Re: [Utah-astronomy] Possible project
Patrick, This sounds like exactly the kind of project I could use with my students and our new observatory!! Even the data analysis and light curve plotting could be done with the right software in my computer lab, right? Keep me in mind. Today is our grand opening, and you are all invited this evening, of course. Thanks, Wayne A. Sumner Math/Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Boy's Tennis Coach Northridge High School Davis School District (801) 402-8610
Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> 05/27/09 10:45 PM >>> Have you got a telescope and CCD camera and looking for a project? How's about working exo-planets?
A few nights ago I finished a minor planet project I'd been working on for a few months and was looking for a project. So last night I tried making a light curve of TrES-3b transiting its parent star. This morning I sent Jerry Foote my data files and here's the curve he plotted: http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/temp/TrES-3b.jpg (thanks Jerry). Such transits happen almost ever night so there's almost always something to work. And it's fun to know that your work is actually contributing to science. And in last night's case it was neat to know that the transit I was imaging actually happened something like a thousand years ago. Any takers? patrick _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Hi Wayne, On 28 May 2009, at 06:56, Wayne Sumner wrote:
This sounds like exactly the kind of project I could use with my students and our new observatory!! Even the data analysis and light curve plotting could be done with the right software in my computer lab, right?
That sounds right to me provided you've got the right equipment and students don't mind being in the observatory late at night. But being that I'm something of a newbie at this exo-panet stuff it might be best to wait for Jerry and/or Cindy Foote to chime in as they're the pros. Another possible project would be to work with J. D. Armstrong on Maui. I've worked with him a time or two to get images of minor planets from my place at the same time his students are imaging the same target from there for parallax studies. He can be reached at jd@maile.ifa.hawaii.edu . Also, I seem to remember that he will be visiting SLC (he's from Utah) some day soon so maybe you could talk to him in person.
Keep me in mind. Today is our grand opening, and you are all invited this evening, of course.
Sorry I could not make it. I had my monthly program at Bryce Canyon last evening and I'm just getting home. I hope it went well and that you didn't have the clouds and rain we had down south. patrick
participants (2)
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Patrick Wiggins -
Wayne Sumner