Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars
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The Radio Light Curve of the Gamma-Ray Nova in V407 Cyg: Thermal Emission from the Ionized Symbiotic Envelope, Devoured from Within by the Nova Blast
The Astrophysical Journal, 761:173 (19pp), 2012 December 20 doi:10.1088/0004-637X/761/2/173 C 2012. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. THE RADIO LIGHT CURVE OF THE GAMMA-RAY NOVA IN V407 CYG: THERMAL EMISSION FROM THE IONIZED SYMBIOTIC ENVELOPE, DEVOURED FROM WITHIN BY THE NOVA BLAST Laura Chomiuk1,2,3, Miriam I. Krauss1, Michael P. Rupen1, Thomas Nelson4, Nirupam Roy1, Jennifer L. Sokoloski5, Koji Mukai6,7, Ulisse Munari8, Amy Mioduszewski1, Jennifer Weston5, Tim J. O’Brien9, Stewart P. S. Eyres10, and Michael F. Bode11 1 National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, Socorro, NM 87801, USA; [email protected] 2 Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA 3 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA 4 School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 5 Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA 6 CRESST and X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA 7 Center for Space Science and Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA 8 INAF Astronomical Observatory of Padova, I-36012 Asiago (VI), Italy 9 Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK 10 Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK 11 Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Twelve Quays House, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead CH41 1LD, UK Received 2012 June 23; accepted 2012 October 26; published 2012 December 5 ABSTRACT We present multi-frequency radio observations of the 2010 nova event in the symbiotic binary V407 Cygni, obtained with the Karl G. -
Mathématiques Et Espace
Atelier disciplinaire AD 5 Mathématiques et Espace Anne-Cécile DHERS, Education Nationale (mathématiques) Peggy THILLET, Education Nationale (mathématiques) Yann BARSAMIAN, Education Nationale (mathématiques) Olivier BONNETON, Sciences - U (mathématiques) Cahier d'activités Activité 1 : L'HORIZON TERRESTRE ET SPATIAL Activité 2 : DENOMBREMENT D'ETOILES DANS LE CIEL ET L'UNIVERS Activité 3 : D'HIPPARCOS A BENFORD Activité 4 : OBSERVATION STATISTIQUE DES CRATERES LUNAIRES Activité 5 : DIAMETRE DES CRATERES D'IMPACT Activité 6 : LOI DE TITIUS-BODE Activité 7 : MODELISER UNE CONSTELLATION EN 3D Crédits photo : NASA / CNES L'HORIZON TERRESTRE ET SPATIAL (3 ème / 2 nde ) __________________________________________________ OBJECTIF : Détermination de la ligne d'horizon à une altitude donnée. COMPETENCES : ● Utilisation du théorème de Pythagore ● Utilisation de Google Earth pour évaluer des distances à vol d'oiseau ● Recherche personnelle de données REALISATION : Il s'agit ici de mettre en application le théorème de Pythagore mais avec une vision terrestre dans un premier temps suite à un questionnement de l'élève puis dans un second temps de réutiliser la même démarche dans le cadre spatial de la visibilité d'un satellite. Fiche élève ____________________________________________________________________________ 1. Victor Hugo a écrit dans Les Châtiments : "Les horizons aux horizons succèdent […] : on avance toujours, on n’arrive jamais ". Face à la mer, vous voyez l'horizon à perte de vue. Mais "est-ce loin, l'horizon ?". D'après toi, jusqu'à quelle distance peux-tu voir si le temps est clair ? Réponse 1 : " Sans instrument, je peux voir jusqu'à .................. km " Réponse 2 : " Avec une paire de jumelles, je peux voir jusqu'à ............... km " 2. Nous allons maintenant calculer à l'aide du théorème de Pythagore la ligne d'horizon pour une hauteur H donnée. -
Where Are the Distant Worlds? Star Maps
W here Are the Distant Worlds? Star Maps Abo ut the Activity Whe re are the distant worlds in the night sky? Use a star map to find constellations and to identify stars with extrasolar planets. (Northern Hemisphere only, naked eye) Topics Covered • How to find Constellations • Where we have found planets around other stars Participants Adults, teens, families with children 8 years and up If a school/youth group, 10 years and older 1 to 4 participants per map Materials Needed Location and Timing • Current month's Star Map for the Use this activity at a star party on a public (included) dark, clear night. Timing depends only • At least one set Planetary on how long you want to observe. Postcards with Key (included) • A small (red) flashlight • (Optional) Print list of Visible Stars with Planets (included) Included in This Packet Page Detailed Activity Description 2 Helpful Hints 4 Background Information 5 Planetary Postcards 7 Key Planetary Postcards 9 Star Maps 20 Visible Stars With Planets 33 © 2008 Astronomical Society of the Pacific www.astrosociety.org Copies for educational purposes are permitted. Additional astronomy activities can be found here: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov Detailed Activity Description Leader’s Role Participants’ Roles (Anticipated) Introduction: To Ask: Who has heard that scientists have found planets around stars other than our own Sun? How many of these stars might you think have been found? Anyone ever see a star that has planets around it? (our own Sun, some may know of other stars) We can’t see the planets around other stars, but we can see the star. -
