I just passed the 1 000 mark of observations reported to SVO, the Swedish variable star database. Two thirds are CCD observations, remotely controlled, and one third visual observations mostly using 15×70 binoculars, a 6 cm refractor and a 20 cm Newton reflector. I enjoy both types of observation equally.
Having observed regularly for some time now, a number of individual stars and types of stars have come across as special. I like miras, and gladly observe a set of classical miras – T Cep, R And, R Ari, R Leo, S and T UMa and so on.
But I also like to think that important work could be done by exploring some of the miras that are not very well observed. Hans Bengtsson has put together a list of 50 miras that are not very well observed, and a programme of observation of these is perhaps about to take form in the Swedish variable star community. To start with, we need to get some sequences, and a number of requests for sequences have been made to the AAVSO sequence team. So far, two stars have been observed.
I also like R CrB stars provided they show some action which has been the case with ample opportunity to follow changes these last months in R CrB, Z UMi, and SU Tau. Among the semiregulars, I often like to observe stars like BQ Ori, Z UMa and RY UMa.
I also like to combine my observations with literature study. Some of that has been posted here on the blog as an irregularly appearing series of biographies of variable stars. Another result is my first paper for the JAAVSO, which just got accepted. It is a combined literature and observation-based study of V538 Cas, using data collected with the AAVSO Bright Star Monitor.
