Data usage & citation
VarAstro is operated by the Variable Star and Exoplanet Section of the Czech Astronomical Society. All data available on this site were obtained from published literature and open on-line sources, or were contributed directly by VarAstro users, and can be used freely for scientific purposes, as long as the original source is properly credited. This page explains how to acknowledge VarAstro, the original sources and the observers in your publication.
Citing the VarAstro portal
If you find VarAstro useful for your work, please cite the portal as follows:
Citing individual observations
Every observation in VarAstro carries a reference to its original source. The correct way to cite it depends on where the observation originally came from. The list of exoplanet transits can be found on the exoplanet detail page; the lists of minima and of other observations are available on the star detail page.
Exoplanet transits
- If the transit observation was taken from published literature, you will find the reference in the "Observer & Reference" column on the exoplanet detail page. Please cite the source paper in the usual way.
- If the transit observation was originally published in an on-line source (AXA, TRESCA – now part of VarAstro), please credit the observer by name in your publication.
Eclipsing binary minima & other variable star observations
- If the time of minimum of an eclipsing binary (or maximum of a pulsating star) was imported from the original O–C gateway, you will find the reference in the "Publication" column on the star detail page. The meaning of the abbreviations used there is explained in the list of literature references. Please cite the referenced publication in the usual way.
- If the time of minimum (or maximum) was derived from an individual observation stored directly in VarAstro – publication code "C" without further specification in the list of minima/maxima on the star detail page – or if you use any other observation of the star stored in VarAstro (general light curves that are not tied to a particular minimum, maximum or transit), please credit the observer by name in your publication.
Contacting observers
Contact information for an observer can be found on the observation detail page, or in the list of observations for a specific star or exoplanet. If you cannot find it there, contact us and we will be happy to put you in touch with the observer.