The AAVSO DSLR Observing Manual
The AAVSO DSLR Observing Manual AAVSO 49 Bay State Road Cambridge, MA 02138 email: [email protected] Version 1.2 Copyright 2014 AAVSO Foreword This manual is a basic introduction and guide to using a DSLR camera to make variable star observations. The target audience is first-time beginner to intermediate level DSLR observers, although many advanced observers may find the content contained herein useful. The AAVSO DSLR Observing Manual was inspired by the great interest in DSLR photometry witnessed during the AAVSO’s Citizen Sky program. Consumer-grade imaging devices are rapidly evolving, so we have elected to write this manual to be as general as possible and move the software and camera-specific topics to the AAVSO DSLR forums. If you find an area where this document could use improvement, please let us know. Please send any feedback or suggestions to [email protected]. Most of the content for these chapters was written during the third Citizen Sky workshop during March 22-24, 2013 at the AAVSO. The persons responsible for creation of most of the content in the chapters are: Chapter 1 (Introduction): Colin Littlefield, Paul Norris, Richard (Doc) Kinne, Matthew Templeton Chapter 2 (Equipment overview): Roger Pieri, Rebecca Jackson, Michael Brewster, Matthew Templeton Chapter 3 (Software overview): Mark Blackford, Heinz-Bernd Eggenstein, Martin Connors, Ian Doktor Chapters 4 & 5 (Image acquisition and processing): Robert Buchheim, Donald Collins, Tim Hager, Bob Manske, Matthew Templeton Chapter 6 (Transformation): Brian Kloppenborg, Arne Henden Chapter 7 (Observing program): Des Loughney, Mike Simonsen, Todd Brown Various figures: Paul Valleli Clear skies, and Good Observing! Arne Henden, Director Rebecca Turner, Operations Director Brian Kloppenborg, Editor Matthew Templeton, Science Director Elizabeth Waagen, Senior Technical Assistant American Association of Variable Star Observers Cambridge, Massachusetts June 2014 i Index 1. -
CGEM Series Telescope! the CGEM Series Is Made of the Highest Quality Materials to Ensure Stability and Durability
CCGGEEMM SSeerriieess INSTRUCTION MANUAL CGEM 800 ● CGEM 925 ● CGEM 1100 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Warning.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 ASSEMBLY.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 Setting up the Tripod...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Attaching the Equatorial Mount ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Attaching the Accessory Tray ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Installing the Counterweight Bar.................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Installing -
Instruction Manual
IINNSSTTRRUUCCTTIIOONN MMAANNUUAALL INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................4 WARNING.......................................................................................................................................................................4 ASSEMBLY.....................................................................................................................................................................6 ASSEMBLING THE CPC ...................................................................................................................................................6 Setting up the Tripod.................................................................................................................................................6 Adjusting the Tripod Height......................................................................................................................................7 Attaching the CPC to the Tripod...............................................................................................................................7 Adjusting the Clutches...............................................................................................................................................8 The Star Diagonal .....................................................................................................................................................8 The Eyepiece -
On the Progenitor System of V392 Persei M
