The Maser Monitoring Organisation is a collection of researchers exploring the use of time-variable maser emission in the investigation of astrophysical phenomena. The forward directed aspects of research primarily involve using maser emission as a tool to investigate star formation. Simultaneously, these activities have deepened knowledge of maser emission itself in addition to uncovering previously unknown maser transitions. Thus a feedback loop is created where both the knowledge of astrophysical phenomena and the utilised tools of investigation themselves are iteratively sharpened. The project goals are open-ended and constantly evolving, however, the reliance on radio observatory maser monitoring campaigns persists as the fundamental enabler of research activities within the group.

Recently, remarkable progress has been made in understanding the formation of high mass stars. Observations provided direct evidence that massive young stellar objects (MYSOs), analogously to low-mass ones, form via disk-mediated accretion accompanied by episodic accretion bursts, possibly caused by disk fragmentation. In the case of MYSOs, the mechanism theoretically provides a means to overcome radiation pressure, but in practice it is poorly studied - only three accretion bursts in MYSOs have been caught in action to date. A significant contribution to the development of the theory has been made with the study of masers, which have proven to be a powerful tool for locating “bursting” MYSOs. This overview focuses on the exceptional role that masers play in the search and study of accretion bursts in massive protostars.

We report long-term observations of H2O and OH maser emission sources at wavelengths of 1.35 and 18 cm associated with star-forming regions. Strong quasi-periodic flares of maser emission have been observed. Several sources (in particular, G25.65+1.05, IRAS 16293−2422, Cep A) have displayed strong flares in the H2O line, when their peak flux density raised by a few orders of magnitude above the quiet state. Possible causes of this are discussed.

Results of long-term studies of circumstellar molecular maser emission of late-type giant and supergiant variable stars are reported. In the 1.35-cm H2O line, the peak flux density correlates with the optical brightness lagging behind it by 0.3–0.4 P (P is the stellar period). “Superperiods” of 10 to 15 P are visible in several stars, demonstrated as high maxima in the visible light curve and associated flares in the H2O maser line. In the 18-cm OH lines, full polarization of the maser emission has been measured. Variable Zeeman patterns suggesting a changing magnetic field of a few milligauss have been detected.

The RadioAstron space-VLBI mission has successfully detected extragalactic H2O MegaMaser emission regions at very long Earth to space baselines ranging between 1.4 and 26.7 Earth Diameters (ED). The preliminary results for two galaxies, NGC 3079 and NGC 4258, at baselines longer than one ED indicate masering environments and excitation conditions in these galaxies that are distinctly different. Further observations of NGC 4258 at even longer baselines are expected to reveal more of the physics of individual emission regions.