Observing Variable Stars
Perhaps the granddaddy of modern citizen science, the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) “was founded in 1911 at Harvard College Observatory to coordinate variable star observations made largely by amateur astronomers.” 300,000 observations are collected from members each year. See this page for more about the organization.
AAVSO manages several observation programs. In the most well-known project, members collect visual data about the brightness of variable stars. Monitoring these stars regularly can provide data that helps answer some of the questions about variable stars. For some stars, useful data can be collected with the naked eye or binoculars.
Amateur astronomers continue to make interesting discoveries in their field, and there is a wealth of opportunities for citizen astronomers to make contributions. Stay tuned for more about astronomy projects!
