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The Eggen Data Project

Join the Eggen Data Project and help digitize historical astronomical data from 3x5 cards into an online database. Volunteers are needed to link card images to star references using a web interface. This project aims to extend our light curves into the past and make this valuable data accessible to researchers.

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The Eggen Data Project

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  1. The Eggen Data Project George Silvis Oct 2013 SGEO

  2. The background • Project first introduced by Arne Henden, Oct 2009 on the AAVSO website • Olin noted for the quality of his photometry and the volume too. And its data from the last century. • But he did his work before computers and networks could make his data accessible • The goal: to get this data into the AAVSO db to extend our light curves into the past, to get this data in the hands of researchers

  3. The first step • All that data was on 3x5 cards in Chile • In 2007-2009 the AAVSO brought them to HQ and scanned them into PDF files onto a computer. • Now anyone in the world can see the cards at the AAVSO website

  4. The second step • Move the card images into an online database • A SQL database was created on the AAVSO server and 108,762 card images were pulled from the PDF files

  5. The third step • Where is the data for HD107814? (eg) • The images are on the computer, but not the star references; you will never find it • Each card image needs to be linked to a standard star reference • SIMBAD is the online reference of choice for star names and their aliases • This is a big project: est 1,500+ man hours

  6. The web interface • http://www.gasilvis.com/EggenCard2/EggenCard2.html • Cards are sorted into 64 boxes/ 260 bundles/ 2,224 PDF’s • Anyone can go look at the cards • As this third phase of the project progresses you will be able to filter by star name. This is the goal of the project: to be able to present the relevant cards by star name.

  7. The project • We need volunteers to do step three! • Project description is at: https://sites.google.com/site/eggencards/home • Volunteers are given sign in credentials so they can edit the db, linking images to star names

  8. The process • Volunteers are assigned a bundle of cards, about 500 • Using the interface, look at each card and pick out the star referenced. Not so easy; these are hand written cards • Use the interface to jump to SIMBAD to confirm the identification. • Add the link. Move on to the next.

  9. The progress • 10,000 out of 108,762 images processed • 3 volunteers working the cards so far. • We need more! This is a great rainy day project. You can work at your own pace • I’ll do a training session afterwards. I’m looking for 10 more volunteers today! • If anyone can suggest other sources of volunteers, please do! Clubs, students, whatever.

  10. The future • Let’s start using this data! • Researchers still need to extract the data from the cards presented. There’s photometric data as well as proper motion measurements

  11. The conclusion • Volunteering for AAVSO projects can be fun and useful • My thanks to the volunteers and the AAVSO staff

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