Observing variable stars is one of the major contributions amateur
astronomers make to science. There are 36,000 variable stars listed in
the General Catalogue of Variable Stars, so it is clearly impossible for
the limited number of professional observatories to target even the
majority of them. That's where amateur astronomers come in - thousands of
them turning their telescopes to the sky every night. Variable star
observing is the most popular of "real science" activities for amateurs,
and Gerry Good's book provides everything needed. The first part of the
book provides a highly detailed account of the various classes of variable
star, with examples, illustrations and physical descriptions. The second
section covers practical aspects of observing, everything from preparation
and planning, through observing techniques, to data management and
reduction.