aavso spring meeting, 2011 using the bradford robotic telescope & vphot for variable star...

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Using the Bradford Robotic Telescope & VPhot for Variable

Star Photometry

Richard ''Doc'' KinneAstronomical Technologist

AAVSO

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

What is the Bradford Robotic Telescope?

A remote, robotic telescope. Operated by the University of Bradford, England Located in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain www.telescope.org

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Equipment Available

Constellation CameraFLI MaxCam CM2-1 w 1k x1k pixel chip. Opticals are a Nikon 16mm f2.8 lens.

Coverage: 40 sq. degrees Filters

Red, Green, Blue (RGB system), ND2, Clear

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Equipment Available

Cluster CameraFLI MaxCam CM2-1 w 1k x1k pixel chip. Opticals are a Nikon 200mm f2.8 lens.

Coverage: ~4.3 sq. degrees Filters

Red, Green, Blue (RGB system), ND3, Clear

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Equipment Available

Galaxy Camera!Camera FLI MicroLine 1k x1k chip. Each pixel at 13um sq.Opticals: A Schmidt-Cassegrain Celestron C14 w an effective focal length of 1877mm at f5.3

Coverage: ~24 arc min. Filters: Johnson BVRI, OIII, ND3, HA Yea, This is the One!

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Setting up a Job

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Setting up an Object

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Selecting a Scope

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Selecting Exposure Time & Filter

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Interlude – Waiting for the Job

Strengths of the Bradford Robotic Telescope Simple Interface – meant for education. Excellent to monitor LPV.

Weaknesses of the Bradford Robotic Telescope It is not an interactive scope. You have no control over queue wait time. Not good for monitoring CVs or quickly following

up on on anything. Cannot do time series.

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Retrieving your Job – You've Got Mail!

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Job Details

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Job Details

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Vphot – Uploading Images

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot – Quick Upload

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot - Uploading

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot – The Uploaded Image

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot – Image Analysis

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot – Image Analysis

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot – Image Analysis

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot – The Photometry Report

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

VPhot – The AAVSO Report

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Downloaded to your Computer – aavso_report.txt

#TYPE=EXTENDED#OBSCODE=KQR#SOFTWARE=VPhot 3.1#DELIM=,#DATE=JD#OBSTYPE=CCD#NAME,DATE,MAG,MERR,FILT,TRANS,MTYPE,CNAME,C

MAG,KNAME,KMAG,AMASS,GROUP,CHART,NOTESRV

Tau,2455563.52330,9.597,0.085,V,NO,ABS,ENSEMBLE,na,126,12.625,na,na,4620VM,From the BRT

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

To WebObs, Star Boy!

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

WebObs – Upload the File

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

WebObs – Review the Observation

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

WebObs – SUCCESS!

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Thanks!

Mike Simonsen – for CCD concept assistance. Dr. Arne Henden – for filter concept assistance. Dr. Aaron Price, Kate Davis, & Will McMain –

for WebObs and the AAVSO Website Geir Klingenberg & Michael Kran – for VPhot! The BRT Team – for maintaining and keeping the

Bradford Robotic Scope available and open!

AAVSO Spring Meeting, 2011

Special Thanks! Gary Poyner, FRAS – For introducing me to the

Bradford Robotic Telescope in particular, and robotic telescope observing in general.

Thanks, Mate!