Federal German working group for variable stars

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The Federal German Working Group for Variable Stars (BAV) e. V. is one of the oldest national amateur astronomical associations in Germany. It currently has around 200 members.

history

The BAV “Berlin Working Group for Variable Stars” was founded on March 7, 1950 by twelve Berlin astronomical friends on the occasion of an observer meeting at the Archenhold observatory in Berlin-Alt-Treptow . The founding protocol was drawn up by Miss B. Brüss and Messrs. K. Bomm, E. Born, K. Domke, H. Klostermann, W. Linke, KB Menzel, E. Mielke, E. Pocher, E. Pohl, D. Sofronijewitsch, R. Sommer signed. The decision to jointly work on a program of variable stars , which was put together by the specialist astronomers Wolfgang Strohmeier , Paul Guthnick and Cuno Hoffmeister , was an experiment. Never before had Germany succeeded in gaining a larger community of amateur astronomers for this special field of astronomy.

Because the political situation in Berlin was already showing signs of economic and cultural division, the Wilhelm Foerster Institute, (from 1953 observatory) a business run by the Berlin street astronomers Hans Rechlin and Hans Mühle, was set up on a former barracks as a meeting place for joint observations Site in Papestrasse Berlin-Schöneberg , agreed through the mediation of student teacher R. Sommer. The number of active observers grew very quickly here, because external observers from all parts of the Federal Republic joined. The first 5 BAV reports with observation results could be published in the Astronomische Nachrichten. All variable observers finally had the opportunity to publish their results at the BAV. The first BAV circular, intended as a link to external observers, was published every quarter from January 1952. Under the guidance of student teacher R. Sommer, who monitored the activities of the BAV with a great deal of expertise and pedagogical skill until 1958 and, after his resignation from the WFS board, entrusted E. Pohl with the management of the BAV in his place, the positive development had the BAV reaches its first peak.

E. Pohl, who was already there when the BAV was founded and now, as a doctor of astronomer , had taken over the management of the Nuremberg public observatory , was unfortunately not in a position to take care of BAV matters. This development made it necessary in 1962 to create new competencies and to give the BAV a legal basis. Only with an e. V. and an elected board of directors this was to be achieved. At the founding meeting of the registered association (eV) , Pohl presented a statute that changed practically nothing in the existing form of organization and guaranteed him the sole right of representation. Furthermore, he refused to let astronomers, as he put it, vote for him. E. Pohl refused to work with the now elected first board of the BAV. Mr. Artur Jahn was elected 1st chairman, Reinhard Rudolph 2nd chairman and Peter B. Lehmann the managing director. Thereupon E. Pohl renounced any further cooperation. He announced his resignation from the BAV and left the general meeting.

Organizational difficulties with the use of instruments by the WFS, which had meanwhile moved into its new building on the Insulaner in Berlin, led to the construction of its own observation station for the BAV in the Buckower Chaussee, on the southern outskirts of Berlin, at short notice in 1964. In 1971 the BAV observatory had to be given up again due to the termination of the lease. Since then, the address of the BAV has been the Wilhelm Foerster Observatory in Berlin again.

After the reunification of Germany, the BAV was established in 1992 with the working group Variable Stars AKV, established in 1972 in Hartha , Döbeln district, Saxony, in the Kulturbund of the GDR, under the direction of Helmut Busch, with whom there were already connections and literature exchange with the GDR times BAV gave, as a working group for the whole of Germany to the Federal German Working Group for Veränderliche Sterne e. V. (BAV) united.

target

"The aim of the association is to support amateurs in the systematic observation of variable stars ." Traditionally, the points in time of minimum ( variable coverage ) or maximum ( pulsation variable ) light are observed . Such results are published and stored in databases around the world. The evolution of stars, which takes place over longer periods of time, can thus be followed. Therefore, special emphasis is placed on long-term observation series. The FOT has set up several observation programs to ensure long-term systematic observation of a number of variables.

Publications

The BAV circular has existed since 1952. It appears four times a year with reports on the observations of the BAV members, summaries from the literature and internal information. Above all, the members of the BAV and friends of variable astronomy are addressed.

The results of observations made by BAV members since the BAV was founded have been published in the BAV Mitteilungen. To date, 212 BAV notifications have been issued. The specialist astronomers in particular are to be reached with the BAV communications.

The BAV Circular is an annually published aid to support the observation planning and preparation. Issue 1 describes all BAV programs with all variables and volume 2 shows the predictions for eclipsing variables, RR Lyra stars and Mirastars.

Articles have been published in the BAV Journal since 2016 that do not fit into the BAV Rundbrief in terms of scope, topic and content.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ( BAV )