MAS Mentoring Project Overview 2020
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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. -
Arxiv:1809.07342V1 [Astro-Ph.SR] 19 Sep 2018
Draft version September 21, 2018 Preprint typeset using LATEX style emulateapj v. 11/10/09 FAR-ULTRAVIOLET ACTIVITY LEVELS OF F, G, K, AND M DWARF EXOPLANET HOST STARS* Kevin France1, Nicole Arulanantham1, Luca Fossati2, Antonino F. Lanza3, R. O. Parke Loyd4, Seth Redfield5, P. Christian Schneider6 Draft version September 21, 2018 ABSTRACT We present a survey of far-ultraviolet (FUV; 1150 { 1450 A)˚ emission line spectra from 71 planet- hosting and 33 non-planet-hosting F, G, K, and M dwarfs with the goals of characterizing their range of FUV activity levels, calibrating the FUV activity level to the 90 { 360 A˚ extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) stellar flux, and investigating the potential for FUV emission lines to probe star-planet interactions (SPIs). We build this emission line sample from a combination of new and archival observations with the Hubble Space Telescope-COS and -STIS instruments, targeting the chromospheric and transition region emission lines of Si III,N V,C II, and Si IV. We find that the exoplanet host stars, on average, display factors of 5 { 10 lower UV activity levels compared with the non-planet hosting sample; this is explained by a combination of observational and astrophysical biases in the selection of stars for radial-velocity planet searches. We demonstrate that UV activity-rotation relation in the full F { M star sample is characterized by a power-law decline (with index α ≈ −1.1), starting at rotation periods & 3.5 days. Using N V or Si IV spectra and a knowledge of the star's bolometric flux, we present a new analytic relationship to estimate the intrinsic stellar EUV irradiance in the 90 { 360 A˚ band with an accuracy of roughly a factor of ≈ 2. -
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. -
The Heavens in August a Study of Short Period Variables
100 SCIENTIFIC,AMERlCAN July 31, 1915 The Heavens in August A Study of Short Period Variables By Prof. Henry Norris Russell, Ph.D. HE warm clear nights of summer offer the amateur which is marked on our map, .and the second lies about and but 18 minutes of arc apart, while Neptune is only T the best chance for star-gazing in all the year, and, two fifths of the way from this to () Ophiuchi (also a degree away on the other side. This simultaneous fortunately, he has one of the finest portions of the shown on the map) and is the only bright star near conjunction of three planets is rather remarkable, but, heavens at his command in the splendid region of the this line. The character of the variation is in both as they rise less than an hour earlier than the Sun, Milky Way, which stretches from Cassiopeia and cases very similar to that of the stars previously de Neptune will be utterly invisible, though the other two Cygnus through Aquila to Sagittarius and Scorpio, and scribed. w Sagittarii varies from magnitude 4.3 to 5.1 planets may easily be seen with a telescope (provided forms a vast circle right across the summit of the vault in a period of 7.595 days, the ris� in brightness taking with suitable finding circles ) even in broad daylight, of heaven. about half as long as the fall, and the maximum being and in the same low-power field. The veriest novice can learn in an hour to identify a little more than twice the minimum light. -
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. -
A New Form of Estimating Stellar Parameters Using an Optimization Approach
A&A 532, A20 (2011) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/200811182 & c ESO 2011 Astrophysics Modeling nearby FGK Population I stars: A new form of estimating stellar parameters using an optimization approach J. M. Fernandes1,A.I.F.Vaz2, and L. N. Vicente3 1 CFC, Department of Mathematics and Astronomical Observatory, University of Coimbra, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Production and Systems, University of Minho, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] 3 CMUC, Department of Mathematics, University of Coimbra, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] Received 17 October 2008 / Accepted 27 May 2011 ABSTRACT Context. Modeling a single star with theoretical stellar evolutionary tracks is a nontrivial problem because of a large number of unknowns compared to the number of observations. A current way of estimating stellar age and mass consists of using interpolations in grids of stellar models and/or isochrones, assuming ad hoc values for the mixing length parameter and the metal-to-helium enrichment, which is normally scaled to the solar values. Aims. We present a new method to model the FGK main-sequence of Population I stars. This method is capable of simultaneously estimating a set of stellar parameters, namely the mass, the age, the helium and metal abundances, the mixing length parameter, and the overshooting. Methods. The proposed method is based on the application of a global optimization algorithm (PSwarm) to solve an optimization problem that in turn consists of finding the values of the stellar parameters that lead to the best possible fit of the given observations. -
