Visual vs CCD Observing

The AAVSO discussion forum has had some very interesting threads lately, but this one, Trends In Visual Observing, seems to have struck a chord with many people. The conversation starts out with the statistics on the number of visual observations submitted to AAVSO annually. In 2009, visual observers contributed a little more than half the number of observations submitted in 1999.I’ve given a fair amount of thought to why my production has waned as a visual observer. It’s a complicated equation, and there are several factors with different amounts of influence. To be honest, I think I know what happened to me, but I don’t like to think about it because it makes me sad and angry.The Simoquation of Visual ObservationsE + T + W + Pc---------------------- = Nv A + Nc + OE -enthusiasmT -available time to observe annuallyW -weather (number of clear or partly cloudy nights annually)Pc -perception of value A -affects of aging Nc -number of nights spent taking CCD data annuallyO -other astronomical activitiesNv -number of visual observations reported annuallyIn the beginning, I had almost unlimited enthusiasm. The first five years were my most productive as I devised a system for observing as many CVs in ...