UK AMATEUR ASTRONOMER BEATS THE PROFESSIONALS

[Martin Nicholson <Martin@crozet.demon.co.uk>]

The Daventry Double Star Survey
3 Grovelands
Daventry
Northamptonshire NN11 4DH
United Kingdom

Telephone - (01327) 705759
Email - Martin@crozet.demon.co.uk
Web site - http://www.double-star.org.uk/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UK AMATEUR ASTRONOMER BEATS THE PROFESSIONALS

Daventry, Sunday June 15th 2003. 

TASS list subscriber Martin Nicholson, the owner and chief observer at
the Daventry Observatory sited in Northamptonshire, England, has
announced the completion of the first phase of the Daventry Double Star
Survey (DDSS).

In the last twelve months Martin, who was recently elected a Fellow of
the Royal Astronomical Society, has discovered over 70,000 new double
stars and in doing so he has increased the number of such stars known to
the astronomical community by nearly 75%. 

"The main reason for measuring the changing positions of binary stars is
to determine the total mass of the double-star system. This information
is of crucial importance to professional astronomers working on theories
of stellar evolution. As more double stars are discovered it becomes
easier for astronomers to check the validity of their work." 

"The success of the Daventry Double Star Survey proves, once again, that
amateurs can still play an important role in astronomy. I am honoured to
follow in the footsteps of such illustrious astronomers as William
Herschel and Otto and Wilhelm Struve and I am pleased that that I have
managed to become the all-time leading discoverer of these
scientifically important objects."

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Martin Nicholson, Daventry, UK