20/20 Vision Team of Citizen Sky

1. 20/20 Vision Team of Citizen Sky Our team will encourage the visual observing of our feature star Epsilon Aurigae, plus the other 9 stars in the Citizen Sky program. I want to carry this further to encourage and train observers in observing 10 other variable stars besides those in the "10 Star Tutorial"  plus 10 other night sky objects such as deep sky objects, the moon and planets. We will also assist in basic training in how to use your telescope.  Chris Stephan, AAVSO Robert Clyde Observatory Sebring, Florida rcobservatory@embarqmail.com equipment: 10X50 binocular, 25X100 binocular on mount 4.7 inch refracting telescope, 10 inch reflecting telescope, and 14.25 inch reflecting telescope

2. Teaching and Mentoring

3. We have 47 members from 10 different countries. • USA- 28 members • Canada- 6 members • Spain- 1 member • United Kingdom- 1 member • India- 3 members • Kuwait- 1 member • Ireland- 2 members • Bulgaria- 2 members • Mexico- 1 member • Germany- 1 member

4. Leading the Team • My greatest satisfaction has been to teach and communicate with these people from great distances. Some have not been very active, but several have really done a great job, and are submitting observations to Citizen Sky and/or the AAVSO. It is great to read of their excitement. Many have had a passion for astronomy ignited in them. They have been an encouragement to me.

5. Keeping the Team on Track.

6. Here’s some of the Team • Kent Birkle: • My interest in astronomy goes back to in the early 70s. The first time I saw my Uncle Chet Richardson's observatory located on his Cherry Farm in Niagra Falls, I was fascinated with astronomy. Although I did not own a telescope until 2005, I was always watching the night sky with binoculars. Astronomy history, constellations, meteor showers, wandering planets, comets and the conquests of NASA were my main interests. I joined the AAVSO in 2006 and have submitted one observation of Epsilon Aurigae before it vanished below my backyard's horizon for the rest of the summer. I read the 20/20 Vision Team blog when I can. I am the 2nd Vice President of the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, and help with multiple outreach events every year, including Sun/Earth Day at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. I am very happy to see Citizen Sky and hope that with the help of the internet and outreach the organization will flourish in the future. I hope you can send me a copy of your presentation or maybe you can post it on http://www.aavso.org/presentation-library-0..........Hope this helps, Kent Birkle BPK - www.pasnola.org

7. Unni Sukumaran in India: • Has your excitement for astronomy gotten others interested? Perhaps family members or friends?Yes, I conducted a small demo with my telescope to my relatives and a couple of kids. They were amazed to see the moon, Venus , Saturn, Orion Nebula. • I have the epsilon Aur theme on my desk top. Some of my office staff were asking what was this strange picture and I explained to them the basics of variable stars and the light year distances of the picture from left to right. Other basic details from Citizen Sky/AAVSO on Epsilon Aur was emailed to my brother who is in Canada. A couple of months after I purchased my telescope , he purchased an Orion MCT (5.1"). My second brother who is a Surgeon in India also is in the process of buying a simple telescope with the help of a local club at his place. • Equipment : 130mmx900mm Skywatcher with 6mm and 25mm plossl, 12mm,16mm,25mm,38mm ramsden, 2x variable and 4x fixed barlow. 10x50 olympus Binos.

8. Maurice Fitzgerald- • 1. ) The 20/20 Vision Team led by Chris Stephan has been a great source of information and inspiration, just as the whole Citizen Sky project has been, for amateur astronomers new to the hobby. I look forward to the e-mail updates Chris sends out with variable star lists to help us expand beyond the 10-star program as new variable star observers. This team, as well as the whole Citizen Sky project, allows newcomers to astronomy to learn and grow and contribute to science in small but important ways.

9. More from Murice in Texas • 2.) I recently found out about a new Astronomical League observing club, the Variable Star Observer club and knew this would be a perfect way to continue and enhance my newly acquired interest in variable stars. A lot of the observations I have already done for Citizen Sky are applicable to those needed to attain a certificate and pin but there are newer objectives within it that I have not yet done. I’ve even challenged our 20/20 Visions Team members to join me in completing the club, which I think would be a great reflection on the Citizen Sky project as well as the AAVSO. • 3.) I have made observations of Epsilon Aurigae and all of the stars in the 10 star program several times each. I’ve also branched out from that list a little as I learn how to create and use charts from the VSP at the AAVSO website, for other binocular, telescope and even naked eye objects. Finding and orienting the field through the telescope for visual observations has been the toughest part so far for me. To this point I have amassed 178 observations, it’s not much but it’s a start!

