Sangamon Astronomical Society's Links to Observing Variable Stars
The following links are provided through the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).
The AAVSO is a worldwide, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization of amateur and professional astronomers who are interested in variable stars. Its purpose is to coordinate, collect, evaluate, analyze, publish, and archive variable star observations made largely by amateur astronomers, and to make these observations available to professional astronomers, researchers, and educators.
Variable stars need to be systematically observed over decades in order to: determine the long-time behavior of a star, provide professional astronomers with data needed to analyze variable star behavior, to schedule observations of certain stars, to correlate data from satellite and ground-based observations, and to make computerized theoretical models of variable stars.
Variable Star section of the AAVSO
Power Point presentation about observing variable stars
Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars
List of variable stars that are easy to observe (use the constellation chart listed below)
Constellation charts for locating variable stars
Observing programs of the AAVSO
