COMMISSION 27 OF THE I.A.U. INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS Number 2975 Konkoly Observatory Budapest 12 January 1987 HU ISSN 0374 - 0676 LETTER FROM THE EDITORIAL OFFICE OF THE JOURNAL OF THE AAVSO Dear Fellow-Member of the I.A.U.: I am sure you are familiar with the work of the AAVSO in collecting and publishing observations of variable stars, primarily by amateurs. I have been pleased to act as editor of its Journal for the past nine years. This year, the organization celebrated its 75th anniversary by holding a three-day symposium on variable star astronomy. The proceedings of this stimulating meeting will include historical and scientific review papers and contributed papers by professionals and amateurs, and it will be published this winter as an extra-large issue of the Journal of the AAVSO. (See partial program on Page 2). It will be sent to all members and regular subscribers as a part of their subscription. In order to publish this extraordinary volume, we must raise an additional $10,000. I know you value this sort of publication and I feel sure you will want to subscribe. For a contribution of $30, you will receive a postage-paid copy of the anniversary issue and have the opportunity to receive an informative package describing the AAVSO, for $50 or more, you will also receive the subsequent year's two issues. As a professional, I feel that we all benefit from the work of the AAVSO, and I hope you will take this opportunity to encourage this dedicated and remarkable organization. December 1, 1986 Sincerely, CHARLES A. WHITNEY Professor of Astronomy Office of the Editor 25 Birch Street Cambridge, MA 02138 Journal of the AAVSO 75th Anniversary Issue Partial Table of Contents Variable Star Astronomy: Past and Present Variable Star Astronomy to 1900 Dorrit Hoffleit, Yale Univ.Obs. The Founding of AAVSO and its First 75 Years Janet Mattei, AAVSO Variable Star Astronomy from 1900 to the Present John Percy, University of Toronto William Tyler Olcott Richard Lynch, AAVSO Reminiscences Clinton B. Ford, AAVSO Three AAVSO Leaders Thomas Wiliams, AAVSO Reminiscences Florence (Campbell) Bibber, AAVSO Variable Star Astronomy Around the World Japan (Sei-ichi Sakuma), South Africa (Jan Hers), Hungary (Attila Mizser), W. Germany (W. Braune), Austria (Peter Reinhard), Scandinavia (Aare Kellomaki), France (Emile Schweitzer), Belgium (Frank Deboosere), Netherlands (Henk Faijth), Norway (Bjorn Gramslo et al.), New Zealand (Frank Bateson) Variable Star Symposium Eclipsing Binaries Edward Guinan, Villanova U. Cataclysmic Variables Brian D. Warner, U. of Capetown The Dwarf Nova HL CMa Christopher Mauche, CfA:HCO/SAO Symbiotic Stars Scott J. Kenyon, CfA:HCO/SAO Supernovae Virginia Trimble, U. of Maryland Determining Positions of Supernovae Wm. Penhallow, AAVSO Simulations of Pulsation Charles A. Whitney, CfA:HCO/SAO RR Lyraes and Related Objects Martha Hazen, CfA:HCO/SAO R Cor Bor Stars and Related Objects J. Donald Fernie, U. of Toronto Two Cepheids in Fornax Robert M. Light, Yale U. Obs. RV Tau Stars and Narrow-band Photometry of R Scuti Robert F. Wing, Ohio State U. Revised Period for CT Orionis Daniel J. Horowitz, AAVSO Long Period Variables Lee Anne Willson, Iowa State U. Contributed Paper Session O-C by Computer Emilia P. Belserene, M. Mitchell Obs. The Changing Period of V1303 Sgr Amy Barton, M. Mitchell Obs. Fourier Plotting O-C Graphs John Holliman, M. Mitchell Obs. Recent Data on IY Cygni Meg Lysaght, M. Mitchell Obs. Electrophotometry in Urban Skies John Pazmino, AAVSO New Minima Timings for V1010 Oph David B. Williams, AAVSO Theory of Optimizing Your Telescope for the Faintest Stars Ronald E. Zissell, Mount Holyoke Coll. Martha Betz Shapley Barbara Welther, CfA:HCA/SAO Variable Stars in the HD Catalog Nancy Houk, U. of Michigan Binocular Variable Star ST UMa Christopher Stephen, AAVSO EI Cephei: Recent Unusual Behavior Wayne M. Lowder, AAVSO Can Variable Stars be Introduced to Children? David H. Levy, AAVSO History of the Stellar Magnitude Scale Annemarie Mayer, AAVSO Swithin St. Cleve: Variable Star Observer Kenneth Weitzhoffer, AAVSO V894 Cygni James D. Fahn, AAVSO Updated Elements for V Com Ber John H. Holliman, M. Mitchell Obs.