[vsnet-chat 598] Re: NGC 772, etc

[Taichi Kato <tkato@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp>]

(In response to Brian Marsden's message to the ISN, referring to Johnson's
posting)

Dear Dr. Marsden,

   I think many CCD supernova hunters may have ability to achieve most of
the standards you have suggested, and hope in future this increasing
community has become properly equipped to meet any desirable standard.
Telescope time is surely very precious, but this is the problem severely
depends on one's sense of values.  One may also think the very first
spectrum of the very discovery night is more precious than anything else,
even at the expense of the repeated loss caused by false alarms.  The choice
of this, or to wait until knowing more firm confirmation of the nature of
the claim, should be, I believe, a matter of the observer side, and not be
given by some kind of authority.  Even in the former choice, widespread
loss of telescope time may be carefully avoided if only this kind of
network is properly used and recognized by researchers, and I awfully
rely on this kind of communication in my own research.

   Johnson's word "personal resources are woefully inadequate" probably
refers to that many amateur observers can not always have access to POSS
prints or reference literatures.  I even recall some word by a certain
professional astronomer: "Amateur astronomers' source of information is too
inadequate to do reliable confirmation processes.  There is nothing at
amateur what professionals can not perform.  Trust your discovery claims
to us, and wait".  Remember I am not intending to referring to any words
from the CBAT, but I personally feel, even in the most modest sense, some
sort of "arrogance" of the professional in this word.

   Some unfortunate history of amateur's attempts to spectroscopic
interpretation dates a decade back, as you mentioned, to the times
of photography, which was unfortunately very insensitive to H-alpha.
Times have changed to the CCD era.  The successful interpretation by an
amatuer of the Nova Sco 1997 is a good example.  If the problem is in the
knowledge of spectroscopy, why not encourage amateur astronomers (and
inexperienced professionals also) to learn how to interpret first-aid
spectroscpy rather than discouraging by your decade-old decision.

   Considering these, it seems to be that your final insistence is how
the CBAT continue providing correct credit to discoverers.  It is again
the matter of the discover's side: some people may consider the credit
as of utmost importance, but some may put more weight on scientific
benefits than to be "welcomed by the CBAT".  The former people may only
have to follow your notice in IAUC 6737, and I believe they are actually
doing so, but there is no reasoning to critisize the use of network by
the latter people.

Sincerely,
Taichi Kato

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