Draft version September 26, 2018 Typeset using LATEX RNAAS style in AASTeX62 On the progenitor system of V392 Persei M. J. Darnley1 and S. Starrfield2 1Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, IC2 Liverpool Science Park, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK 2School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1504, USA (Received 2018 May 2; Revised 2018 May 6; Accepted 2018 May 2; Published TBC) Keywords: novae, cataclysmic variables | stars: individual (V392 Per) On 2018 April 29.474 UT Nakamura(2018) reported the discovery of a new transient, TCP J04432130+4721280, at m = 6:2 within the constellation of Perseus. Follow-up spectroscopy by Leadbeater(2018) and Wagner et al.(2018) independently verified the transient as a nova eruption in the `Fe ii curtain' phase; suggesting that the eruption was discovered before peak. Buczynski(2018) reported that the nova peaked on April 29.904 with m = 5:6. Nakamura (2018) noted that TCP J04432130+4721280 is spatially coincident with the proposed Z Camelopardalis type dwarf nova (DN) V392 Persei (see Downes & Shara 1993). V392 Per is therefore among just a handful of DNe to subsequently undergo a nova eruption (see, e.g., Mr´ozet al. 2016). The AAVSO1 2004{2018 light curve for V392 Per indicates a quiescent system with V ∼ 16−17 mag, punctuated with three of four DN outbursts, the last in 2016. Downes & Shara(1993) recorded a quiescent range of 15 :0 ≤ mpg ≤ 17:5, Zwitter & Munari(1994) reported a magnitude limit of V > 17. These observations suggest an eruption amplitude of . 12 magnitudes, which could indicate the presence of an evolved donor in the system. -
Naming the Extrasolar Planets
Naming the extrasolar planets W. Lyra Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K¨onigstuhl 17, 69177, Heidelberg, Germany [email protected] Abstract and OGLE-TR-182 b, which does not help educators convey the message that these planets are quite similar to Jupiter. Extrasolar planets are not named and are referred to only In stark contrast, the sentence“planet Apollo is a gas giant by their assigned scientific designation. The reason given like Jupiter” is heavily - yet invisibly - coated with Coper- by the IAU to not name the planets is that it is consid- nicanism. ered impractical as planets are expected to be common. I One reason given by the IAU for not considering naming advance some reasons as to why this logic is flawed, and sug- the extrasolar planets is that it is a task deemed impractical. gest names for the 403 extrasolar planet candidates known One source is quoted as having said “if planets are found to as of Oct 2009. The names follow a scheme of association occur very frequently in the Universe, a system of individual with the constellation that the host star pertains to, and names for planets might well rapidly be found equally im- therefore are mostly drawn from Roman-Greek mythology. practicable as it is for stars, as planet discoveries progress.” Other mythologies may also be used given that a suitable 1. This leads to a second argument. It is indeed impractical association is established. to name all stars. But some stars are named nonetheless. In fact, all other classes of astronomical bodies are named. -
Highlights of Discoveries for $\Delta $ Scuti Variable Stars from the Kepler
Highlights of Discoveries for δ Scuti Variable Stars from the Kepler Era Joyce Ann Guzik1,∗ 1Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 USA Correspondence*: Joyce Ann Guzik [email protected] ABSTRACT The NASA Kepler and follow-on K2 mission (2009-2018) left a legacy of data and discoveries, finding thousands of exoplanets, and also obtaining high-precision long time-series data for hundreds of thousands of stars, including many types of pulsating variables. Here we highlight a few of the ongoing discoveries from Kepler data on δ Scuti pulsating variables, which are core hydrogen-burning stars of about twice the mass of the Sun. We discuss many unsolved problems surrounding the properties of the variability in these stars, and the progress enabled by Kepler data in using pulsations to infer their interior structure, a field of research known as asteroseismology. Keywords: Stars: δ Scuti, Stars: γ Doradus, NASA Kepler Mission, asteroseismology, stellar pulsation 1 INTRODUCTION The long time-series, high-cadence, high-precision photometric observations of the NASA Kepler (2009- 2013) [Borucki et al., 2010; Gilliland et al., 2010; Koch et al., 2010] and follow-on K2 (2014-2018) [Howell et al., 2014] missions have revolutionized the study of stellar variability. The amount and quality of data provided by Kepler is nearly overwhelming, and will motivate follow-on observations and generate new discoveries for decades to come. Here we review some highlights of discoveries for δ Scuti (abbreviated as δ Sct) variable stars from the Kepler mission. The δ Sct variables are pre-main-sequence, main-sequence (core hydrogen-burning), or post-main-sequence (undergoing core contraction after core hydrogen burning, and beginning shell hydrogen burning) stars with spectral types A through mid-F, and masses around 2 solar masses. -
