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American Astronomical Society |
Working Group for
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Tuesday, 1 June 2004
8:30 - 10:00 am, 10:45 am - 12:30 pm
The landscape of astronomical research is dotted by a small number of intense, successful collaborative efforts by professional and amateur astronomers. Recognizing the potential importance to astronomy of such collaborative ventures, the AAS established in January 1999 a working group dedicated to enhancing and facilitating such pro-am collaborations. Since its creation, the Working Group on Professional-Amateur Collaborations in Research (WGPAC) has devoted considerable discussion to the question of how best to foster collaborative research relationships between professional and amateur astronomers. Indeed, the working group itself is the articulation of a desire by members of the two communities for greater dialogue and interaction in science.
In this Topical Session, presenters will describe the ways in which astronomical research can be enhanced by the involvement of talented amateur astronomers possessing highly developed observational skills and with command of sophisticated observing equipment. Indeed, the Session is dedicated to providing professional astronomers examples of and directions for furthering and advancing their research. Even those professionals who have never participated in a collaboration with amateurs, but who have been interested in doing so, will benefit from participating in this Topical Session. In addition, the Session contributors will highlight successful collaborative research ventures between professional and amateur astronomers and will provide information on how professionals and amateurs may work together in educational and public outreach efforts associated with scientific projects (e.g., NASA missions).
The Topical Session will feature parallel oral and poster sessions by professionals and amateurs and include ample time for discussion of building and fostering collaborative relationships. Authors interested in contributing their work for presentation in this session should submit their abstracts to the AAS in the standard format and send a copy to the session organizer: Jay White, WGPAC Chair (wgpac@aas.org). Poster submissions are encouraged, but time constraints will permit only a limited number of oral presentations in addition to these already confirmed:
Amateur Spectroscopy: What is Achievable From the Backyard?
Dale E. Mais (Palomar College) and Robert E. Stencel (University of Denver)
Blurring the Line: High-End Amateurs as Observers and Data Analyzers
Aaron Price (AAVSO)
Transitsearch: A Collaboration with Amateur Astronomers to Discover Transiting Extrasolar Planets
Tim Castellano (NASA Ames Research Center)
Surveying the Southern Sky With a Robotic Camera
John Gaustad (Swarthmore College) and Wayne Rosing (Las Cumbres Observatory)
The Small Telescope Science Program for the NASA Deep Impact Mission
Stephanie McLaughlin (University of Maryland), Gary Emerson (Ball Aerospace), and Lucy McFadden (University of Maryland)
IAPPP and the Pro-Am Connection
Douglas S. Hall (IAPPP and Vanderbilt University)
Pro-Am Collaborations on Eclipsing Binary Star Problems
Dirk Terrell (Southwest Research Institute)
Asteroid Lightcurve Photometry
Alan W. Harris (Space Science Institute)
Observing Blazar Variability: The GTN-AAVSO Collaboration
Gordon G. Spear (Sonoma State University), Aaron Price (AAVSO), Phil Plait, Tim Graves, and Lynn Cominsky (Sonoma State University), and Janet Mattei (AAVSO)
The AAS Professional-Amateur Electronic Registry
Jeff L. Stoner and Janet Stevens (Astronomical League)
Amateur Astronomers as Outreach Ambassadors: Pro-Am Collaborations for Education and Public Outreach
Michael Bennett and Suzanne Chippindale (Astronomical Society of the Pacific)
Professional-Amateur Collaboration in Planetary Studies
Richard Schmude, Jr. (ALPO and Gordon College)
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