Annual: 31

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New Member SummaryOctober 1, 2005 March 31,
2006
Annual 31 Sustaining 3
Members from US
24 Members from Abroad 10 (from 8
countries) TOTAL New
Members 34
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All Current AAVSO Members by Type
Total Members 1,161
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AAVSO Members by Country
1,161 Total
in 44 Countries
ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA BELGIUM BRAZIL BULGARI
A CANADA CAYMAN ISLANDS/BWI CHILE CHINA DENMARK EG
YPT ENGLAND FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY GREECE HONG
KONG HUNGARY INDIA IRELAND ISRAEL ITALY JAPAN
MALTA NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND NORWAY POLAND PORTUG
AL ROMANIA RUSSIA SCOTLAND SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH
KOREA SPAIN SRI LANKA SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TAIWAN TU
RKEY UKRAINE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNITED STATES
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Membership Status ChangesOctober 1, 2005 March
31, 2006

• Annual to Sustaining 0
• Sustaining to Annual 8
• Resigned from Membership 12

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Deceased Members and Friends

• William B. Whiddon - San Pedro, CA
• Longtime AAVSO Member, founding member of
  SBAS - The South Bay Astronomical Society
  (Redondo Beach, CA). William passed away in
  October of 2005 due to complications from acute
  leukemia. He taught astronomy labs at the North
  Texas observatory before joining TRW (later
  acquired by Northrop Grumman Space Technology).
  He earned a graduate certificate in astronautical
  engineering from the University of California at
  Los Angeles and for most of his career worked as
  a systems engineer on satellite programs. At the
  time of his death he was chief engineer for the
  James Webb Space Telescope. With his wife, Nina
  Whiddon, he photographed total solar eclipses
  throughout the world, including the 2003 eclipse
  over Antarctica. They returned to Antarctica in
  2005 with a meteorite search team and traveled to
  the South Pole. One of Whiddons photographs of
  Comet Hale-Bopp appears in Robert Burnhams book
  Great Comets.

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April 08 2005 TSE
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April 08 2005 TSE
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Fall 2006 Meeting

• Place Newton, MA
• Date October 27-28, 2006

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Upcoming Meetings

• Spring 2007 Calgary, AB (RASC)
• Fall 2007 MMO
• Spring 2008 UK (BAA)
• Spring 2011 Boston (AAS)

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AAVSO Semiannual ReportOctober 2005 - March 2006

• Arne Henden
• May 6, 2006

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Highlights - 1

• Addition of Lennard Dahlmarks 19K observations
  to the ID
• Alpha version of the MySQL relational database
  version of the ID
• Beta version of the ACP
• Beta version of VSX
• Beta version of blue gold

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Highlights - 2

• Responded to 891 requests for AAVSO data
• Processed PEP data and merged portions with ID
• Created DVDs of HEA3
• Formed the E/PO committee
• More visual observing manual translations

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Highlights - 3

• Initiated many observing campaigns
• Published 1 issue of the JAAVSO
• Published newsletters, eyepiece views, CCD views,
  alert notices, solar bulletins, etc.
• Submitted several papers containing AAVSO data
• Visit to BAA/VSS

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AAVSO Charts Online
The most popular day for downloading charts
Saturday The most popular hour for downloading
charts 12pm EST
Downloaded Charts
About 51,724 Total Charts
The 5 most popular stars (in order) TU Cas, X
And, U Ori, Omi Cet, Delta Cep
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Charts DownloadedOctober 1, 2005 March 31, 2006
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Light Curve Generator
Curves plotted from Oct 05 Mar 06 77,006
curves Plots per day 423
Most popular stars plotted
RS Oph, SS Cyg, NSV 21, TU Cas, R Leo
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Website Activity Recorded from 10/2005 to 03/2006
Total Web Pages Downloaded 1,364,210
Average Pages Downloaded 7,496 per
day or 1 every 10 sec Average Data Transferred
per day 1 GB
Number of Unique Visitors 152,579 Average
Unique Visitors per day 838
Most Active Day Wednesday Most Active
Time 4 pm EST Most Inactive Day Saturday
Most Inactive Time 1 am EST
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Monthly Download Statistics
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Top Ten Downloaded Pages(Excluding the Home Page)
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Password protected section of website
completed Members have gold access to ALL
features. Observers have blue access to submit
observations (only) WebObs in first stage of
alpha testing Gold features coming soon --
access to robotic telescope -- access member
info db (opt in) -- access fast lcg
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PEP Data Archives

• November 1983 through December 2005
• Total Number of Observations 26,739
• Total Number of Observers 60
• Total Number of Stars 72

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The Variable Star Index (VSX)

• Program by Chris Watson
• Search for variable stars near given coordinates
  (most available catalogs)
• Modify variable star info (period, type,)
• Add new variable stars
• Links to other sites (images, light curves)
• Presentation at SAS/2006
• Future!

