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(meteorobs) Re: Automated video detection of meteors
At 01:06 PM 7/21/99 EDT, George wrote:
>I'm only
>saying that as the video camera comes into more usage, data from a visual
>meteor observer becomes less useful. Not too many visual observers are able
>to make significant contributions compared to the use of modern equipment.
Not true. The variable star community, the asteroid folks, the comet
hunters have all gone through this debate. "Why bother observing in the
face of all this technology?" Why? Because the technology can never be
everywhere at the same time. Even with all the CCD sky surveys out there
looking for NEOs, who discovered the last comet? Some amateur out there
looking, and there it was at _8th_ magnitude! The variable star observers
are out there doing the same thing. They are providing long-term
monitoring of stars that are just not monitored any other way. They act as
spotters for the "big boys" with their satellite equipment and big
telescopes on eruptive variables. Who discovered Nova Aquilae 1999? An
amateur with his little SLR camera. That's the thrust of all the recent
pro-am cooperation meetings we've been seeing. Just as the sky is endless,
there will always be endless room for amateur work in astronomy.
JB
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