Lack of observers.

.
What would be interesting to know are the strengths and weaknesses of these sky patrols.
What areas of the sky are they missing?
What are their limitations?

Michael, I don't know much about the existing surveys, even less about future surveys (e.g. PanStarrs). But what I read on the various boards, they do have some limitations. It might be the areas of sky they are covering, the types of image they take (they may be in certain wavelengths only) or even the resources they have. Even though they might have terabytes of data produced plus tons of processing power to manipulate that data, it seems to me that they still need astronomers to do the follow-up work.

Whilst the apparent contribution of amateurs seems to have dwindled with the introduction of these surveys, my sense is that amateurs just need to change the way they contribute.

For example, surveys concentrating on the discovery of minor planets simply do that. They are not designed to do follow up work (like lightcurves). But the data they produce certainly gives the amateurs a very rich vein of new objects to tap into. So, whilst amateurs have been pushed out of the discovery part of minor planet work, they now have a significant increase in the number of objects they can now study.

This might be the case with other types of survey too. But those strengths that amateurs have over professionals still stand. Unlimited scope access time, quick response to events and probably an element of a lack of beaurocracy...

Amateurs have the ability to contribute more than before. Don't be put off by the apparent deluge of data from the professionals. See it as an opening to more facilitate more contributions from amateurs.

Dave

If all goes to plan, then I think you can look forward to the VSOG in Ireland seeing an increase in observations over the coming years

Good words there Dave, whilst I personally don't have the ability for photometry and such, I do reguarly contribute to AAVSO et al, with many visual observations of variable stars, novae etc.

Maybe a formal reporting process should be developed for VSOG, where as at the moment, this is much reliant on e-mail.

Is there many observation posted to you John??

P.S.Good luck with the supernova hunting guys !

Keith..

Good words there Dave, whilst I personally don't have the ability for photometry and such, I do reguarly contribute to AAVSO et al, with many visual observations of variable stars, novae etc.

Maybe a formal reporting process should be developed for VSOG, where as at the moment, this is much reliant on e-mail.

Keith - as part of the AOP SN Search, we will develop formal reporting process. If possible, that will be based on existing models. Of course, the reporting process will be internal to the AOP. We *have* to follow reporting conventions for external organisations (e.g. IAU).

When we get on to the variable star module, I would really like it to be driven by the VSOG with the AOP itself just facilitating the process. i.e. the contributors will look for and report on whatever variable stars VSOG wants. And reporting will be done the way VSOG wants it.

If things go according to plan, this will be driven through some kind of database/web interface technology. If that suits VSOG, then I've no doubt that it would be a win-win. If it doesn't then perhaps there are other solutions that *would* suit.

There's no "competition" between the AOP and VSOG - but collaboration and facilitation would, I hope, get VSOG back up to where it was in the past.

Dave

P.S.Good luck with the supernova hunting guys !
Keith..

You mean you didn't volunteer to be an imager or blinker?

Thanks anyhow!

Dave

Michael,

There are fields in the sky that amateurs still manage to detect Asteroids at present. Amateur discoveries are usually now much longer exposures to attain the right limiting magnitude to detect new ones. Hence, apertures of 30-40 cm reaching down to near 21 mag. Most of the sky surveys go down to 19 -19.5 mag. The MPC provides the survey coverage done by the professionals. There are reasonable gaps that can be targeted




Aperture Cms Lim Mag Lim. Mag. Lim. Mag.
f/3 f/5 f/7

30 19.5 A 20 A
40 19.3 CSS 21 A
50 19.0 B
60 19.3 LS
75
90 21.7 SW
100 19.2 LR
120 21.0 N

---

CSS = Catalina Sky Survey
B = Bisei
SW = Spacewatch
LS = LONEOS
LR = LINEAR
N = NEAT
A = AMATEURS

Eamonn A

Hi,

Great to see all these replies. I know I am a bit slow getting back (its a bit hectic finishing off Sky-High 2008). I will print out all your comments so I can (properly) read them (great food for thought)!


John