Another related development in democratization of astronomy is publishing of transient events (brightenings/dimmings of objects) as they happen. You can subscribe to feeds from robotic transient surveys, that do the image processing and photometry to generate events in near real time (e.g.: http://skyalert.org/). The events are published in a standard format so you can automate follow-up as well.
Many of the events are asteroids or possible NEOs, but others are galactic and extra-galactic, like supernovae, blazars, etc.
It's not backyard astronomy, because the events are being detected by 1 meter telescopes and have magnitude of perhaps 18 or 20, but it's a more open and data-rich situation than a few sources being kept under wraps for follow-up by the discoverer only.
Many of the events are asteroids or possible NEOs, but others are galactic and extra-galactic, like supernovae, blazars, etc.
It's not backyard astronomy, because the events are being detected by 1 meter telescopes and have magnitude of perhaps 18 or 20, but it's a more open and data-rich situation than a few sources being kept under wraps for follow-up by the discoverer only.