A Secret Weapon Revealed: The Role of Amateur-Professional Collaborations in Astronomy Research

Working together, professional and amateur astronomers are a constituency that cannot be ignored.

by Kevin Marvel
American Astronomical Society

Reprinted from Mercury, Jul.-Aug. 1999.

For the most part, professionals have little interaction with amateurs. This is true for all fields: sports, dancing, and even astronomy. The cold world of professional data collection might as well be lightyears from cold winter nights chasing the wonders of Orion without the aid of computer-driven light buckets. This situation is changing, however.

The American Astronomical Society has just created a Working Group on Professional-Amateur Collaboration (WGPAC). Chaired by Janet Mattei, director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) and member of ASP's Board of Directors, the group will expand and explore ways that interested amateurs can collaborate more fully with professionals. But there are other ways amateurs can help foster astronomical research and a number of reasons why they should.

A Tiny Community?
The two main agencies funding research astronomy in the United States are the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Each year Congress decides how much money these agencies get to carry out their missions. And each year the agencies face the possibility of having their funding reduced, sometimes dramatically.

Professional astronomers are beginning to take a more active role lobbying Congress to keep the funding for these agencies at healthy levels and to increase funding when necessary. Unfortunately, there are only about 8,000 professional astronomers in the United States, a relatively small constituency. (The American Chemical Society, by comparison, has more than 40,000 members.) Fortunately, astronomers have a secret weapon in this yearly battle to influence Congress, a weapon they have left unused on the shelf, a weapon that could win the day on Capitol Hill— interested, active amateur astronomers.

Astronomy is probably one of the few sciences with a very large amateur following and certainly the only science with numerous trade magazines, dedicated sections of bookstores, and equipment available on the open market enabling amateurs to gather data indistinguishable from professionally acquired data. Nobody has a copyright on good photometry.

There may be amateur materials scientists and civil engineers out there, but they aren't as visible as American amateur astronomers. Amateurs have nationwide and local amateur organizations, star parties practically every week all over the country, active meetings discussing equipment construction and use, and numerous equipment manufacturers in business strictly to provide top-level technology to the interested amateur.

Conservative estimates of the number of active amateurs in the U.S. are in the several million range. If only ten percent of the amateur astronomers were to contact Congress, over 100,000 letters, faxes, or telephone calls would land on "the Hill." Imagine the potential power of this group. Let's say that funding for the Next Generation Space Telescope were to come under Congress's knife—even 10,000 contacts with Representatives or Senators would easily block the cutting blade. Congress listens to constituents, but too often lawmakers don't hear from anyone. Big issues, especially those involving industry, pull in the "big gun" lobbyists to contact Congress. So-called small issues often draw only a few letters from avid C-SPAN television viewers. If issues were publicized, along with a recipe for contacting Congress, there is little doubt that amateur astronomers would jump at the chance to defend the science they love in the Halls of Congress.

Finding Our Voice
Why should amateurs help support funding for professional astronomy? Why should they sacrifice their time and energy? Both NASA and NSF play an important role in the health of astronomical research. Professional astronomers funded by NSF performed much of the early research with CCDs: Their use became widespread after the great success astronomers achieved using the devices. Amateurs are now reaping the benefits of this initial work of professionals on CCDs. Recently, NSF has expanded its role in support of outreach and educational programs, many dealing with astronomy. Continued funding for NSF will support both professionals and amateurs.

Amateurs should also support NASA. The space agency provides everyone great images, the excitement of human space flight, and interesting data related to Earth and its Solar System environment. Along with the space station (a controversial long-term project undertaken by the space agency), NASA funds planetary exploration, orbiting astronomy-related satellites (including the Hubble Space Telescope and the soon-to-be-launched Chandra Observatory), Earth science satellites, and human space flight. NASA funds more than 85 percent of astronomy research that takes place astronomers may grumble that the space station is soaking up a disproportionate fraction of NASA's budget, the overall health and perception of NASA drives the success of NASA-funded research. Amateur support for NASA is very important for the health of professional astronomy, and there is good reason to support the agency.

Finally, the knowledge that professional astronomers gain by performing cutting-edge research expands the understanding of amateurs and others. What is the value of knowing how the stars shine? What is the value of knowing that the Universe is expanding? What is the value in knowing what a comet's tail is made of? I believe this knowledge is priceless. Like a grand piece of art, a moving symphony, or the happy sound from elementary school playgrounds, knowledge of the natural world and our place in it is something that has inestimable value.

So, how can an amateur astronomer provide this much needed support? First, stay informed. The American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and other professional organizations (like, for example, the American Association for the Advancement of Science) all have public policy information available on the Web.

Staying informed enables you to act when your efforts are needed and to add to a team effort instead of being a lone voice. Second, know when to act. Timing can mean everything on the Hill. Learn more about the way Congress works (though this may seem impossible at first!). Knowing your Representative and Senators and how to contact them is a responsibility all citizens have but few fulfill. Luckily with the advent of the Internet, this information can be obtained without difficulty. Finally, know how to get your voice heard. Study the best methods for writing letters that make your point and do so in the language of Congress. Again, resources are available on the Web, and the AAAS book, Communicating with Congress, provides details. Know what, when, and how to communicate to Congress.

Amateurs can have a major role in astronomical research. They can form collaborations with professionals or participate in organizations such as the AAVSO providing valuable data. They can also perform an equally valuable service by supporting astronomy at the national, state, and local levels. The resources are available, and your love for astronomy is your motivation to act. Get loud!

KEVIN MARVEL received his Ph.D. in 1996 from New Mexico State University for work performed at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico. He went on to work at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory on phase correction for millimeter wavelength interferometers. He is currently the Associate Executive Officer for Policy Programs at the American Astronomical Society in Washington, DC. Despite rumors to the contrary, he is not a policy wonk. He can be reached by email at marvel@aes.org.

Copyright 1999, 2001 by Astronomical Society of the Pacific, all rights reserved.