Announcing a new CHOICE course: Observational Best Practices
Instructor: Dr. Arne A. Henden
When: June 24 - August 4, 2024 (6 weeks)
Cost: $35.00 members / $60.00 non-members
Intended Audience: CCD/CMOS observers using photometric UBVRI filters. (If you don’t have your own equipment, or have inclement weather during the instructional period, images taken with AAVSOnet telescopes will be made available. VPHOT will be used to share images.)
Description: In 2023, a dedicated group of 10 AAVSO members spent months in reviewing the AAVSO International Database and interviewed many observers, with the goals of both finding quality deficiencies in submitted observations, as well as suggesting many ways in which that quality could be improved. Some of the suggestions fall directly on the AAVSO headquarters staff, such as enhancing the automatic data checking in programs like WebObs. However, a large number of other suggestions fall under the category of best observational practices.
This course will consider a few of these practices, with the hopes that improving your observational techniques will enable you to make better measurements, and enhance your confidence in the quality of your submitted photometry. Over the course of about 6 weeks, we will discuss one or more topics per week, showing examples of possible problems, give some suggestions as to how these problems could be solved, and provide daily homework to help you learn the techniques.
Format and class size: The initial course will be carried out on a forum.The class will be limited to 30 participants.
To sign up/register/enroll: https://www.aavso.org/product/142
Can you provide a bit more detail to the structure of the course? Being over the summer months there are a few short periods I'll be away on vacation and inaccessible, so just trying to determine if taking the course makes sense and I could catch up after those breaks.
Keith
Hi Keith,
Every week, I intend to post a multipage document that describes the practice to be followed, and why it is recommended. It will also present a set of images that will be available through VPHOT on which you can test the concepts. Of course, you are always welcome to use your own images. It should be possible to miss a few days and catch up, though this is the first offering for this course and I can't tell you how consistent I'll be in assigning homework.
Arne
Thanks Arne. Since the course is open to non-members I assume access to VPHOT is not a requirement?
Keith
It is a lot easier if you had access to VPHOT. That said, you can use your own images, and we can find a way to give you access to the class' images via Dropbox or Google drive.
Arne
I had hoped to enroll but see it is now closed. If anyone drops out or course enrollment is extended, I'd like to sign up!
Arne's new CHOICE course on Observational Best Practices is full. If you would like to be added to a waiting list for this course, please send an email to AAVSO HQ (aavso@aavso.org).
Thank you, and best wishes,
Elizabeth
A seat has opened up in the Observational Best Practices CHOICE course that starts today. If you are interested in purchasing it, please contact me directly at <eowaagen@aavso.org>.
Do not post your response here in the forum. If I receive multiple responses, I will create a waiting list to be used in case other seats become available.
Thanks,
Elizabeth Waagen
A student had to withdraw from the Observational Best Practices CHOICE course that started this week. He has offered his seat to anyone interested. If you would like it, please email me ASAP <eowaagen@aavso.org>. Thanks!
Elizabeth Waagen, AAVSO HQ