THE CONSTELLATION MUSCA, the FLY Musca Australis (Latin: Southern Fly) Is a Small Constellation in the Deep Southern Sky
THE CONSTELLATION MUSCA, THE FLY Musca Australis (Latin: Southern Fly) is a small constellation in the deep southern sky. It was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman and it first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 in Amsterdam by Plancius and Jodocus Hondius. The first depiction of this constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603. It was also known as Apis (Latin: bee) for two hundred years. Musca remains below the horizon for most Northern Hemisphere observers. Also known as the Southern or Indian Fly, the French Mouche Australe ou Indienne, the German Südliche Fliege, and the Italian Mosca Australe, it lies partly in the Milky Way, south of Crux and east of the Chamaeleon. De Houtman included it in his southern star catalogue in 1598 under the Dutch name De Vlieghe, ‘The Fly’ This title generally is supposed to have been substituted by La Caille, about 1752, for Bayer's Apis, the Bee; but Halley, in 1679, had called it Musca Apis; and even previous to him, Riccioli catalogued it as Apis seu Musca. Even in our day the idea of a Bee prevails, for Stieler's Planisphere of 1872 has Biene, and an alternative title in France is Abeille. When the Northern Fly was merged with Aries by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1929, Musca Australis was given its modern shortened name Musca. It is the only official constellation depicting an insect. Julius Schiller, who redrew and named all the 88 constellations united Musca with the Bird of Paradise and the Chamaeleon as mother Eve. -
The Chemical Composition of Solar-Type Stars and Its Impact on the Presence of Planets
The chemical composition of solar-type stars and its impact on the presence of planets Patrick Baumann Munchen¨ 2013 The chemical composition of solar-type stars and its impact on the presence of planets Patrick Baumann Dissertation der Fakultat¨ fur¨ Physik der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat¨ Munchen¨ durchgefuhrt¨ am Max-Planck-Institut fur¨ Astrophysik vorgelegt von Patrick Baumann aus Munchen¨ Munchen,¨ den 31. Januar 2013 Erstgutacher: Prof. Dr. Achim Weiss Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Joachim Puls Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 8. April 2013 Zusammenfassung Wir untersuchen eine mogliche¨ Verbindung zwischen den relativen Elementhaufig-¨ keiten in Sternatmospharen¨ und der Anwesenheit von Planeten um den jeweili- gen Stern. Um zuverlassige¨ Ergebnisse zu erhalten, untersuchen wir ausschließlich sonnenahnliche¨ Sterne und fuhren¨ unsere spektroskopischen Analysen zur Bestim- mung der grundlegenden Parameter und der chemischen Zusammensetzung streng differenziell und relativ zu den solaren Werten durch. Insgesamt untersuchen wir 200 Sterne unter Zuhilfenahme von Spektren mit herausragender Qualitat,¨ die an den modernsten Teleskopen gewonnen wurden, die uns zur Verfugung¨ stehen. Mithilfe der Daten fur¨ 117 sonnenahnliche¨ Sterne untersuchen wir eine mogliche¨ Verbindung zwischen der Oberflachenh¨ aufigkeit¨ von Lithium in einem Stern, seinem Alter und der Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass sich ein oder mehrere Sterne in einer Um- laufbahn um das Objekt befinden. Fur¨ jeden Stern erhalten wir sehr exakte grundle- gende Parameter unter Benutzung einer sorgfaltig¨ zusammengestellten Liste von Fe i- und Fe ii-absorptionslinien, modernen Modellatmospharen¨ und Routinen zum Erstellen von Modellspektren. Die Massen und das Alter der Objekte werden mithilfe von Isochronen bestimmt, was zu sehr soliden relativen Werten fuhrt.¨ Bei jungen Sternen, fur¨ die die Isochronenmethode recht unzuverlssig¨ ist, vergleichen wir verschiedene alternative Methoden. -
ESO Annual Report 2004 ESO Annual Report 2004 Presented to the Council by the Director General Dr
ESO Annual Report 2004 ESO Annual Report 2004 presented to the Council by the Director General Dr. Catherine Cesarsky View of La Silla from the 3.6-m telescope. ESO is the foremost intergovernmental European Science and Technology organi- sation in the field of ground-based as- trophysics. It is supported by eleven coun- tries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Created in 1962, ESO provides state-of- the-art research facilities to European astronomers and astrophysicists. In pur- suit of this task, ESO’s activities cover a wide spectrum including the design and construction of world-class ground-based observational facilities for the member- state scientists, large telescope projects, design of innovative scientific instruments, developing new and advanced techno- logies, furthering European co-operation and carrying out European educational programmes. ESO operates at three sites in the Ataca- ma desert region of Chile. The first site The VLT is a most unusual telescope, is at La Silla, a mountain 600 km north of based on the latest technology. It is not Santiago de Chile, at 2 400 m altitude. just one, but an array of 4 telescopes, It is equipped with several optical tele- each with a main mirror of 8.2-m diame- scopes with mirror diameters of up to ter. With one such telescope, images 3.6-metres. The 3.5-m New Technology of celestial objects as faint as magnitude Telescope (NTT) was the first in the 30 have been obtained in a one-hour ex- world to have a computer-controlled main posure. -
