[vsnet-chat 4047] Re: Visual estimates accuracy

[reinder j bouma <rjbouma@wxs.nl>]

Brian Skiff wrote:
> 
>      One of the great 20th Century visual observers, Max Beyer, always
> reported estimates to 0.01 mag. precision, and seems to have been justified
> in doing so.  He determined his own magnitudes for comparison stars (which
> are usually published with his observations), so the results were at least
> internally consistent.  His results for AI Aur and UU Her suggest his data
> are of high quality.  Sadly, hardly any of it is in machine-readable form.
> 
> \Brian

By coincidence, the October 2000 issue (pages 105-114) of the
International Comet Quaterly has an excellent article on this prolific
observer!
'Max Beyer (1894-1982): A Master of Comet Observing'
by Hartwig Luethen, Ignacio Ferrin, Daniel W. E. Green, John E. Bortle.

It does focus on his career as a comet observer, but it also describes
his life and some of his observing procedures.
It may be of interest to variable star observers as well.
Anyway, I found it extremely interesting reading.

Regards,
         Reinder 

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Reinder J. Bouma    email: rjbouma@wxs.nl or rjbouma@planet.nl
Bekemaheerd 77      homepage: http://vsnet.shopplaza.nl/astro/
9737PR Groningen    
The Netherlands     phone: +31 (0)50-5418227
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