[AAVSO-DIS] When is a variable worth reporting?

[Richard Huziak]

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One of the most obvious answers of "when is a variable worth reporting?" is "always", and my reasoning is that it wastes everyone's time to rediscover what is already known (somewhere).  The problem is that all discoveries are not found on AAVSO charts, validation file, suspects list or similar databases, and so, there is a risk of 'finding a known, but unlabeled' variable, or trying to use a variable star as a standard star (as in the case of the  U Gem field until recently).  

The whole thing boils down to 'need to know' as well.  For visual observers, they don't care about centimag or millimag stars, but to CCD observers, not knowing these are there is a royal pain, and wastes lots of hours sorting out why sequences don't work, then searching dbases all over to see if is indeed new.   And there are WAY too many dbases around.  Hopefully VSX or similar utilities will help in keeping track of new vars, especially when they are in fields around constantly observed stars.

As for 'completing' observations of new vars, I differ somewhat on some of the answers.  I feel that early reporting a new var that is *certainly* variable, even if type is not known for sure, should be done - into some sort of central *holding* file, since, in my case, dozens of new varstar discoveries are NOT target stars that I am going after, so the new discoveries, though cool, just give me much more to do that I do not have time to worry about right now.  If they are reported, then others who have an interest, first, are aware the stars are variable, and secondly, can pursue the classification of the star if they wish.  I will eventually find time to return to these stars, but it may not be for months or years, and in the meantime, the star may be rediscovered, wasting someone's time or creating a 'who discovered it first' dispute.  So one current dilemma I have is whether or not to expand the Suspects Dbase to include the other comp stars from AAVSO charts that have been discovered to be variable while looking at the suspects.  It is somewhat of a duplication of the   New Discoveries dbase that is coming, but that dbase likely will not make it obvious a new var resides in an AAVSO field.

Whether or not it is a low amplitude dSct or a new RR Lyr star at 18 mag, knowledge becomes everything, because it avoids confusion.

rick
HUZ



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Richard Huziak
Manufacturing Engineering
SED Systems
Saskatoon, SK, Canada
tel. (306) 933-1676
<huziak at SEDSystems.ca>
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