Finally got out to my observatory again tonight. It’s a balmy 30˚F or so, pretty damn warm! I was getting data on GSC 4868-831, a double-mode RR Lyrae star. I had observed this star heavily last season and want to double-check that nothing has changed with it. These double-mode stars are thought to be transitioning between the fundamental mode (RRab) and the first overtone (RRc). It would be a quite a discovery if we could catch one in the act, something which is extremely unlikely to happen on human time scales.

 

Yup, the earth is swinging back around to the summer side for us northern hemisphere people and I for one could not be happier. With daylight savings coming early this year, it’s actually bad for us would-be astronomers with day jobs, having to wait an extra hour before dark. On the other hand, it’s nice to be able to have dinner with the family and such before heading out. In general, I am so happy about winter’s end that I’m not going to complain about anything!