Instructor: Aritra Das This course is intended to provide participants with a systematic coverage of VStar’s current functionality, an appreciation of the ways in which it can be extended, and how it can be used for variable star data visualization and analysis. You’ll learn how to create mean plots, phase plots, and perform simple period […]
This webinar will feature brief talks from three AAVSO Special Interest Groups: Exoplanet, Young Stellar Objects, and Solar Observing. The session will include a discussion of the AAVSO's SIGs, and ways to participate. Why should I register for this webinar? If you enjoy observing exoplanets or monitoring protostars, you'll be very interested to hear about […]
Instructor: Blake Crosby. This course is an overview of the types of variable stars most often observed by AAVSO observers. We explain the construction of light curves and phase diagrams. We discuss the physical processes behind what makes each type of variable and how this is demonstrated in their light curves. We link these salient […]
This webinar will feature brief talks from three AAVSO Special Interest Groups: Eclipsing Binaries, Instrumentation & Equipment, and Short Period Pulsating Variables. The session will include a discussion of the AAVSO's SIGs, and ways to participate. Why should I register for this webinar? If you enjoy observing variables due to stellar alignments or pulsations, you'll […]
Instructor: Arne Henden In 2023, a dedicated group of 10 AAVSO members spent months in reviewing the AAVSO International Database and interviewed many observers, with the goals of both finding quality deficiencies in submitted observations, as well as suggesting many ways in which that quality could be improved. Some of the suggestions fall directly on […]
Instructor: Mike Poxon This four week course is designed to help visual observers get the most enjoyment and scientific return from the observing programs they develop, based on each individuals’ equipment, observing conditions and interests. To successfully complete this course you must provide in writing, two documents. A complete observer profile (a sample will be […]
With over a century of observations, this bright supergiant continues to surprise and challenge us . . . a Great Dimming and now the possibility of a companion hidden deep within its atmosphere. Dr. Andrea Dupree relates the history, puzzling behavior, and the unique contributions of the AAVSO as well as ongoing studies of Betelgeuse. […]
Dr. Karen Collins will provide an overview of the TFOP program, demonstrate the tools made available to coordinate and analyze observations by citizen, student, and professional astronomers from around the world, and explain how to apply to join the fun.
International Astronomy Day provides an opportunity to celebrate our diverse international community. The night sky has no borders; it provides ample opportunities for us all to connect, discover and learn. For additional resources, please visit the Astronomical League’s Astronomy Day webpage.
Instructor: Ken Menzies. This course is designed to teach observers how to conduct photometry using VPhot, the AAVSO’s cloud-based photometry reduction software. The main objective is to understand “best photometric practices” by independently conducting exercises which utilize VPhot as the photometry tool. You will learn (1) how to upload and manage your image files, (2) […]
Join us as we hear from each of the candidates running in the AAVSO's FY26 Board election. Each candidate will discuss their own background, running platform, and thoughts on the future of the AAVSO. This year’s candidates are Isaac Ceballos, Rick Diz, Dipankar Maitra, Peter Bealo, Peter Craig, and Michael Rapp. Zoom | Register
Instructor: Raffaello Braga. Observing and counting sunspots is one of the most important and simple methods for monitoring the activity of our nearest star. This four weeks course will provide […]
The AAVSO 114th Annual Meeting will be held at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, in Portland, Oregon, USA, November 1 - 2, 2025. As in past meetings, the event will feature keynote speakers, oral presentations on variable star research, astronomy history, or astronomy education and outreach, plus multiple opportunities to network with like-minded folk. The annual […]
This webinar will feature brief talks from three AAVSO Special Interest Groups: Spectroscopy, Cataclysmic Variables, and AAVSONet. The session will include a discussion of the AAVSO's SIGs, and ways to participate. Zoom | Register
By measuring changes in light output on many different timescales, we can detect and analyze a myriad of phenomena, from stellar rotation to the dynamics of nascent exoplanet systems. While […]
