Conferences on Variable Star Research is the most important meeting organized by Variable Stars and Exoplanet Section of the Czech Astronomical Society (VSES CAS). In 2024, the Pro-Am Meeting on Variable Star/56th Conference on Variable Star Research is organized as a follow-up event for the International  conference/Binary and Multiple Stars in the Era of  Sky Survays in the Castle Hill in Litomyšl.

VSES CAS was founded in 1924, is a voluntary association of professional astronomers, amateur astronomers and interested citizens. The Section is coordinating variable star and exoplanet research in the Czech Republic. Its online Exoplanet Transit Database and other online services are used internationally. 

In 2024, the VSES CAS will celebrate not only 100 years of its existence, but also one of the ten-year anniversaries of Zdeněk Kopal. Zdeněk Kopal's personality is very important for Czech astronomers interested in eclipsing variable stars, as he was also one of the first chairs of the Variable Star Section.

The Pro-Am meeting on Variable Star creates ties between professionals, students and amateur astronomers in the field of variable stars and exoplanet research. Overview lectures by professionals, current research results and methods by astrophysics students and observation results by amateur astronomers are presented every year. Observation techniques, equipment, software tools and online resources are also discussed.

We host between 70- 90 participants from the Czech Republic and neighboring countries, as well as, possibly, more online audience.

This year meeting will assume hybrid form - both in person and online via ZOOM application, and will be held in Czech and English languages. There will be student section for high school and university students presenting their work. The student section will be organized as a contest where the best presenter will be recognized and receives price donated by the VSES CAS.

Contributions from the conference can be published in Open European Journal on Varible Stars, an electronic open peer-reviewed journal issued by VSES CAS in cooperation with Masaryk University Brno, with indexation in SIMBAD database and Smithsonian/NASA's ADS. Recordings of the talks will be made public on VSES CAS YouTube channel and presentation files will be accessible in meeting program.

We accept talks covering these areas:

Variable stars and exoplanets research

History of variable star observations

Pro-Am cooperation in the world

Satellites, missions and survey telescopes

Data processing methods, web applications, databases and software

Observatories and observation programmes

Astronomical hardware

Campaigns and cooperations

Conference organizers:

Support kindly provided by: