ArasBeam: when amateurs contribute to Be star research

Since 2003, the amateur astronomical community has decided, in collaboration with the Paris-Meudon Observatory, to coordinate their observations to get the best spectral survey of Be stars as possible. A database for amateur and professional Be star spectra, BeSS, has been created. Spectrographs (up to R=20000) and software tools have been developed for amateurs. Among them, ArasBeam is a web-based tool designed to organize amateur Be spectral observations. A very simple color coding indicates to any observer which stars must be observed on the following night to get the best possible survey of Be stars. So far, more than 11000 amateur spectra have been collected in BeSS. About all bright Be stars (up to magnitude 8) listed in BeSS and visible from the Northern hemisphere have been observed at least one time. In addition, 6 outbursts have been detected by amateurs in the last 2 years.