Epsilon Aurigae.....your help needed!

[Rosanella]

Hello Dave

I'll add ? Aurigae's coordinates (05h 01m 58.1s +43° 49? 24?) to my to-do list, next time Teide will have a clear night.

In the mean time I'll send you 2 pictures I took last week with the robotic telescopes I use, on Monday 8th December '08.

Wide Field

High magnification

[Rosanella]

Why the links to the pictures I'm hosting on Imageshack won't display? :scratch:

[Rosanella]

And here are the two pictures that wouldn't link before (Ant helped to find out why, thank you )

*Wide field*

click on each image to see them larger

*High magnification*

[david scanlan]

Thanks for everyones feedback on this star and apologies for being away for so long.

We are getting some obs trickling in but more would be greatly appreciated

Alot of our charts have recently been updated so please do check out http://popastro.com/vstar/charts for the most upto date information on whats been going on

Dave

[Sam]

David,

That's a very interesting interview with SPM on your website.

Sam

[david scanlan]

Thanks

Glad you enjoyed it...I am hopeing that the interview will fire more people into the world of Variable star observing :-)

Regards

Dave

[Sam]

Thanks

Glad you enjoyed it...I am hopeing that the interview will fire more people into the world of Variable star observing

Regards

Dave

Yup... it's got me thinking!

[david scanlan]

And if attracts just one person then its done it Job :-)

Variable stars is one area where the amateur scene really could do with a boost

Dave

[MartinB]

Dave, I think your input on this is fantastic. It would be good if SGL members could show that combined forum might can deliver useful scientific info.

As well as visual observations I would be interested in doing a bit of photometry. This would be using an ED120 refractor and a scientific grade non antiblooming camera. But I really don't know anything about the subject. Are you able to give me any pointers.

[david scanlan]

Hi

Thanks....Happy to help whereever I can

Why dont you start with some basic naked eye stars. A good one for photometry is Alpha UMi. It varies too little to be detectable with the naked eye but you will probably have better results with photometry.

Suspect variables at the moment that I am working jointly with the BAA VSS are Delta UMa and Beta Leonis...worth trying these as well as photometric observation of these stars will no doubt help us in establishing if these stars are variable or not.

Other good naked eye stars are Beta Persei, Algol...just watch the magnitude drops with that star when its in eclipse...the other day it was 2.6 and then during its exclipse if dropped to about 3.9...quite a drop and easily noticed.

Then of course there are stars like Rho Persei, Rho Cass, Gamma Cass, Eta Gem, Zeta Aurigae....one good challenge is the trusty old trapezium in M42

Let me know how you get on

Dave

[MartinB]

The trouble is Dave, I'm not sure what the confounding factors are for photometry e.g. sky transparency, seeing, declination. Not such and issue I guess with comparative observation. Is there a good, easy to understand guide on the internet that you could recommend?

[david scanlan]

Would definetly check out www.aavso.org

They cover everything from naked eye, pep observations and so on

Let me know if its any help

Dave

[david scanlan]

This should help

http://www.aavso.org/observing/programs/ccd/manual/

Dave

[MartinB]

thanks Dave, I'll have a good look at those

[Lady Isabella]

The trouble is Dave, I'm not sure what the confounding factors are for photometry e.g. sky transparency, seeing, declination. Not such and issue I guess with comparative observation. Is there a good, easy to understand guide on the internet that you could recommend?

If you have Iris imaging software, then you can do Aperture Photometry within the program. It will measure the light from the star, the sky background brightness and then work out the magnitude of the star.