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----- Original Message ----- From: "James Bedient" <bedient@hawaii.rr.com> To: "Taichi Kato" <tkato@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp>; <vsnet-campaign-mira@ooruri.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp>; <vsnet-chat@ooruri.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp>; <vsnet-lpv@ooruri.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp> Cc: <aavso-discussion@informer2.cis.McMaster.CA> Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 1:59 PM Subject: Re: [AAVSO-DIS] Re: NMO Campaign > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Taichi Kato" <tkato@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp> > > > I sometimes wonder why we need more observations for poorly observed > > long-period variables. I think this somehow needs to be justified > > in terms of science. My understanding is that the main advantage of > > visual observations of long-period variables are their long-term continuity, > > with which a long-term period change can be determined. In long-period > > variables, (short-term) intensive campaigns would be less productive than > > in other variable stars. Even a ten-year baseline would mean ~20 cycles > > for a P=180 d Mira star. Such a small cycle counts have been shown to be > > inadequate to derive any period changes. The natural consequence is that > > either (1) such campaigns need to endure for many decades or (2) such > > campaigns should focus on long-period variables which have decades-long > > sufficient and continous observations. > > Coming from Vsnet, an organization that has existed for only a few years, I > guess it's difficult to understand that AAVSO *is* a decades-long observing > campaign. AAVSO attempts to follow the activities of many stars. Some of > them are not as well-observed as others; for as long as I have been around > (only since 1982) there have been annual lists of stars that need more > observations. These stars are not as frequently observed as the others for a > variety of reasons, some to do with inadequate charts, poor sequences, or just > plain difficult stars in crowded fields or with close, bright companions. > Some just seem to be overlooked. > > Mike Simonsen, God bless him, has again perceived a need and jumped on it with > both feet. His effort will help focus attention on these neglected LPVs. > It's not intended to be a "short-term" intensive campaign on these stars, as I > see it; it's intended to focus more observers on these stars and bring some > needed attention to the charts for these stars. It's intended to mesh with > the nearly one-hundred-year ongoing observing campaign of the AAVSO. > > As far as scientific justification for observing LPVs, I simply point to the > variety of papers published using AAVSO data. A few minutes on ADS will turn > up a bunch. I'm sure someone logging an observation of R Cen or R Hya almost > a hundred years ago didn't know *precisely* what his observation would be used > for, only that monitoring nature's behavior was an important activity. It > still is today. Those in the game to grab a few observations of some star in > order to dash off a quick paper in some journal in search of ephemeral glory > don't understand the quiet beauty and inner peace that lies in the simple > tasks of monitoring variable stars. I know that that observation of T > Columbae I made last night is not going to rattle the universe, but I also > know it will live on, and be useful to some future researcher, long after I'm > gone. I can't predict what that star might do, but consider an oft-overlooked > point of science: determining that a system doesn't change (over the time > scale of the observation) is just as important as observing a rapidly changing > system. It's not glamourous, but both describe what's happening in the > universe. > > Finally, one of the things I most enjoy about AAVSO and variable stars is the > sense of history involved. When I am observing LPVs, I am joining the ranks > of some very notable individuals in astronomy. I am currently working on a > couple of projects involving suspected variable stars. The original > observations go back to E.E. Barnard, and the follow-up and discovery was > published by Frank Ross in the late 1920s. I am truly standing on the > shoulders of giants. I don't expect anyone to ever stand on *my* shoulders, > but someone may stand on the database of variable star behavior that we are > patiently building, decade by decade. I may contribute only 1% of what Mike > Simonsen does, but I am here, and I am here for the long run, just like AAVSO. > > Jim Bedient > Honolulu, Hawaii This is truly the best answer Jim. Frankly I was not believing my eyes when I was reading Kato's post, which is incredibly shortsighted and negative. This is from VSNET leader ? Is AAVSO under attack? Still in disbelieve my best wishes to AAVSO miroslav KMA
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