From the 3rd to the 7th of December, 2006, SoVerA President Claudio Veliz and astronomer — and SoVerA IT manager — Jonathan Kemp, conducted a series of observations of what are known as cataclysmic variable stars at MDM Observatory on Kitt Peak in Arizona. These are binary stars that are in a sort of violent, dirty dancing embrace, whereby the more massive, and usually extremely compact, collapsed star (neutron star, white dwarf, or black hole) busies itself by gravitationally pulling mass from its companion.

This is part of a very long term effort that Jonathan is engaged in with Columbia University's CBA (http://cba.phys.columbia.edu/) to learn more about the evolution of cataclysmic variables and to foster collaboration between professional and amateur astronomers.