Re: Useful Research?

[DWest61506@aol.com]

Michael wrote:
<This, to me, is the power of amateurs. We should slowly assemble an army 
  of CCD-equipped amateurs to do follow-up observations, period analysis, 
  etc. It is a pet peeve of mine that a) so many amateurs with great gear 
  spend so little time doing science and b) so many professionals still look 
  down their great noses at us amateurs. Amateur astronomers are the Open 
  Source to their Micro$oft. We have more resources than they do when you 
  add us up collectively. Every variable star book I have, for instance, is 
  full of AAVSO light curves.>

Michael:
I am going to have to disagree with your statement about professional astronomers looking down their noses at us amateur astronomers.  I have worked with professional astronomers several times and have found them to be quite helpful.  I am sure there are exceptions and maybe I have just been lucky.  The professionals need us just as much as we need them.

Regards,
Doug West