Binocular Variable
Stars

Variable stars are objects whose light is not constant. The observer's goal is to determine the brightness of the star when compared to stars of fixed brightness in or near the same field of view.

My AAVSO code is BSCC.

I am a member of the AAVSO.

Rules and Regulations:

To qualify for the Binocular Variable Star Program certificate and award pin, complete these requirements:

Obtain an AAVSO Observer Code from AAVSO.
http://www.aavso.org/myrequestinitials
Make a total of 60 observations of at least 15 different binocular variables with binoculars from the AAVSO Binocular Variable list.
http://www.aavso.org/aavso-binocular-program
Upload your observations to the AAVSO website via WebObs
http://www.aavso.org/webobs
Current Binocular charts must be used from the Variable Star Plotter.
http://www.aavso.org/vsp
Data from the Binocular Variable Program cannot be used for the Variable Star Program Award or vice versa.
When you finish, email or mail a list of your variable observations along with your AAVSO observer code to the Binocular Variable Observing Program Coordinator.

My data for the Variable Star Program was collected via imaging. The data for the Binocular Star Program was collected visually.

Observation Location(s):

11/01/2015 Broemmelsiek Park

05/04/2018 Broemmelsiek Park

06/03-04/2018 Broemmelsiek Park

07/10 to 07/12/2018 Green Bank, WV

Binoculars Used:

Orion 11x80s

4.4o field of view

Bushnell PowerView 7x50

6.6o field of view

Sky Conditions:

11/01/2015 seeing: 6/10 trans: 6/10

05/04/2018 seeing: 7/10 trans: 7/10

06/03-04/2018 seeing: 8/10 trans: 6/10

07/10-12/2018 seeing 8/10 trans: 9/10

The limiting stellar magnitude at Broemmelsiek was never better than 9.2 and always worse to the north through south east.

Observing Notes:

In completing this program I used binoculars mounted on a DIY parallelogram mount and reclined in a zero-gravity chair. The mount lets me look at the finder charts while keeping the target in the field of view. Considering that a single observation might require looking at the finder chart 10-15 times to make certain I'd star hopped to the field correctly, had the finder chart oriented with the field (N/S/E/W), located the variable in the field, located various comparison (comp) stars, and then estimated the brightness of the target, the parallelogram was a great time saver. The zero gravity chair lets me view about 1/3 of the sky from horizon to zenith in comfort, particularly on chilly nights when wrapped in a blanket. Now if I could only see the finder charts without taking off my glasses things would have been perfect. On one target in a crowded field in the middle of nowhere, I took my glasses off and put them on again at least twenty times.

As stated in #3 above I did get my finder charts from the AAVSO's Variable Star Plotter (VSP). Rather than print them out, I saved and copied them to my 7" Android tablet that I use to star hop using SkySafari as a reference. I do have the binocular field size and directions to the NGP (N/S/E/W) labeled in SkySarari. Once at the field with the variable star, I'd switch to the Finder Chart, turn it to orient the view with SkySafari's directions and locate the variable star. While SkySafari does have the ability to display stellar magnitudes, the AAVSO's VSP chart is a better source for that information.

I turned down the tablet's screen brightness and used a red filter app to preserve night vision. I also used SkySafari on the Android tablet to log the dates, times, comp stars, and magnitudes using a SkyList I made for the AAVSO's binocular variable stars.

Parallelogram binocular mount with 11x80 binoculars

(click HERE to see parallelogram page for more information)

typical AAVSO Finder Chart: RX Boo

Observations Submitted to the AAVSO

# Variable Star Date Time Magnitude Comp Stars Finder chart Binos

Observed Observed (decimal pt. omitted)

