIENCE – THE JANET MATTEI ERA
- PART VI ACCELERATING OBSERVATIONAL SCIENCE – THE ARNE HENDEN ERA
- Appendix A AAVSO historiographic notes
- Appendix B Top AAVSO observer totals
- Appendix C Variable star observing groups represented in the AAVSO International Database
- Appendix D AAVSO Awards
- Appendix E Officers of the AAVSO
- Appendix F AAVSO Council members
- Appendix G AAVSO Scientific committee, section, division, and program chairs
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
15 - AAVSO achievements
from PART IV - THE SERVICE BUREAU – THE MARGARET MAYALL ERA
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 June 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- PART I PIONEERS IN VARIABLE STAR ASTRONOMY PRIOR TO 1909
- PART II THE FOUNDING OF THE AAVSO – THE WILLIAM TYLER OLCOTT ERA
- PART III RECORDING AND CLASSIFICATION – THE LEON CAMPBELL ERA
- PART IV THE SERVICE BUREAU – THE MARGARET MAYALL ERA
- 10 Learning about independence
- 11 Eviction from Harvard College Observatory
- 12 Actions and reactions
- 13 In search of a home
- 14 Survival on Brattle Street
- 15 AAVSO achievements
- 16 Breathing room on Concord Avenue
- PART V ANALYSIS AND SCIENCE – THE JANET MATTEI ERA
- PART VI ACCELERATING OBSERVATIONAL SCIENCE – THE ARNE HENDEN ERA
- Appendix A AAVSO historiographic notes
- Appendix B Top AAVSO observer totals
- Appendix C Variable star observing groups represented in the AAVSO International Database
- Appendix D AAVSO Awards
- Appendix E Officers of the AAVSO
- Appendix F AAVSO Council members
- Appendix G AAVSO Scientific committee, section, division, and program chairs
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Our observations do not yet tell the full story. Nor may they for many decades or perhaps centuries to come.
– Cyrus Fernald, 1954Even while she was struggling with the funding proposals, Margaret Mayall was encouraged by the Association's observation reports and activities. Several developments marked a turning point for the Association, especially when Mayall and the Association's achievements were recognized by the International Astronomical Union.
In spite of the upheaval from HCO, Mayall had no reservations about expanding the scientific programs of the AAVSO: she had already been encouraging observers to shift their efforts from long-period to irregular variable stars, and, through her association with Paul Merrill and having seen the work of John Ruiz in photoelectric photometry (PEP), she was convinced of the value of PEP observations in the study of variable stars.
The Association had drawn together many outstanding observers who were willing to initiate new observing programs and try new technologies, sometimes on their own initiative. This chapter follows their successes and some failures.
NEW OBSERVING PROGRAMS
In keeping with her eagerness to move the AAVSO observing program in new directions, Mayall's first “Variable Star Notes” column in JRASC for 1954 featured several faint-magnitude stars. She had, in prior months, been requesting that observations be made, if possible, as faint as 16th magnitude. Mayall's column listed some results, mostly faint observations of 25 stars classified by 5 types: U Gem, R CrB, Z Cam, flare stars and other peculiar variables, and semiregular variables.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Advancing Variable Star AstronomyThe Centennial History of the American Association of Variable Star Observers, pp. 207 - 218Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011