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Today, most companies operate Web sites that are available to the public via the Internet. Operation of a Web site can subject a company to personal jurisdiction in a court [...]

A telescope that can operate without on-site human intervention--known as a robotic telescope--offers distinct advantages over a similar instrument that requires staff. Such scopes streamline observations, can operate in extreme [...]

Automated telescopes provide astronomers better facilities for observations. Robotic telescopes are fitted with stepper motor and the movement of the telescope is operated by a computer. Data on the stars which are previously entered into the computer regulate the movement of the telescope without the assistance of an astronomer.

The 1992 Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society ofthe Pacific was given to Richard and Helen Lines. In 1962, they were co-discoverers of comet which was named Seki-Lines. They later built a 20-inch telescope in Mayer, AZ. The Lines used their telescope to measure the variability and intensity of the light of variable stars. Richard Lines died a few days after receiving the Amateur Achievement Award.

The article features profile of astronomer Tom Johnson who grew up in Southern California, earned a electrical engineering bachelor degree and build telescopes. Johnson reportedly built a neighborhood telegraph in Brea, California using vacuum tube audio oscillators and used batteries scrounged from railroad yard night watchmen. It is noted that Johnson devised an analog computer from operational amplifiers which simulated 2 aircraft thereby obtaining a Gilfillan contract for 200 simulators.

The article discusses the one-semester astronomical research seminars offered to college and high school students at Cuesta College in California. The students reportedly conduct original research in which they are thrilled by their discoveries and present their findings at major scientific conferences and get them published in scientific journals. It is stated that students can and should complete their projects in one semester and that research must be published to count as science.

The article discusses the highlights of the July 2008 Pine Mountain Observatory (PMO) summer research workshop at the University of Oregon in Bend. The primary objective of the workshop was completion of research projects for publication. The two main functions of the PMO are research and public outreach. Some of the significant projects during the workshop are discussed, including observing double stars using an SBIG ST-8 CCD camera.

Abstract: Ninety-nine potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars and 13 breeding lines were assessed in field trials for susceptibility to powdery scab (caused by Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea). The trials wer e carried out over 11 growing seasons (each cultivar/line tested in at least two growing seasons) in soil inoculated with S. subterranea and regularly irrigated during crop growth. The cultivars and lines were categorised as ‘very resistant’ (21%). ‘moderately resistant’ (28%). ‘moderately susceptible’ (33%) or ‘very susceptible’ ( 19%). Scaled average severity scores for the cultivars and lines followed a continuum between very resistant and very susceptible, suggesting that resistance to powdery scab is quantitative. In a glasshouse experiment where small plants were inoculated with S. subterranea sporosori, 15 cultivars selected to cover the spectrum of field-assessed susceptibility were assessed for intensity of infection by S. subterranea zoosporangium in roots and for numbers of root galls on root systems. All of the cultivars developed zoosporangia and root galls (i.e. no cultivar was immune from infection), and root infection was usually related to tuber infection. Field-resistant cultivars (tuber infection) generally had low numbers of root zoosporangia and root galls in the glass house experiment, and cultivars that were very susceptible to tuber infection in the field had high levels of root infection in the glasshouse experiment. An exception was the early maturing cv. Swift, which had very low levels of tuber infection in the field, but had high numbers of root zoosporangia and root galls in the glasshouse. These results demonstrate the relative reaction of a large number of potato cultivars to powdery scab and reaffirm the potential for using plant resistance as a powdery scab management strategy. Development of S. subterranea in host roots, even in cultivars with resistance to tuber infection, is likely to be important in the epidemiology of powdery scab.

The factors limiting the precision of differential stellar photometry are reviewed. Errors due to variable atmospheric extinction can be reduced to below 0.001 mag at good sites by utilizing the speed of robotic telescopes. Existing photometric systems produce aliasing errors, which are several millimagnitudes in general but may be reduced to about a millimagnitude in special circumstances. Conventional differential photometry neglects several other important effects, which are discussed in detail. If all of these are properly handled, it appears possible to do differential photometry of variable stars with an overall precision of 0.001 mag with ground based robotic telescopes.

Automatic observatories have the potential of gathering sizable amounts of high-quality astronomical data at low cost. The Automatic Photoelectric Telescope Service (APT Service) has realized this potential and is routinely making photometric observations of a large number of variable stars. However, without observers to provide on-site monitoring, it was necessary to incorporate special quality checks into the operation of the APT Service at its multiple automatic telescope installation on Mount Hopkins.

Abstract: We present photoelectric photometry of λ And never before published, obtained between February 1982 and December 1990 at 29 different observatories. Then we combine it with all other photometry available to us (previously published, contained in the I.A.U. Commission 27 Archives, and obtained with the Vanderbilt 16-inch automatic telescope but not yet published), to yield a 14.8-year data base. Analysis reveals a long-term cycle in mean brightness, with a full range of 0m.15 and a period of 11.4 � 0.4 years. Because most of our new photometry was concentrated in the 1983-84 observing season, we analyze that one well-defined light curve with a two-spot model. Spot A keeps a 0m.04 amplitude throughout four rotation cycles whereas the amplitude of spot B diminishes from 0m.09 down almost to 0m.03. The spot rotation periods were 55d.9 � 0d.6 and 520d.8 � 1d.0, respectively.

The article presents a discussion of the use of both equatorial and alt-azimuth telescopes equipped with eyepieces, like the 12.5 millimeter Celestron Micro Guide with an illuminated reticle for visual double star measurements, adapted from the paper "Visual Double Star Measurements With an Alt-Azimuth Telescope," by Thomas G. Frey, which appeared in the Spring 2008 issue of the "Journal of Double Star Observations."