Suspected Variables in AAVSO Star Fields (Abstract)

Volume 36 number 1 (2008)

Richard Huziak

Abstract

(Abstract only) The master listing of stars observed by the AAVSO is listed in the “Validation File”. The file lists commonly observed variable stars but also lists many “obscure” stars within the fields of view that observers over the years have suspected of being variable. Over the century-long history of the AAVSO over 1,200 such suspects have been added, but this population has never been investigated in detail. Our project first identified each suspect with a catalogue name and position, then using CCD cameras we are now sorting out the true variables from non-variable stars. A small but significant percentage of these stars turn out to be variable, sometimes of surprisingly large range. Unfortunately, some of these variables have been used as comparison stars by visual observers over the years. And now with the fields being explored by CCD camera users, even small-range unrecognized variables stars can cause confusion and skewed data. It is thus important to identify the field suspects and eliminate them as comparison stars.