The amateurs contribution is alive and well. In the last 10 years (according to the International Astronomical Union) amateurs have contributed over 60% of new finding and observations concerning, Novae, comets and asteroids and so on. It's a big-Language Removed sky that cannot be covered as a whole with just the big scopes (large observatories). With thousands of eyes looking up, someone is bound to find something of interest. As far as advancing the knowledge, I would agree with that statement. 85% of the new novae found in the last 2 years have come from amateurs (mostly in Japan). That in itself is a large contribution in knowing what is going on up there. Many of the "hard-core" amateurs actually search for anomilies....and they do find them.

• Re: Re: Adding to our knowledge? Yes. - eddiec - January 31, 2001 - 16:31 UTC