The Centre for Backyard Astrophysics or CBA specialises in photometry of Cataclysmic Variable Stars or CVs. The CBA has collaborative members from all around the world, covering all longitudes. This approach so favoured in modern astronomy, gives the team the ability to track CV's continuously, allowing for the acquisition of very long, unbroken light-curves. This can reveal a diverse range of activity in these short period binary systems. 

Professor Joseph Patterson from Columbia University leads the team which consists of 50+ independent stations around the world. Currently 7 New Zealand stations are providing data and their combined contributions help make the CBA one of the world's most powerful and successful professional/amateur collaborations in the field of Cataclysmic Variable star research.