2013 Version
Citizen Science with Variable Stars Brought to you by the AAVSO, Astronomers without Borders, the National Science Foundation and Your Universe Astronomers need your help! Many bright stars change in brightness all the time and for many different reasons. Some stars are too bright for professionals to CitizenSky is a collaboration of the look at with most large telescopes. So, we American Association of need your help to watch these stars as they Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), the University of dim and brighten over the next several years. Denver, the Adler Planetarium, the Johns Hopkins University and the California Academies of This guide will help you find these bright Science with support from the National Science Foundation. stars, measure their brightness and then submit the measurements to assist professional astronomers. Participate in one of the largest and longest running citizen science projects in history! Thousands of people just like you are helping o ut. Astronomers need large numbers of people to get the amount of precision they need to do their research. You are the key. Header artwork is reproduced with permission from Sky & Telescope magazine (www.skyandtelescope.com) Betelgeuse – Alpha Orionis From the city or country sky, from almost any part of the world, the majestic figure of Orion dominates the night sky with his belt, sword, and club. Low and to the right is the great red pulsating supergiant, Betelgeuse (alpha Orionis). Recently acquiring fame for being the first star to have its atmosphere directly imaged (shown below), alpha Orionis has captivated observers' attention for centuries. At minimum brightness, as in 1927 and 1941, its magnitude may drop below 1.2. -
407 a Abell Galaxy Cluster S 373 (AGC S 373) , 351–353 Achromat
Index A Barnard 72 , 210–211 Abell Galaxy Cluster S 373 (AGC S 373) , Barnard, E.E. , 5, 389 351–353 Barnard’s loop , 5–8 Achromat , 365 Barred-ring spiral galaxy , 235 Adaptive optics (AO) , 377, 378 Barred spiral galaxy , 146, 263, 295, 345, 354 AGC S 373. See Abell Galaxy Cluster Bean Nebulae , 303–305 S 373 (AGC S 373) Bernes 145 , 132, 138, 139 Alnitak , 11 Bernes 157 , 224–226 Alpha Centauri , 129, 151 Beta Centauri , 134, 156 Angular diameter , 364 Beta Chamaeleontis , 269, 275 Antares , 129, 169, 195, 230 Beta Crucis , 137 Anteater Nebula , 184, 222–226 Beta Orionis , 18 Antennae galaxies , 114–115 Bias frames , 393, 398 Antlia , 104, 108, 116 Binning , 391, 392, 398, 404 Apochromat , 365 Black Arrow Cluster , 73, 93, 94 Apus , 240, 248 Blue Straggler Cluster , 169, 170 Aquarius , 339, 342 Bok, B. , 151 Ara , 163, 169, 181, 230 Bok Globules , 98, 216, 269 Arcminutes (arcmins) , 288, 383, 384 Box Nebula , 132, 147, 149 Arcseconds (arcsecs) , 364, 370, 371, 397 Bug Nebula , 184, 190, 192 Arditti, D. , 382 Butterfl y Cluster , 184, 204–205 Arp 245 , 105–106 Bypass (VSNR) , 34, 38, 42–44 AstroArt , 396, 406 Autoguider , 370, 371, 376, 377, 388, 389, 396 Autoguiding , 370, 376–378, 380, 388, 389 C Caldwell Catalogue , 241 Calibration frames , 392–394, 396, B 398–399 B 257 , 198 Camera cool down , 386–387 Barnard 33 , 11–14 Campbell, C.T. , 151 Barnard 47 , 195–197 Canes Venatici , 357 Barnard 51 , 195–197 Canis Major , 4, 17, 21 S. Chadwick and I. Cooper, Imaging the Southern Sky: An Amateur Astronomer’s Guide, 407 Patrick Moore’s Practical -
Atlas Menor Was Objects to Slowly Change Over Time
C h a r t Atlas Charts s O b by j Objects e c t Constellation s Objects by Number 64 Objects by Type 71 Objects by Name 76 Messier Objects 78 Caldwell Objects 81 Orion & Stars by Name 84 Lepus, circa , Brightest Stars 86 1720 , Closest Stars 87 Mythology 88 Bimonthly Sky Charts 92 Meteor Showers 105 Sun, Moon and Planets 106 Observing Considerations 113 Expanded Glossary 115 Th e 88 Constellations, plus 126 Chart Reference BACK PAGE Introduction he night sky was charted by western civilization a few thou - N 1,370 deep sky objects and 360 double stars (two stars—one sands years ago to bring order to the random splatter of stars, often orbits the other) plotted with observing information for T and in the hopes, as a piece of the puzzle, to help “understand” every object. the forces of nature. The stars and their constellations were imbued with N Inclusion of many “famous” celestial objects, even though the beliefs of those times, which have become mythology. they are beyond the reach of a 6 to 8-inch diameter telescope. The oldest known celestial atlas is in the book, Almagest , by N Expanded glossary to define and/or explain terms and Claudius Ptolemy, a Greco-Egyptian with Roman citizenship who lived concepts. in Alexandria from 90 to 160 AD. The Almagest is the earliest surviving astronomical treatise—a 600-page tome. The star charts are in tabular N Black stars on a white background, a preferred format for star form, by constellation, and the locations of the stars are described by charts.