In Memoriam Robert H. Nelson

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Tue, 11/08/2022 - 15:23

It is with profound sorrow that I announce the passing of Dr. Robert H. Nelson on November 2nd after a long term battle with

cancer.   He is survived by his wife Lois and three adult children.  Bob was a prolific investigator of eclipsing binary systems

for over 25 years, having published well over 100 papers on the subject.  He is probably best known for his database of

"Eclipsing Binary O-C files" which is hosted on the AAVSO website (https://www.aavso.org/bob-nelsons-o-c-files#Peg) and software

hosted at https://www.variablestarssouth.org/resources/bob-nelsons-software-tools/software-by-bob-nelson.  Efforts are underway

to ensure that the legacy of his contributions remain available to the astronomy community (more about this at a later time).  On a

personal note, Bob was not only a friend, but a mentor always willing to share his expertise in photometry, radial velocity

studies and light curve modeling.  For the past 4+ years we shared time on a remotely operated observatory in Arizona. No doubt, Bob will be

sorely missed.