[vsnet-chat 1268] VS anecdotes

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

VS anecdotes

   This article was also written by me (in Japanese) in 1988, "Annecdotes
collected from variable star observers".  Selected and translated here.

   "The walking GCVS"

   An observer was used to referred to as the "walking GCVS".  He said he
read the GCVS so repeatedly that he could answer every question what a
particular variable (of types of his interest) behaved in the past.
There was a rumor he remembered all the figures of the GCVS entries
(of types of his interest), and could immediately reply when the variable
was in outburst in the past.  However, he also told he didn't buy popular
astronomy monthlies just because "he was not enough maniac for astronomy
to go so far as to buy such maganizes".

   "Do it yourself"

   Some observers too dedicated to certain class of variable stars tend
to be indifferent to other kinds of variable stars.  When there was a topic
regarding Mira maxima, the reply from some observer was always the same:
"do it yourself".  One had to be careful in explaining the location of
a new star (such as a nova): some observer could not understand the
explanation "close to R Cas", but became enlightened when explained as
"close to V630 Cas".

   "I feel comfortable to see none of my targets vary".

   "It's cloudy here".

   Frequently used when an observer is unwilling to observe.  The place was
often referred to as the only location in Japan covered by clouds.  However,
these hopelessly looking clouds were said to suddenly clear up when he heard
of a rare outburst.

   "I lost that chart".

   The typical reply when requested to observe some star (out of his interest).

   "I can only see 16-th mag".

   Some observer, who had been using a 20-cm telescope, said "I could only
see 16-th mag since I can only use the 10-cm telescope now".

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