10. My name is  Lori Lynn Anderson Doering • I was born in Canada in the province of Alberta but I have lived almost half of my life in Andalucia in the south of Spain. I came to Spain in 1987 with a Rotary Scholarship to Study flamenco guitar with Mario Escudero and Manuel Cera.  At the same time I finished my classical guitar studies at the Superior Conservatory of Music in Seville and I now work as a guitar professor at the conservatory of Isla Cristina in the province of Huelva. • My love for astronomy began as a child. When I was 10 years old I bought a book through my school called “Know the Stars” by H. A. Rey. It was a wonderful book available through a magazine aimed at fostering reading skills in school children. The book, which I still have, taught me the basics on stars and the most important constellations.  When I was 12, I took an astronomy course at the planetarium of Calgary as a member of the girl scouts which helped to strengthen my basic knowledge. • In Canada I always watched the incredible lights of the aurora borealis and all my life I have been careful not to miss the eclipses and meteor showers but I never studied in depth and conformed with the little I knew until the summer of 2009.  It was when I was helping my son study for a Science exam that I discovered something that totally changed the way I understood our universe. •  I realized that until then I had not understood the structure and the immensity of our galaxy nor that there hundreds of billions of galaxies in our universe.  It is….it is just mind boggling and has left me with a thirst to learn everything I can in the time I have left on this earth.  It was like an awakening that has changed how I feel in relation to everything. I no longer take things for granted. I now look at the sun and feel it as the star it is and I am fascinated by its relation with the earth and its solar system and everything beyond. •  How small we are!!

11. Lori Anderson and the astronomy club in Huelva, Spain

12. Linda set up with her telescope and variable star chart. Linda’s web site is http://greenlandridgeobservatory.com/ Lori Lynn Anderson Doering in Andalucia, Spain.

13. Linda Morgan-O’Connor, Danforth, MaineCitizen Sky was there, right when I was beginning to re-engage with my long standing interest in astronomy. Most of my middle adult years were spent in environments where light pollution was a discouraging factor, and so I turned to geology and meteorology for my science fix. Once I retired, however, my husband and I bought land in northern Maine on the border of New Brunswick, where the skies were spectacular… we also travel to the desert southwest for winter, where the skies are also spectacular! Naturally I began to think about buying a telescope, building a small observatory, and finding ways to make a contribution to the field of astronomy. I knew about AAVSO from my early years; but I think finding Citizen Sky was just serendipity, found during a random browsing session on astronomy topics and blogs. The idea of a massive effort to get observations for epsilon Aurigae was intriguing and immediately caught my interest.The support in terms of materials, advice and ideas has been fantastic both at Citizen Sky and AAVSO. The step-by step guidance from AAVSO and Chris’ suggestions for observations have been invaluable and really made a difference to me – I know that if I just had launched out on my own I would have chosen difficult star fields, and might have become frustrated. Instead I feel like I am making steady and consistent progress; and often feel encouraged after making my observations, and ready to tackle new stars. I still have challenges with the weather and the environment where I live (heavy dews and frequent cloudy nights), but I am working through the challenges and hope to be a steady contributor to the vast data bank of variable observations for many years to come.

14. Kim Hay- Epsilon Aurigae to the Sun • I have done some observations for Epsilon Aurigae and Rho Cas, and have put them in through the Blue and Gold, which has now changed, but I do have more to enter.We do public outreach, but I have been cutting back and trying to get more observing in myself this year. I have to admit I have not done as much observing as I want this year, but hopefully that is going to change.On another note, I have just become the AAVSO's Solar Section Data Analysist, and still learning the ropes.

15. Denis Walsh in Ireland: • First let me list some of my equipment: I usually use the naked eye, 15x70 binoculars or a 100mm short tube refractor. I have a Meade etx125 tube (Mak) which I have adapted for photo tripods and Nikon cameras. My favourite (sic) is my Celestron c11s (SCT) which for observing can be forced to about 700x with my home-made erecting 4mm eyepiece (two binocular eyepieces, taped up in a tube).I work for Cork's Blackrock Castle Observatory as a teaching astronomer, and in September and October 2010, I have my astronomy photo-exhibition in their space.I am a scientist by training,  biochemistry and environmental biotech among the areas I have worked in.

16. Clarisa Nell, Calgary, Alberta Canada • I have always been fascinated by the stars. There's certainly something magical about a dark sky that's lit up by millions of tiny specks of light. As I was looking around on the web for places to help me learn more about the stars and constellations, I came across Citizen Sky. A whole new world of variable stars opened up to me, one which I thought would be too difficult to comprehend, let alone enjoy, at my amateur level. I immediately downloaded the ten star tutorial and started observing several variable stars in it, including Epsilon Aurigae. To my delight, it also helped me recognize more constellations that I have not previously been able to. I do my observations both unaided, as well as with a small pair of binoculars that my Granddad passed on to me. The website and the 20/20 team have helped with explaining how best to judge magnitude, as well as provided several other variable stars to enjoy. 

17. Learning as a Team Leader • The most difficult task is to discipline myself to set aside time to communicate with the Team. • Every few months I put out a list of other variable stars that I recommend for that season. Several members have told me they enjoy this. • I continue to encourage the members to submit their observations. I wish I could be right there to mentor them. • Some will join the Team and that’s all we hear from them. I must tell myself not to take it personally.

18. Lead as a Teacher • I am a science teacher, so it is natural for me to want to teach my team members. • I coach them about telescopes and binoculars. Several have built or purchased a telescope. • I continually encourage them when they question the quality of their observations. • I respond to their emails and post as quickly as possible. I feel that keeps their enthusiasm going.

19. Advice for new team leaders. • Start off excited, and stay excited. Even from thousands of miles away, I believe my team members sense my excitement. • Don’t expect to win them all over. Most will be very positive. However, chances are you will get at least one negative person. Try to be encouraging, but focus on the ones who are really growing.

20. Teaching for Citizen Sky is Fun! South Plantation Magnet High School students enjoy the night sky at Riverwoods Field Lab in Florida.