Transits, Spots, and Eclipses: The Sun’s Role in Pedagogy and Outreach (Abstract)

Volume 46 number 1 (2018)

Kristine Larsen

Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06050; larsen@ccsu.edu

Abstract

(Abstract only) While most people observe variable stars at night, the observers of the AAVSO Solar Section make a single observation per day, but only if it is sunny, because our variable is the Sun itself. While the Sun can play an important role in astronomy outreach and pedagogy in general, as demonstrated by the recent 2017 eclipse, it can also serve as an ambassador for variable stars. This talk will examine how our sun can be used as a tool to explain several types of variable star behaviors, including transits, spots, and eclipses.