honors

AAS AWARDS:

The American Astronomical Society's Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award for exemplary research by an amateur astronomer (2015)

Mike Simonsen

This award is given to an amateur astronomer for the discovery of a gamma-ray burst optical afterglow.

Announced in AAVSO Communications for May 2021

Arto Oksanen

for the discovery of the Gamma-Ray Burst optical afterglow of

GRB 210420B

April 20.8229, 2021 UT

At the Annual Meeting in October, 1928, a Nova Award Medal was instituted to encourage and recognize the visual discoverers of novae. The Medal was not restricted to members of the AAVSO, but it would be awarded to the original discoverer of a nova by direct visual methods. Initially, the medals were made of gold and were donated by AAVSO member and jeweler, David B. Pickering. The Nova Award Medal was discontinued, and the Nova Award Plaque was awarded in its place on subsequent occasions. This award is also awarded to the visual discoverer of supernova.

In order to recognize the contributions of AAVSO Solar Section contributors, the AAVSO Solar Observer Awards (sunspots only) were initiated at the 1999 Annual Meeting. Sunspot awards are presented to solar observers who have reached milestones of 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, or subsequent increments of 500 sunspot observations by September of a given year. In 2004 a SID awards program was implemented to give equal recognition to SID observers.

Without the nightly observations of amateur astronomers, the professional astronomer would find it difficult, if not impossible, to collect the quantity of data that is needed to further the study of stars, the Sun, novae and supernovae, comets, and meteors.

The Director's Award is awarded at the Director's discretion in the form of a plaque or other item to an outstanding observer who contributes to special observing projects or contributes to the work of the AAVSO in other ways.