Useful Links by Bob Nelson

A series of useful links recommended by Bob Nelson.

Astronomical Organizations

  • AAVSO — American Association of Variable Star Observers
  • EB Observers’ Home Page — A diverse group of amateur and professional eclipsing binary observers
  • RASC-PG — The Prince George Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

Eclipsing Binary (EB) Data

  • CALEB — Catalogue and Atlas of Eclipsing Binaries — very nice site with data, light and RV curves, Binary Maker images, etc.

  • Crakow Eclipsing Binary Database — data and O-C diagrams for some 3800+ EBs

  • Eclipsing Binaries Minima Database — times of minima only for numerous EBs (mostly BBSAG visuals, not always up-to-date)

  • Eclipsing Binary O-C Files — the author’s site, which contains some 1600+ Excel files with up-to-date times of minima

  • Henden Magnitude Sequence — standard magnitudes for areas around selected EBs

  • RHO — EB Ephemeris Generator — provides a list of possible eclipsers for your site on a given night

  • ROTSE — Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment

    General Astronomical Data

  • 2MASS DS Query Form — big complicated site enabling you to download data somehow

  • ESO Online Digitized Sky Survey — provides FITS images for any area of sky

  • GCVS — General Catalogue of Variable Stars

  • SOFA — Standard Objects for Astronomy (photometric standards)

  • TASS — The Amateur Sky Survey (confusing site)

  • W UMa — LC Solutions — List of authors with links to SIMBAD

Journals and Search Engines

  • ADS Query Form — search engine where you specify an author, title, etc.
  • ADS Journal Entries — for use when you know the reference
  • AJ — Astronomical Journal (useful for current abstracts)
  • ApJ — Astrophysical Journal (useful for current abstracts)
  • IBVS — Information Bulletin of Variable Stars
  • PASP — Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
  • SIMBAD — Strasbourg Site — Classic search engine for papers (type in the name of the star)
  • SIMBAD — Harvard Site — A mirror site for the above
  • VSB — Variable Star Bulletin

Software

  • Binary Maker 3 — A very slick Windows (and other) application
  • Broadening Functions — Information on the Rucinski routines for RV determinations from spectra (see also my software page)
  • Guide 8 — Effective and affordable sky mapping software with up-to-date info on each star

ACTIVE PROJECTS