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Citizen Science in Astronomy: Exploring the Frontiers of Knowledge

Join the Northeast Astro Imaging Conference to learn about citizen science in astronomy, contribute to scientific research, and explore the wonders of the universe. Discover how to analyze existing images, observe deep sky objects, and participate in various amateur imaging projects. Collaborate with organizations like AAVSO and ALPO to study variable stars, eclipsing binaries, and pulsating variables. Attend talks and workshops to enhance your skills in astrophotography and contribute to pushing the frontiers of scientific knowledge.

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Citizen Science in Astronomy: Exploring the Frontiers of Knowledge

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  1. Stand Back!We’re Going To Try Science Mike Simonsen (AAVSO) Northeast Astro Imaging Conference 2011 Suffern, NY

  2. Citizen Science “Program of scientific work in which individual volunteers or networks of volunteers, many of whom may have no specific scientific training, perform or manage research-related tasks such as observation, measurement or computation.”

  3. Why Science? • Satisfy your curiosity • Provide a new challenge • Contribute to pushing the frontiers of our knowledge • Impress your friends and relatives • Justify the expense to your spouse • Believe it or not, it’s FUN! How do you know if you’re ready?

  4. Critical Mass Once you reach a critical mass of cords hanging off your telescope… You’re ready!

  5. First Steps • If you already have hundreds of images you don’t need to start by taking new images or buying new equipment • Organize-- Catalog-- Archive your existing images first

  6. Devise a File Name System • Random numbers dot FIT aren’t very helpful • 3754783262899.fts • Include the date, time, and target if possible • M27.110410.0530.fts • Organize by object or date? • Object puts them all together for direct comparison of time domain changes

  7. Analyze Existing Images • What to look for • Moving objects- asteroids, comets, alien spacecraft • Nebulosity-changes in structure, brightness, size, intensity • Transient objects- novae, supernovae, variable stars

  8. What is this?

  9. Deep Sky Objects You probably have variable star observations in your image archives of deep sky objects right now! M57- RX Lyrae

  10. M88 and AL Com

  11. NGC 3147 and CP Dra. DH Dra just out of view to the East.

  12. Jackpot! • M78 • McNeil’s Nebula • V1647 Ori • V2367 Ori • Herbig Haro objects

  13. AAVSO Special Notice #235 • Request for archival data: V1647 Ori and McNeil's Nebula • Dr. Colin Aspin (U. Hawaii) requests archival images and other observations of the FU Orionis variable V1647 Ori and the surrounding field over the previous 10 years in support of a study of this star. • Aspin is hoping to obtain more data with which to create a multi-year light curve of this star to put present-day observations in context of its past behavior.

  14. Var Vul 05 • Rarely outbursting UGWZ variable discovered adjacent to M27 in August 2005. • Discovered by German amateur testing a new C-11. • He blinked his image and one from the internet and saw the variable

  15. Amateur Imaging Projects • Asteroids • Aurora • Comets • Exoplanet transits • Meteor showers • Novae • Occultations • Planetary patrols • Supernovae • Variable stars Find out what interests YOU And learn more…

  16. Organizations Supporting Pro-Am Collaborations • AAVSO- American Association of Variable Star Observers • ALPO- Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers • BAA- British Astronomical Association • CBA- Center for Backyard Astrophysics • SAS- Society for Astronomical Sciences • GCN- Gamma-ray burst Coordination Network • WEBT- Whole Earth Blazar Telescope network

  17. Specific Variable Star Related Projects • Inner Sanctum LPV Observations • Long Period Variables have periods ~100-500 days • Observations of long period variables in the faint part of their cycle, below the typical visual threshold.

  18. Eclipsing Binaries Observed times of minima of an eclipsing binary provide essential data for obtaining the period of the system. Precise period calculations are crucial for uncovering the physics that drive these systems and for understanding the evolution of stellar systems.

  19. Some light curves can be built in one night- others may take multiple nights See the Eclipsing Variable Section of the AAVSO website.

  20. Eclipsing Dwarf Novae • A BAAVSS Programme to study the DNe population to uncover previously undetected eclipsing systems. • Observers monitor a list of selected targets for outbursts. • When one of the program stars goes into outburst CCD observers monitor (unfiltered) for 3+ orbital periods to detect eclipses • Even null results will be of value.

  21. Short-Period Pulsators • Pulsating variables, change in brightness due to intrinsic (internal) changes that occur within the star. • A short period pulsator (SPP for short) is a star that varies in brightness on the timescale of a few hours up to a tens of days as it grows and shrinks in size. • Short period pulsators include a number of different variable star types, such as Cepheids, RR Lyrae stars, and delta Scuti stars.

  22. The Blazhko effect AR Herculis is an RR Lyrae star that shows a large Blazhko effect. The graph below shows the shape of the light curve around maximum brightness on 21 different nights, phased with the average pulsation period. Notice how the the height and broadness of the curve changes, and how the time of maximum brightness shifts.

  23. CV du jour • Perform time series on the latest CV outbursts • Notifications from CVnet • CBA target lists • Follow up on CRTS discoveries Park on one star all night collecting images. Unfiltered observations are acceptable for most work.

  24. Waiting for the Big One! • Monitoring for rare outbursts of CVs • UGWZ and Recurrent novae (ROP) • Extended time domain observations of new galactic novae or rare transients like V838 Mon

  25. Monitoring little known stars • Hamburg Survey CVs • SDSS- Sloan Digital Sky Survey CVs • Long Term Polar Monitoring Programme (BAAVSS) Links and lists can be found on he CVnet website

  26. The Z CamPaign • Z Cams are dwarf novae • Outburst amplitudes ~4 mags • Cycle time~10-40 days • Standstill episodes are the defining characteristic

  27. Science Goals • To determine convincingly which CVs are indeed UGZ and which are imposters. • To improve the overall data available on each of these stars and fill the gaps in the light curves. • To determine if some UGZ actually do go into outburst from standstill, or if perhaps we have just missed the sudden drop to quiescence, leading to the appearance of outburst from standstill behavior. • To make any other serendipitous discoveries about 'UGZ-ness' that come to light as a result of improved coverage. • To publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal such as the Journal of the AAVSO.

  28. Early Results • Definitively excluded several CVs as non-Z Cams • Declared a dozen bona fide members of the class • Filled in light curves with CCD data uncovering activity never seen before

  29. Before and After This used to be a mystery What will we find this year?

  30. Publications The First Historical Standstill of WW Ceti Mike Simonsen, Rod Stubbings arXiv:1012.1545 The Z CamPaign: Year 1 Mike Simonsen arXiv:1104.0967 Leo5 is a Z Cam Type Dwarf Nova Patrick Wils, Tom Krajci, Mike Simonsen Accepted for publication in the JAAVSO

  31. Questions?

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