Context. The theory of stellar evolution can be more closely tested if we have the opportunity to measure new quantities. Nowadays, observations of galactic RR Lyr stars are available on a time baseline exceeding 100 years. Therefore, we can exploit the possibility of investigating period changes, continuing the pioneering work started by V. P. Tsesevich in 1969. Aims. We collected the available times of maximum brightness of the galactic RR Lyr stars in the GEOS RR Lyr database. Moreover, we also started new observational projects, including surveys with automated telescopes, to characterise the O-C diagrams better. Methods. The database we built has proved to be a very powerful tool for tracing the period variations through the ages.

We used the GEOS database to study the Blazhko effect of galactic RRab stars. The database is continuously enriched by maxima supplied by amateur astronomers and by a dedicated survey by means of the two TAROT robotic telescopes. The same value of the Blazhko period is observed at different values of the pulsation periods and different values of the Blazhko periods are observed at the same value of the pulsation period. There are clues suggesting that the Blazhko effect is changing from one cycle to the next. The secular changes in the pulsation and Blazhko periods of Z CVn are anticorrelated. The diagrams of magnitudes against phases of the maxima clearly show that the light curves of Blazhko variables can be explained as modulated signals, both in amplitude and in frequency. The closed curves describing the Blazhko cycles in such diagrams have different shapes, reflecting the phase shifts between the epochs of the brightest maximum and the maximum O-C. Our sample shows that both clockwise and anticlockwise directions are possible for similar shapes. The improved observational knowledge of the Blazhko effect, in addition to some peculiarities of the light curves, have still to be explained by a satisfactory physical mechanism.

The GEOS, Groupe Européen d’Observation Stellaires, is composed of observers living in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland. The main purpose is to give amateur astronomers the opportunity of carrying out scientific analyses in specific fields. Further details can be found at the web site http://www.upv.es/geos/In the past years, GEOS has approached the analysis of visual estimates of variable stars (Ralincourt et al., 1987) in an original manner, obtaining accurate light curves on red semiregulars. Moreover, the collaboration with teams of professional researchers allowed the group to obtain interesting results on the double-mode Cepheid EW Set (Figer et al., 1991), on the Be star OT Gem (Arellano Ferro et al., 1998) and on the eclipsing binary V753 Cyg (Beltraminelli et al., 2000). More recently, several GEOS members have started collecting a large sample of times of maximum brightness of RR Lyr stars in order to build-up a database as extensive as possible. Such a database is decribed below together with the results of a campaign on RR Lyr itself.