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Automated Chart Plotter

• Program by Michael Koppleman (Clockwork Active
  Media Systems)
• Beta release - now!
• Full interactive chart generation, multiple
  scales, orientation
• Easy to add new objects
• Will replace all of the web charts

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Robotic Telescopes

• Membership benefit
• Will be part of upcoming members-only section of
  website
• Observation request form will be available shortly

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Sonoita Ridge Observatory (SRO)

• Operated by John Gross partners Dirk Terrell,
  Walt Cooney and AAVSO
• C14, Paramount, STL-1001E

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SRO Results

• Campaign on W Vir
• Calibration of GRB fields
• Calibration of LPV fields
• Calibration of novae fields
• Monitoring for Bill Dillon, Michael Sallman, Dan
  Taylor

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Elysa Hope (Oregon Episcopal School) - finalist
for Intels Science Talent Search. Student of
Rosa Hemphill, TOPS teacher Janet suggested
sunspot studies.
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Science Fair Projects

• Wilhelm Richters (ASMSA) students
• Amna Malik - V371 Per, unusual RR Lyr
• Trey Pettit - TU Cas
• NFO (24 Cass
• Silver City NM)
• http//www.nfo.edu

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Other Richter Students

• Heejun Woo The Blazhko Effect of RR Gem (2nd
  place regional)
• Briac Riddle Refining the Distance and Period
  of VX Persei (3rd place regional, 1st place
  junior)
• Malik, Petit projects being continued by new
  students

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AAVSO Publications October 2005 March 2006

• Journal of the AAVSO
• Edited by Charles A. Whitney, with
  assistance from Elizabeth o. Waagen, Michael
  Saladyga, and Matthew Templeton
• Vol. 33, No. 2 Preprint nos. 11 - 17 and 24,
  28, 30
• eJAAVSO Vol. 34, No. 1 Preprint nos. 18, 23,
  25, 26, 27, 34, 35
• Vol. 33, No. 2 Preprint nos. 20, 31, 36
• AAVSO Bulletin 69 2006 Predicted Dates of
  Maxima and Minima of 561 Long Period Variables
• Prepared by Elizabeth O. Waagen

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AAVSO Publications October 2005 March 2006

• AAVSO Special Notice, Nos. 1 9
• Prepared by Aaron Price
• AAVSO Special MyNewsFlash EX Hya appears to be
  in outburst
• Prepared by Elizabeth Waagen
•  AAVSO Alert Notice, Nos. 327 338
• Prepared by Elizabeth Waagen and Aaron Pricce,
  with assistance by Kerriann Malatesta

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AAVSO Publications October 2005 March 2006

• AAVSO Eyepiece Views, Nos. 311 313
• Prepared by Gamze Menali with contributions from
  Aaron Price and Mike Simonsen.
• AAVSO Manual for Visual Observing of Variable
  Stars - French Edition,
• January 2006
• Translated by Dominique Naillon, edited by Gamze
  Menali and Sara J. Beck
• AAVSO Variable Star of the Season (AAVSO website)
• Prepared by Kerriann Malatesta (Winter 2006) and
  Pamela Gay (Spring 2006)

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AAVSO Publications October 2005 March 2006

• Observed Minima Timings of Eclipsing Binaries,
  No. 10
• Prepared by Marvin E. Baldwin and Gerry Samolyk
• AAVSO 2006 Ephemeris for Eclipsing Binaries
• Prepared by Marvin E. Baldwin and Gerry Samolyk
• AAVSO 2006 Ephemeris for RR Lyrae Stars
• Prepared by Marvin E. Baldwin and Gerry Samolyk

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AAVSO Publications October 2005 March 2006

• AAVSO Solar Bulletin, Vol. 61, Nos. 9 - 12 Vol.
  62, Nos. 1 - 3
• Prepared by Carl E. Feehrer SID Reports by
  Michael Hill
• AAVSO Newsletter, No. 32
• Edited by Travis Searle

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AAVSO Staff Publications October 2005 March
2006

• Boyd, D., Oksanen A., and Henden, A.,
  Measurement of the orbital and superhump periods
  of the eclipsing cataclysmic variable SDSS
  J170213.26322954.1, J. British Astronomical
  Association. (accepted).
• Green, D. W. E., Waagen, E. O., V1118 Orionis,
  IAU Circular 8626 2005.
• Green, D. W. E., Waagen, E. O., Nova in the
  Large Magellanic Cloud, IAU Circular 8636 2005.

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AAVSO Staff Publications October 2005 March
2006

• Green, D. W. E., Waagen, E. O., RS Ophiuchi,
  IAU Circular 8688 2006.
• Henden, A. A, Pro-Am Collaboration and the
  AAVSO, Astrophysics of Variable Stars, ASP
  Conference Series, Vol. 999, C. Sterken and C.
  Aerts 2006.
• Malatesta, K. H., Beck S. J., Menali G., Waagen
  E.O., The AAVSO Data Validation Project,
  eJAAVSO (accepted for publication, pre-print
  no.31).

