Digital Archiving: Where the Past Lives Again

Volume 40 number 1 (2012)

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Kevin B. Paxson

20219 Eden Pines, Spring, TX 77379; kbpaxson@aol.com

Abstract

The process of digital archiving for variable star data by manual entry with an Excel spreadsheet is described. Excel-based tools including a Step Magnitude Calculator and a Julian Date Calculator for variable star observations where magnitudes and Julian dates have not been reduced are presented. Variable star data in the literature and the AAVSO International Database prior to 1911 are presented and reviewed, with recent archiving work being highlighted. Digitization using optical character recognition software conversion is also demonstrated, with editing and formatting suggestions for the OCR-converted text.