Basics of AstronomyBasics of AstronomyCasey McNamara

THE UNIVERSETHE UNIVERSE

EVERYTHINGEVERYTHINGGalaxies, solar systems, Galaxies, solar systems, planets, stars, black holes, planets, stars, black holes, clusters, dark matter, AGNclusters, dark matter, AGN

GalaxiesGalaxies Large-scale system of stars, Large-scale system of stars,

interstellar gas, dust, and plasma interstellar gas, dust, and plasma EllipticalElliptical SpiralsSpirals IrregularsIrregulars 90% composed of dark matter90% composed of dark matter

Galaxies 2Galaxies 2

Variable StarsVariable Stars

A variable star in the Large A variable star in the Large Megellanic CloudMegellanic Cloud

CepheidCepheid

MiraMira

Long PeriodLong Period

Change luminosityChange luminosity

Over 5,000 Over 5,000 cataloguedcatalogued

Stellar EvolutionStellar EvolutionLifetime 2 million to trillions Lifetime 2 million to trillions of yearsof years

Begins with collapse of giant Begins with collapse of giant molecular cloudmolecular cloud

New stars main sequence in New stars main sequence in HR DiagramHR Diagram

HR Diagram shows spectral HR Diagram shows spectral typetype

H-R DiagramH-R Diagram

SpectroscopySpectroscopy

O, B, A, F, G, K, and MO, B, A, F, G, K, and M

Break up ray of light into Break up ray of light into components in visible light components in visible light spectrumspectrum

Chemical composition of Chemical composition of objectobject

Visible Light Visible Light SpectrumSpectrum

Stellar Spectra and Stellar Spectra and GraphGraph

Absorption and Emission Absorption and Emission SpectraSpectra

Jacoby AtlasJacoby Atlas

MONET North & SouthMONET North & South

MOMOnitoring NENEtwork of TTelescopes

Sutherland, South Africa

McDonald Observatory, Texas

Students receive 85% of time

Robotic

Designed to cover entire night sky

SAAO Sutherland hilltop view, including MONET

MONET Telescope and McDonald Observatory

Views of MONETViews of MONET

CCD and DSLRCCD and DSLRCharged-coupled deviceCharged-coupled device

Found in CCD and DSLRFound in CCD and DSLR

Digital Single Lens ReflexDigital Single Lens Reflex

Astroimaging ToolsAstroimaging ToolsAperture Photometry ToolAperture Photometry Tool

Image JImage J

Maxim DLMaxim DL

PhotoshopPhotoshop

Dark and Flat FieldsDark and Flat Fields

Dark Field Flat Field

Signal to NoiseSignal to NoiseRatio of signal power to noise corruption

Astronomy TodayAstronomy Today

David LefreniereDavid Lefreniere

Spectroscopy and hidden Spectroscopy and hidden exoplanetsexoplanets

Nicholas CowanNicholas Cowan

Looks at wavelengths to find Looks at wavelengths to find water on other planetswater on other planets

BibliographyBibliographyBrinkworth, Carolyn, and Claire Thomas. "Galaxies." Faulkes Telescope Educational Guide. July 2001. 2 June 2009.

"Galaxies - KidsAstronomy." Astronomy For Kids. 02 June 2009 <http://www.kidsastronomy.com/galaxys.htm>.

Xantox. "M104 Galaxy in Infrared Light." Strange Paths :: Physics, computation, philosophy. 02 June 2009 <http://strangepaths.com/page/3/en/>.

Sanders, Robert. "Rethinking Last Century's Closest, Brightest Supernova." UC Berkeley News. 9 Jan. 2007. UC Berkeley. 2 June 2009 <berkeley.edu/.../releases/2007/01/09_LBV.shtml>.

"Chapq5!" The University of Toledo : Welcome to the Department of Physics and Astronomy. 02 June 2009 <http://astro1.panet.utoledo.edu/~ljc/chapq5.html>.

Smith, Gene. "Stellar Spectra." Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences, UCSD. University of California. 02 June 2009 <http://cass.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/Stars.html>.

"Measuring Stellar Spectra." University of Colick Astronomy. 2 June 2009 <www.ucolick.org/.../week2/stellar_tempsC.html>.

"Stars' Life Cycle." Think Quest Astronomy. 2 June 2009 <library.thinkquest.org/.../stars/life_cycle1.htm>.

Rasband, Wayne. "MONET : ImageJ." Institut für Astrophysik Göttingen. 28 Oct. 2004. 03 June 2009 <http://www.uni-sw.gwdg.de/~hessman/MONET/ImageJ/>.