1 EG And 11/1/2015 07:22 PM CST 7.3 76, 73 X15545AUF 11x80s

2 Rho Cas 11/1/2015 07:38 PM CST 4.7 49, 55 X15545AUM 11x80s

3 HK Lyr 11/1/2015 07:55 PM CST 8.2 72, 75 X15545BCH 11x80s

4 AR Cep 11/1/2015 08:31 PM CST 7.1 71, 66 X15545BBS 11x80s

5 SS Cep 11/1/2015 08:51 PM CST 7.6 77, 67 X15545BBZ 11x80s

6 TV Gem 5/4/2018 9:02:06 PM 6.9 70,74 X22749TT 7x50

7 RV Boo 5/4/2018 9:06:31 PM 8.5 80,88 X19212DO 7x50

8 BU Gem 5/4/2018 9:08:53 PM 6.4 61,70 X22749SS 7x50

9 R Leo 5/4/2018 9:15:45 PM 6 76,64 X22749TH 7x50

10 RW Boo 5/4/2018 9:29:09 PM 8.2 80,83 X19212DP 7x50

11 SV Crv 5/4/2018 9:37:02 PM 8.2 76,85 X22749TR 7x50

12 SW Vir 5/4/2018 9:50:28 PM 7.4 76,67 X22749TS 7x50

13 RT Vir 5/4/2018 9:58:16 PM 8.4 81,83 X22749TI 7x50

14 RX Boo 5/4/2018 10:05:12 PM 8.2 83,74 X19212DN 7x50

15 RX Boo 6/3/2018 10:14:56 PM 8 83,74 X19212DN 7x50

16 R Boo 6/3/2018 10:17:22 PM less than 9.0 86,90 X20516DPW 7x50

17 RW Boo 6/3/2018 10:19:48 PM 8.2 80,83 X19212DP 7x50

18 RV Boo 6/3/2018 10:20:08 PM 8.5 80,88 X19212DO 7x50

19 R Leo 6/3/2018 10:31:53 PM 7.2 76,64 X22749TH 7x50

20 Z UMa 6/3/2018 10:40:54 PM 8.8 87,84 X19212DL 7x50

21 Y Cvn 6/3/2018 10:48:51 PM 5.5 56,63 X23014MI 7x50

22 St UMa 6/3/2018 10:55:30 PM 6.4 63,69 X19212DK 7x50

23 RY UMa 6/3/2018 11:01:05 PM 7.2 74,77 X19212DM 7x50

24 VW UMa 6/3/2018 11:07:01 PM 7.2 70,77 X19212DH 7x50

25 AR Cep 6/3/2018 11:15:04 PM 7.4 71,81 X20516DQA 7x50

26 TX Dra 6/3/2018 11:22:53 PM 7.3 69,75 X22749TU 7x50

27 AH Dra 6/3/2018 11:25:25 PM 7.7 70,80 X22749SW 7x50

28 SV Crv 6/3/2018 11:33:51 PM 7.4 76,85 X22749TR 7x50

29 SS Vir 6/3/2018 11:40:07 PM 8.4 81,85 X22749TP 7x50

30 R CrB 6/3/2018 11:47:25 PM 6.8 74,64 X19610CFD 7x50

31 XY Lyr 6/3/2018 11:58:23 PM 6.1 65,61 X19610CFF 7x50

32 HK Lyr 6/4/2018 12:03:52 AM 8 75,79 X19610CFC 7x50

33 UX Dra 6/4/2018 12:25:32 AM 6.7 72,62 X23012FNF 7x50

34 UW Her 6/4/2018 12:29:16 AM 8.3 83,76 X23012FMT 7x50

35 Mu Cep 6/4/2018 12:41:29 AM 3.6 43,51 X20516DQD 7x50

36 R Boo 07/10/2018 09:55:16 PM less than 10.0 86,90 X20516DPW 7x50

37 RV Boo 07/10/2018 10:01:49 PM 8.7 80,88 X19212DO 7x50

38 RW Boo 07/10/2018 10:02:04 PM 8.2 80,83 X19212DP 7x50

39 RX Boo 07/10/2018 10:04:24 PM 8.2 83,74 X19212DN 7x50

40 R Hya 07/10/2018 10:10:41 PM 6.8 66,75 X23012FNJ 7x50

41 R CrB 07/10/2018 10:16:46 PM 6.4 74,64 X19610CFD 7x50

42 ST Her 07/10/2018 10:22:45 PM 6.8 72,82 X22749TQ 7x50

43 Z UMa 07/10/2018 10:29:10 PM 7.6 87,84 X19212DL 7x50

44 ST UMa 07/10/2018 10:33:10 PM 6.8 63,69 X19212DK 7x50

45 V CVn 07/10/2018 10:40:00 PM 7.4 77,68 X2304BBV 7x50

46 Y CVn 07/10/2018 10:44:34 PM 7.0 56,63 X23014MI 7x50

47 VW UMa 07/10/2018 10:54:12 PM 7.4 70,77 X19212DH 7x50

48 RY Dra 07/10/2018 10:59:19 PM 7.0 70,74 X22749TO 7x50

49 RY UMa 07/10/2018 11:02:08 PM 7.2 74,77 X19212DM 7x50

50 XY Lyr 07/10/2018 11:07:42 PM 6.3 65,61 X19610CFF 7x50

51 HK Lyr 07/10/2018 11:11:20 PM 8.2 75,79 X19610CFC 7x50

52 CT Del 07/10/2018 11:21:55 PM 7.3 68,74 X23012FNM 7x50

53 EU Del 07/10/2018 11:24:52 PM 6.2 64,75 X23012FNK 7x50

54 Mu Cep 07/11/2018 11:17:54 PM 3.4 42 X23012FNB 7x50

55 W Cep 07/11/2018 11:45:45 PM 7.5 70,73 X23012FND 7x50

56 RW Cep 07/11/2018 11:48:55 PM 6.8 62,70 X23012FNC 7x50

57 Rho Cas 07/11/2018 11:51:11 PM 4.5 49,55 X23012FNE 7x50

58 V UMi 07/11/2018 11:54:55 PM 7.6 75,79 X23040BBX 7x50

59 UW Her 07/11/2018 11:59:13 PM 8.5 83,90 X23012FMT 7x50

60 TX Dra 07/12/2018 12:06:08 PM 7.6 75,77 X22749TU
7x50

Binocular Variable Stars

Binocular Variable
Stars