Variable Stars
Variable star V838 Monocerotis as imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The stars in the sky give the illusion of being stable and unchanging. In reality, a high proportion of them are classed as variable stars and the monitoring of them is a very important and popular amateur astronomy project. Signing up with the American Association of Variable Star Observers will mean you will be observing a specific selection of stars and providing regular information on how bright they are. This information is reviewed by professional astronomers trying to fine-tune our understanding of stellar dynamics.(Jul 29, 2013 03:48 PM ET // by Mark Thompson)
