first foray into variable star observing

[ian_d]

Finally - a clear(ish) night last night! I've been intending to have a go at making variable star observations, and managed to do my first one last night.

I've been doing my homework, and have compiled a list of about 20 variables that should be visible from my location at various times of the year. I thought I should start with an "easy" one - Z UMa - and boy, am I glad I started simple...this business is not straightforward!!

I started by trying to locate Z UMa without using the digital setting circles on my scope (the purist in me coming through again!), but to no avail. I've still got some basic orientation issues to sort out, I think - figuring out which way is north or east down a star diagonal, and matching that up with a finder chart, is causing me some issues still! Also, I'm not convinced that I'm using my finderscope properly - the image seems very blurry to me, and hard to use as a way to star-hop. But I will persevere. In the end last night, though, I decided to cut my losses and cheat a bit in the end - dialled up the coordinates and away to go.

Even after that, it took me a good while to convince myself that I was indeed looking at the right star! I might have to revisit the calculations I did to work out the FOV of the eyepiece I was using...not convinced it quite matches what I expected. Anyway, with a bit of searching around I was able to locate the comparison stars, and made my estimate (8.2, if you're interested!!)

The good news is that after I got back inside, I logged onto the AAVSO website and compared my estimate with other recent observations, and it was in good agreement - so I think I did it right in the end!!

This kind of astronomy certainly forces you to get to know both your gear and the sky - not to mention improving your star-hopping skills! But it's also nice to know that the observations you make are of value to the wider astronomical community, so I will certainly be submitting them to the AAVSO and BAAVSS.

All I need now is another clear night!!

[jgs001]

Nice one Ian. That sounds like a challenging task you've set yourself.

[MikeP]

Good for you Ian - I'm still at the reading stage. The appeal to me is that my observations will have some scientific value, no matter how minor. Plus, as you say, it should finally wean me away from my GOTO and make me learn the sky.

There was a post on here a few weeks ago from the director of the variable star section of SPA - he was appealing for specific observations. A search should find his post easily enough if you are interested.

Mike

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Sounds fun Ian, and useful scientifically too.

Have you got your finder focused properly or is there some other issue?

Kaptain Klevtsov

[ian_d]

Sounds fun Ian, and useful scientifically too.

Have you got your finder focused properly or is there some other issue?

Kaptain Klevtsov

Thanks KK

Well, this will sound pretty daft but it seems quite difficult to get the finder focused. It seems that I need to rotate the lens so much to get stars in focus that it almost falls apart! Can't figure out if this is really the case, or whether I'm just not getting myself close enough to the finderscope when I'm looking through it (a certain amount of gymnastics is usually required, as I'm sure you know!)

Does this sound like a familiar problem to you?

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Once I got mine focused it was and has been since totally fine. Don't know if you wear glasses, or even if that might make a difference?

I suppose it might also have a fingerprint on the glass, BTDT.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[ian_d]

I've just been having a fiddle around with it....just goes to show that some things are best done in good light!

All sorted now (not sure what I was doing last night) - should stay in focus no problem from now on

(what was it Frank Spencer used to say? "Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better....!")

[Sam]

Great post Ian, this is an area that sounds very interesting. You'll certainly learn the sky trying track them down!

[lunator]

Ian

Well done on the 1st observation

A lot of what I do requires trying to match what I have on a piece of paper to the what I can see in the eyepiece. Pattern recognition does become easier.

keep us in formed of all your observations.

Cheers

Ian

[ian_d]

Had a good night at the eyepiece on Tuesday - got a couple of variable star observations in (X Cam and R CVn)

Managed to star-hop to them using the finderscope and my shiny new Sky Atlas 2000.0, so I'm officially no longer GOTO-dependent!

Also submitted these observations on the AAVSO website tonight which was easy enough - and my results weren't wildly off when compared with others on there, which was good news

cheers

Ian