My first double stars CCD measurements

[drjolo]

Some time ago I started to observe double stars. At the beginning it was just for fun - double stars seen in refractor are really nice catch (I used ED 102/714 and APO 130/910), but then wanted to measure them (as I am an engineer ). I used AstroImageJ for first trials, but then wrote to Florent Losse for a copy of REDUC software - and that was it! I found REDUC simple to use and effective ( http://astrojolo.com/more-than-pictures/reduc-for-double-stars/ ) . Over a few nights I measured several systems. At the beginning I tried to select "neglected" doubles from WDS catalogue, but it quickly turned out, that most of the stars at this list have quite fresh measurements in Stelle Doppie database. So later I just started to select systems from Stelle Doppie database basing on my own criteria. I aimed at stars that has very few measurements, or the last measurement is pretty old, or both. ANd here are the results. 

All images were made with Meade ACF 10" telescope and QHY163M camera with Baader V filter. Data was processed with REDUC software. Images below are usually stack of 50% of best frames resized up 200%, so pixel scale is about 0.22"/px. Doubles with separation less than 2" were measured using surface modelling algorithm from REDUC. Table with results contains two parts. At the left there are historical data from Stelle Doppie database - first and last observation. At the right there are my observations. I know that today there is whole bunch of dedicated satellites that do astrometry with high accuracy, but measuring and noticing star movements from a backyard is real fun  Some of the observed systems showed a visible change from the last observation, or just confirmed the trend (like for OU2652, POU2371, GEL9001, COU923, MBL750AC).

 

[vlaiv]

I just love the way you presented your data!

 

[chiltonstar]

Great stuff! It is always impressive to see amateurs providing valid scientific data - it is a tradition in astronomy of course!

Chris

[Merlin66]

+1 for Florent's REDUC - measuring double stars is an under-rated activity.

 

[drjolo]

Thanks! I just wonder if there is a way to public such amateur measurements. I am not able to upload it to Stelle Doppie (upload pages do not open for me). And I also wrote to WDS, so I got response from Brian Mason, that they do not accept direct submissions, but there are several journals that accepts such amateur observations (like "he Journal of Double Star Observations"). So maybe this is the only option.

[Merlin66]

Would the BAA be interested???

 

[Merlin66]

What about publishing something in the Journal of Double Star Observers

http://www.jdso.org/

 

[drjolo]

2 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

What about publishing something in the Journal of Double Star Observers

http://www.jdso.org/

Yes, this is the one Brian Mason pointed me to. I haven't thought about BAA yet I will collect more data and then will figure out what next.