Science with Your Telescope
Brian D. Warner
Palmer Divide Observatoryhttp://www.MinorPlanetObserver.com
Space Science Institutehttp://www.SpaceScience.org
Science is Fun!
• You can use what you already have
• Expands your knowledge
• Professionals depend more, not less, on amateur observations
• Satisfaction of collaborations and publication
Asteroid Lightcurves at The Palmer Divide Observatory
• Correlation between size and period.
• Slow rotators - what about them is common?
• Size, shape, pole orientation
• Size, shape, pole orientation
• Additional observations in support of radar observations
• Remove observational bias towards brighter, main belt asteroids, i.e., increase
statistical sampling
• Correlation between size and period.
• Slow rotators - what about them is common?
• Size, shape, pole orientation
• Size, shape, pole orientation
• Additional observations in support of radar observations
• Remove observational bias towards brighter, main belt asteroids, i.e., increase
statistical sampling
Why Do Asteroid Lightcurves?
The Palmer Divide Observatory
20”
14”
The Palmer Divide Observatory
0.5m f/8.1 Ritchey-Chretien
FLI-1001E (1Kx1Kx24m)
FLI filter wheel - BVRC
80mm/ST-237 guiding
0.35m LX-200GPS
North:FLI-1001E - unfiltered
South:ST-9E, f/5.0 reducer, VRC
The Palmer Divide Observatory
A Typical Night
• Select targets
• Open observatories
• Write scripts
• Start runs
• Download images during/after runs
• Measure images and analyze data
A Typical Night
• Works 2 asteroids
• Periodically syncs
• Periodically focuses
• Shuts down camera
• Homes scope
A Typical Night
• Measure images with MPO Canopus
• Plot raw data and look for obvious outliers
• Do Period Search with MPO Canopus Fourier analysis
Follow up
• Merge multiple nights
• Do Period Search on combined data set
It’s Not Always Pretty!
Binary Asteroids
Initial Discovery at PDO (Oct. 2004 - present)
3309 Brorefeld5477 1989 UH25905 Johnson9069 Hovland
34706 2001 OP83 76818 2000 RG79
Results - Hungarias
From Harris Lightcurve List (August 2006)
• Total Number: 70
• PDO (primary): 49 (70%)
• Spin Rate Distribution:
– Two peaks
– Less “Spin barrier” effect versus NEO population
Results - Hungarias
• Published quarterly by Minor Planets Section of ALPO.
• Best place for amateurs to submit.
• Juried publication, in many professional libraries around the world (good PR for school programs)
• Inexpensive: FREE!
http://www.MinorPlanetObserver/mpb/default.htm
The Minor Planet Bulletin
Publishing Your Work
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Variable Star Search
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Variable Star Search
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Variable Star Search
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Binary Stars
Modeling Binary Stars
Binary Maker 3http://www.binarymaker.com
Modeling Binary Stars
Binary Maker 3
Mass ratio input = 1.500000 mass ratio < 1 = 0.666667Omega 1 = 4.439516 Omega 2 = 4.439516Omega inner = 4.526136 Omega outer = 3.948668Fillout 1 = 0.150000 Fillout 2 = 0.150000
Surface area 1 = 2.298928 Surface area 2 = 1.612613Volume 1 = 0.321256 Volume 2 = 0.186599Mean radius 1 = 0.426171 Mean radius 2 = 0.355198Temperature 1 = 5400.00 Temperature 2 = 6000.00Luminosity 1 = 0.4662 Luminosity 2 = 0.5338Inclination = 72.000
Variable Stars (Visual/CCD)
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
http://www.aavso.org
Double Stars
• Easy to do with CD/DSLR/Webcam equipment
• Many targets in one night
• Help is needed on neglected stars
Double Stars
Washington Double Star Catalog (WDS)
http://ad.usno.navy.mil/wds/wds.html
Yahoo News Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/binary-stars-uncensored/
Double Stars
a / a RA / Dec of the primaryb / b RA / Dec of the secondary
Double Stars
Double Stars
Publishing Your Results
Journal of Double Star Observationshttp://www.jdso.org/
The Webb Society Double Star Circularshttp://www.webbsociety.freeserve.co.uk/notes/doublest01.html
Science is FUN!
Society for Astronomical Sciences
http://www.SocAstroSci.org
Acknoweldgements
Funding for this research was provided by:
NASA grant NNG06GI32G
NASA grant NNX06AB30G
NSF grant AST-0607505