I started visual observations of variable stars in 1983. Approximately 16 years ago, I was born. Following the tradition in former Czecho-Slovakia, I observed eclipsing binaries using Argelander’s method for brightness estimate and Kordylewski method for mid-eclipse timing determination. In this period, I observed from my home in Rakovice village near Piešťany, Slovakia, and from the Hlohovec Observatory.
After several years long break, I started with new program. Karol Petrik from Hlohovec observatory presented to me the wonderful world of cataclysmic variables. At the beginning in 1998, I monitored 8 stars: U Gem, SU UMa, YZ Cnc, AE Aqr, WZ Sge, SS Cyg, TT Ari, Z Cam. Now the list of cataclysmic targets has about 140 records.
The other part of the visual work originates in the Meduza group of the variable stars section of the Czech Astronomical Society. Luboš Brát and Petr Sobotka created a new observing program focused on underobserved semiregular and symbiotic stars. The Meduza group itself hasn’t shown activity in recent years. But I’m still observing selected stars. All data are stored in the AAVSO International database.
The total number of visual estimates accumulated until 2025 is 76000.
The majority of visual estimates were done in the Podbiel village in the northern Slovak region called Orava. I built a small observatory there. This period lasted from 1998 to 2006.
Since 2006, I have worked at the Astronomical Observatory on Kolonica Saddle as the main observer. Here, the observations were performed mainly with the CCD technique.
Due to the intense work in the field of variable stars research, I was elected president of the Variable Stars and Exoplanets Section of the Slovak Astronomical Society at the Slovak Academy of Science and the Slovak Union of Astronomers in 2021. Thanks to this, you can find the annual reports about the variable stars on this webpage under the “news” menu. A more important result is the joint campaign with the Astrophotography Section. I created a separate webpage astrophoto.kozmos.sk for the campaign coordination.
My second hobby is running. I like to participate in the competitions organized in the east Slovakia. See the right menu.
Since 2013, I’ve been married to Veronika. Our son Ján was born in 2015. Among other things, the marriage caused the start of the traveling era. Our specialty is a winter escape to a warmer climate. The Macaronesia islands are usually the destination.
