The 16th Annual GEOS Symposium was held from April 10 to 12, 1993, at Astropole in Perpezac-le-Blanc (Corrèze, France), in accordance with the decision taken several years earlier to organize the annual GEOS meetings successively in the different countries where the group has active members.
Astropole is a small astronomy center specialized in the organization of astronomy camps and observing sessions. The accommodation conditions were satisfactory, most participants being housed in the main building, and the meals were considered good. The meeting room, located nearby, was suitable for the sessions.
The presence of an observatory equipped with a 540 mm telescope allowed several observing activities to take place, in particular observations of Supernova 1993J. Although the site cannot host large groups, it is well adapted to meetings of limited size and to observational stays.
Participation was relatively low. Sixteen people attended the meeting, including ten active contributors, from France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. The weak participation, especially from Italy, was noted and discussed, as it may adversely affect the cohesion and scientific visibility of the GEOS if it continues.
The opening session was devoted to a review of the general situation of the GEOS. It was emphasized that more GEOS Circulars and Technical Files should be written in English, and that delays in the preparation of annual reports had become a matter of concern, leading to a redistribution of responsibilities. While the quality of the GEOS publications remained good, the decrease in the number of observations was considered worrying in the long term. The development of GEOS activities in Switzerland was noted, and it was announced that the next annual symposium would be held there.
The scientific program included presentations and discussions on variable stars (LO Gem, Omicron And, RR Lyrae stars), photometric instruments and observing techniques, revisions of the GEOS research program, Supernova 1993J, Xray binaries, and Supervar, a software package designed for the processing of magnitude estimates of variable stars. The discussions led to the adoption of an updated research program and to the decision to regularly publish the RR Lyrae maxima obtained by GEOS members, with each observer remaining responsible for the quality of their results.
A discussion was also held on possible GEOS observational missions to the Moletai Observatory in Lithuania, following a proposal from a Lithuanian professional astronomer. The project, focused on photoelectric photometry, raised several practical questions concerning dates, weather conditions, duration of the stay and travel arrangements, which remained to be resolved.
The meeting concluded in a friendly atmosphere. Overall, the symposium was considered successful, with useful scientific exchanges and discussions closely related to the objectives and activities of the GEOS, while highlighting the need to strengthen participation and observational efforts in future meetings.