Skyscrapers February Meeting

FEBRUARY MEETING
Via ZOOM   (ID & Password Required)

Meeting & Speaker
Saturday, February 4, 2022 at 7:00 PM
 

Topic: “Pulsating Variable Stars at the Junction of Amateur and Professional Astronomers”

Speaker: Dr. Eric Hintz , Brigham Young University, Department of Physics and Astronomy 

Unlike other sciences, astronomy has always had a unique place.  Amateur astronomers play a much larger role in new discoveries in astronomy and the line between amateur and professional can sometimes be blurred.  The study of variable stars has benefited greatly from the data gathering skills of many people who work in many professions. These can be visual observations all the way to modern digital photometry.  Of particular interest are short period pulsating stars that can complete an entire cycle of brightness changes in under 1 hour.  We will discuss the nature of some of these stars and how small telescopes can be used to provide the time coverage needed to more fully understand the nature of these stars. The configurations of 6 robotic telescopes on the BYU campus, used for variable star studies, will also be discussed.

Eric Hintz is currently the associate chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Brigham Young University.  He is also the section leader for Short Period Pulsating Stars at the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).  He began studying pulsating variable stars approximately 35 years ago while an undergraduate student. He also still enjoys running telescopes at public star parties and for students in descriptive astronomy classes.