Six Decades in Variable Star Astronomy

Volume 52 number 2 (2024)

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John R. Percy

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada; john.percy@utoronto.ca

Abstract

This is a brief overview and commentary on my six decades in variable star astronomy. It includes my work as a professional astronomer, doing research, teaching, administration, and outreach, and also my close connections with amateur astronomy, especially through two remarkable organizations—the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). This overview focusses mainly on my involvement with the AAVSO in connection with the areas of pulsating stars and education, which are of course only a small fraction of the AAVSO’s activities.