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AAVSO Staff Publications October 2005 March
2006

• Price. A., et al., Planetary Transits of the
  Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey Candidate
  TrES-1b, JAAVSO, Volume 34 2005.
• Price, A., Allen, S. L., Fhima, A., Garcia, J.,
  Mahabal, A., Seaman, R., Williams, R., The
  VOEvent Alert Messaging System, presented at the
  2007th Meeting of the AAS, No. 34.02.
• Templeton, M. R. et al., The Recently Discovered
  Dwarf Nova System ASASJ0025111217.2 A New WZ
  Sagittae Star, PASP 118, 236.

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AAVSO Staff Publications October 2005 March
2006

• Templeton, M. R., and Price, A., Campaign 04
  AAVSO Observing Campaigns in 2004, JAAVSO 2006
  (in press).
• Templeton, M. R., et al. Preliminary Results
  from the AAVSO Infrared Photometry Group,
  presented at the 207th Meeting of the AAS (AAS
  207, 122.17) 2006.

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Publications with AAVSO Assistance October 2005
March 2006

• Balman, S., Retter, A., and Bos, M., The
  Detection of a 3.5-h Period in the Classical
  Noval Velorum 1999 (V382 Vel) and the Long Term
  Behavior of the Nova Light Curve, AJ 2006.
  (accepted).
• Neustroev V.V., Zharikov S. V., and Michel R.,
  Simultaneous photometry and echelle-spectroscopy
  of the dwarf nova BZ Ursae Majoris during the
  2005 January outburst, MNRAS. (accepted for
  publication).

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New AAVSO Brochure
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Spanish Translation of the AAVSO Manual for
Visual Observing

• Sample Page -
• Translated by AAVSO member Jaime Garcia

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Our Spanish translator, Jaime Garcia!
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Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars
Spanish
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Greek Translation of the AAVSO Manual for Visual
Observing

• Sample Pages -
• Translated by AAVSO member Georgios Koronis with
  assistance by Athanasios Douvris and Vagelis
  Tsamis

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Georgios is the one with the olive green jacket
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Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars
Greek
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Japanese Translation of the AAVSO Manual for
Visual Observing

• Sample Pages -
• Translated by AAVSO member Seiji Tsuji

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- Asakusa Temple - Image credit
http//www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/travel/tokyo_t
emples.html
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Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars
Japanese
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Upcoming travel

• Next week - Belgium VSS
• End of May - BAA/VSS
• June - RASNZ
• August - Hungarian amateurs (during IAU)

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 200,000 visual observations 1 observer
• 150,000 visual observations 4 observers
• 100,000 visual observations 1 observer
• 50,000 visual observations 1 observer
• 25,000 visual observations 4 observers
• 10,000 visual observations 4 observers
• 50,000 CCD/PEP observations 4 observers
• 25,000 CCD/PEP observations 4 observers
• 10,000 CCD/PEP observations 6 observers
• 2,500 PEP observations 1 observer

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 200,000 visual observations
• Wayne M. Lowder USA 1949-2005 209,439

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 150,000 visual observations
• Marvin E. Baldwin USA 1961-2004 175,481
• John E. Bortle USA 1963-2005 171,352
• Edward G. Oravec USA 1943-2003 170,552
• Thomas A. Cragg Australia 1945-2005 151,735

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 100,000 visual observations
• Albert F. Jones New Zealand 1960-2005 105,524

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 50,000 visual observations
• Gunther Krisch Germany 1969-2005 52,378

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 25,000 visual observations
• Maciej Reszelski Poland 2000-2005 39,751
• William Goff USA 1981-2005 33,028
• Laurent Bichon France 1986-2005 27,466
• Robert H. Hays, Jr. USA 1977-2005 25,428

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 10,000 visual observations
• Stephen Kerr Australia 2001-2005 17,833
• Andrzej Markiewicz Poland 1999-2005 11,737
• Hiroshi Matsuyama Japan 1978-2005 11,596
• Hartmut Bretschneider
• Germany 1993-2005
  10,087

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 50,000 CCD/PEP observations
• Robert A. James USA 1953-2005 71,432 CCD
• Tonny Vanmunster
• Belgium 1976-2005 62,317
  CCD
• Vance Petriew Canada 2001-2005 60,390 CCD
• Shawn W. Dvorak USA 1981-2005 50,489 CCD

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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards
25,000 CCD/PEP observations Neil D. Butterworth
Australia 2002-2005
41,358 CCD Richard J. Huziak
Canada 1980-2005 37,162 CCD Peter Nelson
Australia 1990-2005 28,830 CCD Donn R. Starkey
USA 2001-2005 25,833 CCD
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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards
10,000 CCD/PEP observations Richard Miles
England 2004-2005 17,975 CCD David Boyd
England 2003-2005 14,539 CCD James L. Jones
USA 2003-2005 11,651 CCD Christopher W.
Hesseltine USA
1975-2005 11,392 CCD Timothy Crawford USA
2001-2005 10,892 CCD Libert A.G. Monard
South Africa 1992-2005 10,398 CCD
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2006 AAVSO Observer Awards

• 2,500 PEP observations
• Raymond W. Jones
• South Africa 1989-2005 2,671
  PEP

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Thank you!

• All of our volunteers through the year
• Staff for just about everything
• Council for their guidance
• Observers, without whom our contribution to the
  community would be far less
• Members, one and all, for your support