AAVSO: Mentor Program

AAVSO has a long tradition of mentoring its new observers. Since the earliest days of the AAVSO, experienced observers have helped new observers by corresponding, answering questions and even providing personal guidance at the telescope.

If you would like to "talk shop" with an experienced variable star observer, contact the AAVSO and we will put you in contact with the mentor program coordinator, Mike Simonsen. Just send us an email (aavso@aavso.org), or call 617-354-0484 to let us know you are interested in this program.

Ideally, Mike will be able to provide you with names, addresses, and phone numbers of active AAVSO observers near you. If there are none located in your area, he can at least provide you with more distant contacts. A simple phone chat with an experienced observer may provide all the feedback you need to continue progressing as an AAVSO observer.

If you would like to put your "modest equipment" to use contributing to science, let us teach you how to do that and have a great deal of fun at the same time!

Bookmark this page now!
We have gathered up tons of essential information and linked to them from this page.

AAVSO Visual Observing Manual
This is the 'official' handbook for AAVSO observers. You can view it online or download it for FREE!

CCD Observing Manual
A handbook designed for the beginning CCD Observer.

AAVSO Observing Programs
Most newcomers start out as visual observers, but AAVSO offers many ways to contribute to science!

Charts
Here is where you find the charts with comparison star sequences. Download as many as you want, they're FREE!


Visual Observing Manual	AAVSO Star Charts

Stars Easy to Observe
Start here and save yourself some time. These stars have been selected as being easy to find, easy to recognize and have excellent charts.

Stars Easy to Observe with Binoculars
Don't have a telescope? No problem. There are hundreds of stars you can observe with just a pair of binoculars. Here is a good list to get you started.

Variable Star Telescope Simulator
Learn how to have fun making variable star observations!

Bulletin of LPV Predictions
Will the star you plan to observe tonight be bright enough to see in your telescope? You'll find the answer for over 500 long period variables (LPVs) in the Bulletin.

Submitting Observations to the AAVSO
How do you submit observations to AAVSO once you've made and recorded them? There are several ways to do this, from paper reports to online data entry.

About Julian Dates
Julian dates? What are they? Why do astronomers use them? How can I figure them out? Is it complicated? Don't worry, we've got you covered.

AAVSO Software
Software for entering observations, analyzing data, solar observing, educational software and its all FREE! Julian dates? Our software figures it out for you! I told you we had you covered.

AAVSO Variable Star Bookstore
A listing of selected books on variable stars, observing variable stars, stellar evolution and much more, with links to purchase them directly from amazon dot com.