THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA
             STANDING COMMITTEE ON OBSERVATIONAL ACTIVITIES
BULLETIN III                                                     FEBRUARY, 1967

                         VARIABLE STAR SECTION


The variable star observers among the R.A.S.C. members have just completed
their most successful year in the history of our Society. Not only have
more observations been made, but more observers than ever before have con-
tributed to this impressive total.

On an international scale, variable star observing is mushrooming. Several
observers are studying variables with photography and photo-electric photo-
metry. One of our members, Raymond R. Thompson of Maple, Ontario, is
experimenting with these sophisticated techniques. Mr. Thompson also makes
systematic observations of eclipsing binary stars. These stars have
recently been added to the program of the American Association of Variable
Star Observers (to which all our observers report).

Our most active observer last year was Roger Saladzius of Centre d'Astronomie
de Montreal. Mr. Saladzius uses a 3-inch refractor from the top of an
apartment building. He has already surpassed last year' s total during the
first three months of the 1966-67 observing year.

A list of observers for the 1965-66 observing year follows:

   OBSERVER                CENTRE                TELESCOPES        NO. OF
                                                               OBSERVATIONS
 Roger Saladzius     d'Astronomie de Montreal    3" refr.            854
*Raymond Thompson    Toronto                     6" ", 4" refr.      672
 Hugh Ross           Vancouver                   4" refl.            390
*G.L. Fortier        Montreal                    8" refl.            295
 Francis Morgan      Montreal                    6" refl.            266
*D.J. FitzGerald     Toronto                     8" ", 6" refl.      158
 Robert Allin        Edmonton                    6" refr.            123
 Robert Johnston     Toronto                     Questar             115
 David Levy          Montreal                    8" refl.             36
 Franklyn Shinn      Winnipeg                    12½" refl.           33
*Terence Dickinson   Toronto                     7" refr.             32
 C.F. Schwerdtfeger  Vancouver                                        28
 M.S. Goldberg       Montreal                                          8
 Patrick Walden      Vancouver                                         7
 Glen Boire          Vancouver                                         1
 Per Joenson         Vancouver                                         1
*Archie Ostrander    Toronto                                           1
 E. Pfannenschmidt   Vancouver                                         1
                                                                   _____
                                TOTAL FOR THE 18 OBSERVERS         3,021

*Denotes participant in national observing program.


                                                Terence Dickinson,
                                                National Co-Ordinator,
                                                Variable Star Section, R.A.S.C.,
                                                16 Palamar Road,
                                                Downsview, Ontario.