Annual Report 2016–2017 AAVSO
AAVSO The American Association of Variable Star Observers Annual Report 2016–2017 AAVSO Annual Report 2012 –2013 The American Association of Variable Star Observers AAVSO Annual Report 2016–2017 The American Association of Variable Star Observers 49 Bay State Road Cambridge, MA 02138-1203 USA Telephone: 617-354-0484 Fax: 617-354-0665 email: [email protected] website: https://www.aavso.org Annual Report Website: https://www.aavso.org/annual-report On the cover... At the 2017 AAVSO Annual Meeting.(clockwise from upper left) Knicole Colon, Koji Mukai, Dennis Conti, Kristine Larsen, Joey Rodriguez; Rachid El Hamri, Andy Block, Jane Glanzer, Erin Aadland, Jamin Welch, Stella Kafka; and (clockwise from upper left) Joey Rodriguez, Knicole Colon, Koji Mukai, Frans-Josef “Josch” Hambsch, Chandler Barnes. Picture credits In additon to images from the AAVSO and its archives, the editors gratefully acknowledge the following for their image contributions: Glenn Chaple, Shawn Dvorak, Mary Glennon, Bill Goff, Barbara Harris, Mario Motta, NASA, Gary Poyner, Msgr. Ronald Royer, the Mary Lea Shane Archives of the Lick Observatory, Chris Stephan, and Wheatley, et al. 2003, MNRAS, 345, 49. Table of Contents 1. About the AAVSO Vision and Mission Statement 1 About the AAVSO 1 What We Do 2 What Are Variable Stars? 3 Why Observe Variable Stars? 3 The AAVSO International Database 4 Observing Variable Stars 6 Services to Astronomy 7 Education and Outreach 9 2. The Year in Review Introduction 11 The 106th AAVSO Spring Membership Meeting, Ontario, California 11 The -
Appendix A: Scientific Notation
Appendix A: Scientific Notation Since in astronomy we often have to deal with large numbers, writing a lot of zeros is not only cumbersome, but also inefficient and difficult to count. Scientists use the system of scientific notation, where the number of zeros is short handed to a superscript. For example, 10 has one zero and is written as 101 in scientific notation. Similarly, 100 is 102, 100 is 103. So we have: 103 equals a thousand, 106 equals a million, 109 is called a billion (U.S. usage), and 1012 a trillion. Now the U.S. federal government budget is in the trillions of dollars, ordinary people really cannot grasp the magnitude of the number. In the metric system, the prefix kilo- stands for 1,000, e.g., a kilogram. For a million, the prefix mega- is used, e.g. megaton (1,000,000 or 106 ton). A billion hertz (a unit of frequency) is gigahertz, although I have not heard of the use of a giga-meter. More rarely still is the use of tera (1012). For small numbers, the practice is similar. 0.1 is 10À1, 0.01 is 10À2, and 0.001 is 10À3. The prefix of milli- refers to 10À3, e.g. as in millimeter, whereas a micro- second is 10À6 ¼ 0.000001 s. It is now trendy to talk about nano-technology, which refers to solid-state device with sizes on the scale of 10À9 m, or about 10 times the size of an atom. With this kind of shorthand convenience, one can really go overboard. -
Astrometry and Optics During the Past 2000 Years
1 Astrometry and optics during the past 2000 years Erik Høg Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark 2011.05.03: Collection of reports from November 2008 ABSTRACT: The satellite missions Hipparcos and Gaia by the European Space Agency will together bring a decrease of astrometric errors by a factor 10000, four orders of magnitude, more than was achieved during the preceding 500 years. This modern development of astrometry was at first obtained by photoelectric astrometry. An experiment with this technique in 1925 led to the Hipparcos satellite mission in the years 1989-93 as described in the following reports Nos. 1 and 10. The report No. 11 is about the subsequent period of space astrometry with CCDs in a scanning satellite. This period began in 1992 with my proposal of a mission called Roemer, which led to the Gaia mission due for launch in 2013. My contributions to the history of astrometry and optics are based on 50 years of work in the field of astrometry but the reports cover spans of time within the past 2000 years, e.g., 400 years of astrometry, 650 years of optics, and the “miraculous” approval of the Hipparcos satellite mission during a few months of 1980. 2011.05.03: Collection of reports from November 2008. The following contains overview with summary and link to the reports Nos. 1-9 from 2008 and Nos. 10-13 from 2011. The reports are collected in two big file, see details on p.8. CONTENTS of Nos. 1-9 from 2008 No. Title Overview with links to all reports 2 1 Bengt Strömgren and modern astrometry: 5 Development of photoelectric astrometry including the Hipparcos mission 1A Bengt Strömgren and modern astrometry ..