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Post date: Feb 17, 2012 9:29:17 PM
Call them amateurs, hobbyists, or citizen scientists; they have always been a part of research astronomy. With unmatched passion for the night sky and its mysteries, patience and long-term dedication, they discover supernovae and comets, track asteroids, and plot the light curves of variable and binary stars. With advances in technology has come an explosion of opportunities for participation and discovery. Join the Stars at Yerkes Professional Learning Community for a day celebrating the citizen scientist. We will look back at the history of the amateur in astronomy and explore the oldest amateur research group in the nation, the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). We will also take a look at two new opportunities, Zooniverse and Globe at Night. We strongly recommend that you bring a laptop to use during the early afternoon session.
Our late afternoon highlight is a talk by Bob Holmes of the Astronomical Research Institute (http://www.astro-research.org) whose passion for astronomy has been acknowledged in the December issue of Sky and Telescope magazine. Stay around for an evening of stars.For a detailed agenda and registration information, click here.
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