Webinars

AAVSO webinars engage the diverse variable star community with opportunities to learn from expert instructors, ask questions, and meet others with the same interest. Every webinar ends with an audience-driven Q&A, and the in-depth discussions sparked often reveal information that you just won't find anywhere else.

We have many webinars planned, with topics ranging from the fundamentally practical to the wonderfully specific. We'd love to see you there!


Upcoming Webinars

The State of Exoplanetary Astronomy

August 10, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

 


 

 

 

Coming Soon

On September 14, 2024, we will present a how-to on practical exoplanet photometry.

 

Any cost?

Our webinars are free and open to the public! We believe strongly in the importance of keeping our events easy to access, enabling people all over the world to obtain a quality education in variable star astronomy.

When?

We host at least one webinar per month, sometimes more. You can view the schedule of upcoming webinars below. Webinars always begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Here's what that means in other timezones:

US Standard Time (November–March)
UTC EST
[UTC-5]
CST
[UTC-6]
MST
[UTC-7]
PST
[UTC-8]
19:00 2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 12:00 noon 11:00 a.m.
US Daylight Time (April–October)
UTC EDT
[UTC-4]
CDT
[UTC-5]
MDT
[UTC-6]
PDT
[UTC-7]
18:00 2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 12:00 noon 11:00 a.m.

 

Past Webinars

The AAVSO-SNEWS Campaign

July 13, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

YouTube

 

The AAVSO and the SuperNova Early Warning System team (SNEWS) are collaborating to monitor bright potential supernova progenitors. The targets are broadly distributed across the sky and all types of observing may be used, so this exciting campaign offers any interested observer the opportunity to contribute.

This webinar looks at the progress to date, and will feature talks from Professor Alec Habig, University of Minnesota, and Dr. Bert Pablo, AAVSO's Staff Astronomer.

Section Spotlight: Spectroscopy, HEN, and PEP

June 29, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

YouTube

 

This webinar will feature brief talks from three AAVSO Sections: Cataclysmic Variables, AAVSOnet, and Short Period Pulsators.

The session will include a discussion of the AAVSO's Section system, and ways to participate.

Why should I register for this webinar?
If recurrent novae make your heart beat fast, you’ll find a place among friends in the Cataclysmic Variables Section, one of the AAVSO's most popular.

Those who prefer cluster variables and High-Amplitude Delta Scutis will be interested in the SPP Section's ongoing research projects.

And, if you like the sound of collecting unlimited data with 24-inch remote telescopes, you won't want to miss the presentation by the AAVSOnet Section.

Section Spotlight: CVs, AAVSOnet and SPPs

June 22, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

 

his webinar will feature brief talks from three AAVSO Sections: Cataclysmic Variables, AAVSOnet, and Short Period Pulsators.

The session will include a discussion of the AAVSO's Section system, and ways to participate.

Why should I register for this webinar?
If recurrent novae make your heart beat fast, you’ll find a place among friends in the Cataclysmic Variables Section, one of the AAVSO's most popular.

Those who prefer cluster variables and High-Amplitude Delta Scutis will be interested in the SPP Section's ongoing research projects.

And, if you like the sound of collecting unlimited data with 24" remote telescopes, you won't want to miss the presentation by the AAVSOnet Section.

Section Spotlight: Exoplanet, YSOs and I&E

June 8, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Star field with 'AAVSO PRESENTS', 'Sections in the Spotlight', 'Zoom Webinar', and 'June 8, 2024 @ 2 p.m. ET' overlaid

 

This webinar will feature brief talks from three AAVSO Sections: Exoplanet, Young Stellar Objects, and Instrumentation & Equipment.

The session will include a discussion of the AAVSO's Section system, and ways to participate.

Why should I register for this webinar?
If you enjoy observing exoplanets or monitoring protostars, you'll be very interested to hear about the ongoing studies conducted by the Exoplanet Section and Young Stellar Objects Section.

If you're curious about smart telescopes, or looking to swap DIY equipment plans, the Instrumentation & Equipment Section is just the group for you.

Section Spotlight: Solar, EBs and LPVs

June 1, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Star field with 'AAVSO PRESENTS', 'Sections in the Spotlight', 'Zoom Webinar', and 'June 1, 2024 @ 2 p.m. ET' overlaid"

This webinar will feature brief talks from three AAVSO Sections: Solar Observing, Eclipsing Binaries, and Long Period Variables.

The session will include a discussion of the AAVSO's Section system, and ways to participate.

Be sure to stick around for the interactive Q&A with the Sections' leaders!

What is a Section?
AAVSO Sections are groups of volunteers united in the study of a particular topic, such as exploding stars or precision spectroscopy. Sections provide opportunities to learn, socialize, and contribute to science.

Filters and Photometric Transformations

May 11, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

"Star field with 'Photometry: Transformations & Filters', 'Brian Kloppenborg', 'Zoom Webinar', and 'May 11, 2024 @ 2 p.m. ET' overlaid"

Join Dr. Brian Kloppenborg, AAVSO's Executive Director, as he traces the journey of light from the stars to our sensors.

The presentation will explore the impacts atmospheric transmission, telescope optics, and sensor technologies have on stellar photometric data, as well as how photometric filters and transformation processes serve to standardize measurements across observers.

Brian will discuss the most common photometric systems used by amateur astronomers, present transmission curves of a variety of commercially available filters, and discuss how you can use transformation to improve the quality of your photometry.

 

 

Cataclysmic Variables

April 13, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

While all cataclysmic variables contain the same basic component stars (a white dwarf and a close companion), they can appear very different depending on individual properties like magnetic fields, accretion state, evolution state and companion type. This webinar will describe the various photometric and spectroscopic behavior that has been observed, which ones are well understood and what observations are still needed to complete our understanding of these systems.

Introductory Spectroscopy

March 9, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

In this interactive workshop, experienced spectroscopists Bob Buchheim and Scott Donnell will provide an introduction to spectroscopy of variable stars.

Scott will begin with a general introduction, targeted at those that have been contemplating getting into spectroscopy, but want to know more before diving in. Bob will then cover some of the basic terminology, providing a solid foundation for a general understanding of the field. Finally, Bob and Scott will together address the question of whether amateur spectroscopy is scientifically valuable, and the types of investigations which an amateur spectroscopist can engage in.

In true "How-To" fashion, we'll wrap up with an extended Q&A session, doing our best to answer every question submitted.

If you're interested in astronomical spectroscopy, you don't want to miss this event!

Asteroseismology

February 10, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Asteroseismology has been bringing breakthrough science for more than a decade. In this webinar, 2022 Kavli laureate Conny Aerts will introduce the basic principles of asteroseismology and explain its capacity to probe stellar interiors. It will be shown how applications to sun-like stars and red giants feed exoplanetary and galactic science.

The talk will then focus on more recent applications to stars rotating much faster than the Sun. We discuss how gravito-inertial asteroseismology offers to estimate the internal rotation and chemical mixing deep inside stars, with major implications for stellar evolution. We end with exciting future opportunities for this booming research field of astrophysics from the future ESA PLATO space mission under construction.

Introductory Photometry

January 13, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

We're kicking off the new year with a webinar on one of our most popular topics—photometry! Whether you're new to variable star observing or you're an old-timer looking for ways to improve your photometric precision, this event is for you.

We'll demonstrate the process of photometric reduction, discuss important topics such as binning and choice of filters, and share how you can maximize your photometric accuracy. Afterwards, we'll wrap up with an extended Q&A session, giving attendees the opportunity to ask an expert for advice on all of your burning questions about photometry, no matter how specific.