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(fwd) Re LPVs and NMO Campaign From: Afoevb@aol.com Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 03:52:37 EST Subject: [vsnet-chat 6133] Re LPVs and NMO Campaign Dear Dr. Kato, dear all the variable star observers, I received the numerous mails concerning the NMO campaign from the AAVSO. I did not unterstand the totality because the translation in french is a big work. I did unterstand that Dr. Kato asked for the thoughts by other variable star observers/researchers. The first paragraph of the answer from Peter Williams (vsnet-chat 6128) reflect completely my thougt : we observe variable stars by pleasure and enjoyment. Our little contribution to the knowledge of the Universe is a supplement. In an association like the AFOEV - and most probably the BAA/VSS, the AAVSO, the RASNZ/VSS and all the national associations of variable star observers, all the observers are not scientists and their knowledge are sometimes limited. Among the present and former observers of the AFOEV, one does find students, teachers and professors, engineers, peoples with wide knowledge in science and in astronomy, but also peoples without wide scientific knowledge : employees, a priest, a policeman, a miller, a farmer, a pharmacist, etc. : one of our best observer was an employee and he observed only because the sight of the appearance and disappearance from a star, a LPV or a CV, is "a wonderful sight". The programmes of the " old " associations (BAA/VSS founded in 1901, the AAVSO 1911, the AFOEV in 1921, the RASNZ, the VSOLJ) and also of the more recent associations founded in several countries contains mainly long-period variables (mira-type variables, SR, RV stars). Why ? 30 or 40 again, the possession of a large telecope was a rarity : our observer Maurice Duruy was, i, the yhirties, a " phenomenon " with his 27cm refractor and the 35cm telescope of Antoine Brun was a rarity. On the other hand the observation of a star with a large amplitude is more suitable for an average observer. Finally the knowledge of these stars was relatively shallow : undert years ago some astronomers felt that a mira is a star wich cross more or less regularly a cloud of dust arousend the darkening ! The observation of CV's (outside of SS Cyg, U Gem, UV Per or RU Peg ) is a recen t goal due to the bringing in service of large telescopes, the famous Celestron at first, the the more famous Dobsons. In the sixties we had a programme called "programme Brun-Bigay" (A. Brun was in 1921 the co-founder of the AFOEV, becomes interest for variable stars by the sight of the Nova Persei 1901, discovered several variables and observed variable stars even in the trenchs during the World War I - late Joseph-Henri Bigay, first an amateur, was the director of the Lyon observatory). This programm consisted of cataclysmic variables such as HP And (JD 39826), SVS 852=HR Per (JD 39731 or SV CMi (JD 39893). The member of the AFOEV is not required to observe such or such star : he estab lish his programm according to the possibilities of his instrument, to the locat ion of his station, to his family or professional circumstances. Naturally the director attempt always to guide the members of the society and to draw their attention to such or such star. The AAVSO does the same and each year in the bulletin of forecastinf of maxima for LPV's appears a list of stars " need of more observations ", the famous NMO programme. At the beginning of the sixties I become member of the Societe Astronomique de F rance and was a beginner in astronomy (my hobby was photography and cinematgraphy as an amateur of course). In the first bulletin from the SAF I read with a very great interest an article from A. Brun titled "What can do an amate ur as far as observing variable stars" ... and in this way I become a variable star observer. My knowledge in astronomy was very small : during my studies I learned ancient greek, latin, german philology and law ; I worked as a police officer ... a long way from science and astronomy ! Today my knowledge is a little better but I am am not a "scientist", only a good and conscientious observer (I think so!), and now my career as a variable star observer goes slowly to the end (I am neat 80). I think that I was also a good recorder of the observations and a good manager pf the AFOEV. This is just my thought and I think the thought from a lot of variable star observers. I apologize for the long post ... and for the dictionnary english! Best regards, clear skies to all the observers and numerous observations of Mira-stars, SR, RV, CVs and other types : all the variables are interesting. Emile Schweitzer recorder of the AFOEV
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