Gaia People

Janet A. Mattei (1943-2004)

AAVSO

Janet A. Mattei served as director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers for 30 years. Founded in 1911, the AAVSO is one of the world's oldest and largest amateur organizations, with members in more than 40 countries and more than 10 million observations in its database.

Janet passed away on 22 March 2004 after a courageous six-month battle with acute leukemia. She was 61. Janet is survived by her husband, Michael Mattei.

The following is excerpted from David Levy and Edwin L. Aguirre's profile of her in Sky & Telescope:

"The AAVSO has lost a strong leader who had guided the organization to greatness," says longtime friend and AAVSO colleague Mario Motta. "Amateur astronomers around the world have lost a mentor. I, along with many others who knew her well, have lost a dear friend. She will be deeply missed."

The Gaia project echoes this loss. Janet and the AAVSO team contributed much to the variability aspects of the published Hipparcos Catalogue, and she showed great interest and support for the goals of Gaia.

[Published: 29/03/2004]