#aavso

[jbluphin]

One detail I really appreciated in Hail Mary (and is also not a major spoiler) is that, when they are looking at data of brightness from nearby stars, they say they compiled it predominently from amateur astronomers, some of whom have thousands of dollars of expensive equipment. As someone who has done a lot of variable star astronomy, this is 100% correct. There are some super dedicated people out there who track star luminosity on their own time with their own equipment and they deserve so much credit for that!!!!

[paulkiser1]

The Betelgeuse Summer Problem

The Betelgeuse Summer Problem

The star Betelgeuse is doing something. Something important. No one is sure what it means, but it has our attention and we want to keep our telescopes focused on it. Except that this Summer, we can’t.

What’s next for Betelgeuse? [NOTE: Image distorted by minor camera movement.]

Whatever is happening with the soon-to-be supernova Betelgeuse currently, it is critical astronomers and astrophysicists…

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[paulkiser1]

Betelgeuse: Schrödinger's Star

Betelgeuse: Schrödinger’s Star

Much Ado About Something

Some astronomers are taking a dim view of the fading light of Betelgeuse. Many are trying to dampen down reports of the star’s demise while not ruling out the possibility. The reality of science is that no one knows what is happening.

What are you doing, Betelgeuse?

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to a Supernova

Betelgeuse is the hot topic in astronomy because it has…

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[firelily-jade]

Astronomy Project Underway!

I am currently doing visual photometry in my university observatory of the target SS Cygni, a cataclysmic variable in the constellation of Cygnus.

I made my very first estimate of its magnitude tonight (after taking nearly an hour to find the damn thing, haha).  I estimated +12.0.

I then went to check this estimate against what other visual observers had seen on the AAVSO website, and I was in the ballpark!  I am just excited about that.  It’s made even better by the fact that I was able to make this estimate in a pretty light polluted area and with the moon up (64% illuminated).

This star’s definitely on the dimmer side of its cycle, and I hope it brightens up again soon so I can see it better.  Every clear night from now until when this project is due (for my advanced physics lab course) will be devoted to making these observations.  It’ll definitely be easier to find my target next time, thank goodness!

[startswithabang]

Throwback Thursday: What Is A Variable Star?

"The craziest thing of all is that if you wait long enough or look precisely enough, you’ll find that every star will undergo a period of variability in its life. Like many things in this Universe, the only constant is change."

Those constant, fixed points of light in the night sky — the stars — turn out not to be so constant if you looked with great precision at them. A star like our Sun varies in brightness, periodically, by about 0.1% over the span of a few years, but many stars vary by 99% or more from brightest to dimmest. For centuries, we knew of only a handful of these objects, yet now they’re known to be commonplace. Here's what causes their behavior and underlies it, along with the story of their discovery.

[universetoday]

Nova in Sagittarius Brighter Than Ever - Catch it with the Naked Eye!

Nova in Sagittarius Brighter Than Ever – Catch it with the Naked Eye!

Nova Sagittarii 2015 No. 2 in the Sagittarius “Teapot”was easily visible with the naked eye at magnitude +4.4 when this photo was taken this morning March 21. The nova has been steadily brightening since its discovery less than a week ago. Credit: Bob King

Great news about that new novain Sagittarius. It’s still climbing in brightness and now ranks as the brightest nova seen from mid-northern…

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[nightskyobserver-blog]

AAVSO Alert Notice 511: Monitoring Requested for Developing Planetary Systems Dust Production Study

Dr. George Rieke (University of Arizona) and colleagues have requested AAVSO assistance in monitoring four stars with developing planetary systems. The targets are RZ Psc, HD 15407A, V488 Per, and HD 23514. This campaign is similar to the one conducted in 2013.

The full AAVSO Alert is here. 

[beeffizz]

aavso replied to your post:¯\_(ツ)_/¯, ಠ_ಠ, ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

:O i cannot believe u still call me ur tumblr friend………….. i am……., honored………………

IF U WERE KILLED TOMORROW, I WOULDNT GO 2 UR FUNERAL CUZ ID B N JAIL 4 KILLIN DA PERSON THAT KILLED U! ......__________________ ...../_==o;;;;;;;;______[] .....), ---.(_(__) / ....// (..) ), ----" ...//___// ..//___// WE TRUE HOMIES WE RIDE TOGETHER WE DIE TOGETHER