Observing Program with the BGSU 0.5-m Telescope

In May 1999, we received a new AP6e CCD camera from Apogee Instruments, Inc, a new; 8-position filter wheel from DFM Engineering, Inc; and a new Pentium II PC from Gateway. In June 1999, we completed lab testing and characterization of the new system, and began a research program with the help of undergraduate Nick Pearson and masters student Boncho Bonev. Since then, we have been acquiring differential photometry of relatively bright variable stars. Here is a description of the BGSU Variable Star Project and our goals, including information about our research group and our efforts on variable stars in globular clusters.

BGSU Observatory Manuals:

• Telescope Operations Manual and Troubleshooting (updated 2007 Feb 15) pages.
• Observing Manual for variable star photometry (updated 2009 Mar 02 for globlular clusters; old RRL version).
• Image Processing Cookbook for images obtained with the BGSU Observatory (updated 2010 Feb for globulars and *.fits format; old RRL version).
• Variable Star Photometry Cookbook for images obtained with the BGSU Observatory (for RRL).
• What happens to my observations after I've processed and PHOTed the images?
• Making Preliminary Light Curves -- how are we doing? Does our star have enough observations?
• Period Finding Cookbook for variable star data obtained with the BGSU Observatory.

Other Information:

• Weather maps: Visible and Water Vapor.
• Weather observing profile: WeatherUnderground for BG or Cleardarksky.com for BG (thanks to Gus Cardona).
• Weather Forecasts: NWS/Cleveland or Weather.com or Intellicast.com.
• Current Time from the US Naval Observatory and yearly Sun/Moon/Twilight calendars (scroll to Notes).
• Monthly calendar of Lunar Phase and Position from the Wise Observatory (Isreal).
• Make finder charts and get equatorial coordinates from the Digitized Sky Survey.
• Using the FilterWheel.
• Specifications of the AP6 CCD.
• Learn about CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices) from Apogee's "CCD University".
• Astronomy 3090 -- taking pictures with the CCD, (a) basic instructions, (b) advanced, (c) find UT.
• Basic instructions for display of existing CCD images by the Stargaze Staff.
• Learning the basics of UNIX, IRAF and SuperMongo for BGSU students
  • Other manuals, cookbooks, and documentation for IRAF tasks and procedures.
  • Supermongo website and tutorial.
  • Making astronomy plots using MSexcel (if you must).
• Advanced Photometry:
  • ISIS Image Subtraction software.
  • DAOPHOT Point-Spread Function Fitting software (a basic primer, User's Manual, papers: Stetson87=daophot, Stetson94=allframe).
• 2MASS infrared sky survey images and point source catalog
• Catalogue of Variable Stars in Globular Clusters (Clement et al. 2010)
• Catalog of Accurate Equatorial Coordinates for Variable Stars in Globular Clusters (Samus et al, 2009, PASP, 121, 1378)
• General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS; Samus et al. 2007-9, field stars) and definitions of variable types (2009, GCVS4)
• AAVSO Variable Star Index (VSX) and definitions of variable types
• Stetson photometric standards (esp globular and open clusters)
• Properties of Galactic Globular Clusters (Harris 1996)
• Calibrate your eye to assess the Crowding Class of a variable star using our flyspanker.
• ADS astronomy literature search
• PROMPT/Skynet telescopes
• Period finding methods:
  • background reading: John Oliver (UFla), Nebraska applet, John Percy (Toronto)
  • Lafler & Kinman (1965) string method
  • Stellingwerf (1978) phase dispersion minimizaion (PDM, in IRAF)
  • Layden (2000) template fitting method
  • Percy et al. (2009) self-correlation method
  • Lenz & Brueger (2005) Period04 Fourier fitting program
  • Date Compensated Discrete Fourier Transform (DC DFT) using VStar from the AAVSO
• LaTex and AASTex (converting JPG to EPS for bgthesis format) for professional scientific publishing.
• Poetic Inspiration

Here is the current observing schedule:

If you can not observe on your assigned night, please make arrangements with someone to cover for you. If you want to get some extra hours, feel free to pick up an open night.

Spring/Fall Stargaze sessions are held MTWR nights at 9:30pm and Sun at 10, lasting for 1-2 hours, every week of the term, with exceptions for holidays. Summer Stargaze sessions are held the first clear night of MTWR from 11-12pm (only one stargaze per week). Please give the stargaze staff complete control of the telescope when they ask. After that, ASTR 3090 students get next priority at the telescope, then LPV observers, then those observing for fun.