new observers

Visual observing can be done with the naked eye, a pair of binoculars, or with a mounted or transportable telescope. 

The 10-Star Training Tutorials are designed for novices who have no prior experience observing variable stars. It is a walk through of how to find the star, how to make an estimate and how to submit the estimate to the AAVSO. If you are new to the AAVSO then these are great tutorials to get you started.

AAVSO produced JD Calendars give the last four digits of the Julian Day for each day of every month for a year. The months January-June are on one page while July–December are on the second page. For the complete JD, add 2,450,000 (or 2,460,000 after February 23, 2023) to the four digit value given in the calendar for the Astronomical Day of your observation.

Click on a year in the left column to download a 2-page .pdf version of the calendar for that year. The calendar for 2024 is shown below. Click on the image below to get a bigger version. 

by Janet A. Mattei, AAVSO Director 1973-2004, published in Eyepiece Views, September 2002.

How have you made your "friendship" with variable stars? Has it been through your observing? Or through your reading? Or through your training?

The following is a list of stars that are relatively easy to locate and observe visually with either small to mid-sized telescopes or binoculars. All are great stars for beginning observers and have impressive historical light curves to which your contributions are always welcome! The letters under "Suggested Charts" indicate the recommended 'scales' of charts used to observe these stars. Use the Variable Star Plotter (VSP) to create your own charts.

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

Guide to CCD/CMOS Photometry
A handbook designed for the beginning CCD and CMOS camera observers.