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Observing the Mira Variable Star S Leo using ccd Photometry

Observing the Mira Variable Star S Leo using ccd Photometry. By Lindsey A. Whitesides and Florin D. Ciocanu University of Northern Colorado Frontier of Science Institute. purpose. Observe the Mira variable S Leo Obtain accurate data Create a partial light curve

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Observing the Mira Variable Star S Leo using ccd Photometry

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  1. Observing the Mira Variable StarS Leo using ccd Photometry By Lindsey A. Whitesides and Florin D. Ciocanu University of Northern Colorado Frontier of Science Institute

  2. purpose • Observe the Mira variable S Leo • Obtain accurate data • Create a partial light curve • Find the faintest point of the period • Submit results to AAVSO • Contribute to scientific community

  3. Introduction • Variable star • Mira variable • Long period • Red giants • Cool (3500 K) • Magnitude scale • Magnitude varies 2.5 to 10

  4. introduction • Charge-coupled device (CCD) • Photoelectric effect • Pattern of electrons translated into image • Photometry • Eliminates most error Figure 1: CCD chip.

  5. introduction • CCD importance to astronomers • Amateur astronomers • Professional-Amateur collaborations • AAVSO • VPhot

  6. Methods • Global Rent a Scope (GRAS) • Telescopes G1 & G7 Figures 3a & 3b: Global Rent a Scope telescopes. Figure 2: Global Rent a Scope website.

  7. methods • Generate a plan • Coordinates of the star • Picture count • Filter • Exposure time • Plate-solve • Automatically upload to VPhot

  8. methods • Reservation • Local time and date • Weather forecast • Position compared to moon • Load plan • Images taken by UNC students • Process replicated with different star (TrES-3)

  9. Methods • VPhot • Load GCVS • Load AAVSO comp stars • Aperture and sky annulus • Removing useless comp stars • Check star • Photometry Report

  10. Figure 5: VPhot program.

  11. Results

  12. results • Magnitude increased then decreased • Faintest day about March 26th • Partial light curve constructed • Average error • Standard deviation

  13. Results Figure 6: A graph of magnitude vs. time for S Leo.

  14. Results Figure 7: Results plotted against data from AAVSO light curve.

  15. discussion • Very low error • Accurate enough for AAVSO • Partial light curve matches • Some images were unusable • More images should have been taken

  16. Acknowledgements • Sponsors: • Dr. Richard Dietz • Lori Ball • Nick True • Abby Davidson, Nathan Kirkley and Zabedah Saad • Karen Allnut and Klois Broeker

  17. references Bucheim, R.K. (2007). The sky is your laboratory: Advanced astronomy projects for amateurs. Chichester, UK: Springer-Praxis Clayton, M.L. & Feast M.W. (August 11, 1969). Absolute magnitudes of Mira variables from statistical parallaxes. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 146, p.411-421. doi: 1969MNRAS.146..411C O’Connell, Robert (September 8, 2003). Magnitude and color system. Retrieved from http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/oconnell/astr511/lec14-f03.pdf Richmond, M. Introduction to CCDs. Retrieved from http://spiff.rit.edu/classes/phys445/lectures/ccd1/ccd1.html Robertson, B.S.C. & Feast M.W. (July 16, 1980). The bolometric, infrared and visual absolute magnitudes of Mira variables. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Monthly Notices, vol. 196, July 1981, p. 111-120. doi: 1981MNRAS.196..111R Roger A. Freedman, William J. Kaufmann III (2008). Universe: Stars and Galaxies (3rd edition). New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company Templeton, M. (April 14, 2011). Variable stars and the stories they tell. Retrieved from http://www.aavso.org/variable-stars Templeton, M. (September 13, 2010). Stellar evolution. Retrieved from http://www.aavso.org/stellar-evolution

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