CN's+Week+of+November+5

Monday, November 5, 2007
So, received and email from Dr. L telling us to handwrite a page with some strengths and weaknesses about each persons logbooks, which is due on Thursday so I'll have to start on that sometime soon. Also, haven't heard from Joe yet, so I'm wondering when he will contact me back.

On a sad note, Dr. L told me, along with everyone else who was working on our proposal to go to Arizona, that we didn't make it because we asked for too little. But, I guess some other group will take our observations and informations and research it for us down in Arizona. Though, we are going to do a remote study of V Cet on that night (around Nov 29). But Dr. L said that we might be able to go with an ND astronomer and he will ask the NOAO if we can do something else along the similar arrangements of our proposal outside of the Teachers Observing Program.

Dr. L also sent me an AAVSO alert notice 360, he wasn't sure if I received them myself, so I also got one from the AAVSO website, too. They are asking us to monitor two dwarf novae -- U Geminorum (0749+22) and SS Cygni (2138+43). They are attempting to detect and characterize radio emission from dwarf novae during outbursts.This campaign will continue for at least several months, until a total of four outbursts are detected in either of these systems and TOO (target-of-opportunity) observations are obtained with the VLA and MERLIN.

Today in class I looked up some more stars for my chart from last week, but I had it in a document at school and can't put up the information for it now. I'll probably stop on this until I finish my assignment about each persons logbook.

I also sent Dr. L an email wondering if there is an easier way to find what type a star might be. He said that I could probably do this through the star's SED, or spectral energy distribution--it's spectrum. But, he also forward it to Joe and he might have a better way at explaining this to me.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Today in class I started my logbook assignment. I started my review of everyones logbooks and started assessing them all and pointing out some strengths and weaknesses. I've seen some really good ideas for some logbooks. Some I might start incorporating into my own logbook, too.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Today, Dr. L had us examine some e-labs to see if any of the links were broken or had a status error. I put a few up on the discussion page that I found and others people had already found before I could remark on it.

I also got an email from Dr. L concerning the star V Cet. We are going to be observing and gathering data for the star. We're going to be gathering spectral and photometry data of the star. He also sent me some questions that I will need to answer and reply to. I'll place the questions at the end of todays log so you can see what I'll be up to this weekend and next week.

I also got an email from Joe concerning our observing time. We're planning on going to Jordan Hall on Monday, November 12th. From around 9 to 10 and longer if need be! He is also going to try and give me the book on variable stars before Monday so I can have a chance to read up on it and gain some knowledge on observing! Which I know should be helpful!

I also was asked to be in a variable star wikipage. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow since I did not get the chance to examine it today and I really only know how to get there from my computer at school.. Ok, so I'm a little bit slow and didn't realize you can reach this on the variable stars page. It's under NDeRC. You are all free to look at it I believe! Though you won't find much up there because we have not yet begun to research fully for the star V Cet. But there is a link to the NOAO website that will lead you to the spectroscopy of Giant Variable Stars, which is what we will be doing!

Well, here are the questions that I will have to answer!! :)

1. When is the optimal time to take images or spectra, just from the point of view of when V Ceti is highest in the late November night sky. (When any object is at its zenith, we look through less atmosphere when we observe it relative to any other time that evening, and thus obtain better results, other things being equal.) Answering this question requires using a celestial tracking program of some kind, such as Starry Night, or one of several online versions. (Sky and Telescope has one, free but requiring registration.)

2. What is the expected rate of change of the light curve during our observing nights, and is there an anticipated peak that is worth centering our observations around? This consideration is independent of when it might be best viewed in terms of minimizing atmospheric distortion.

3. Are there any other considerations--the moon's position, at least--that might impact our assessment of the optimal time to observe?

4. Do we want a single spectrum, or more than one? (This is a question relevant to the Coude-Feed.) Do we want multiple images? (A question relevant to the .9 meter scope.) If we are after a few points on a light curve--because we have no grounds for asking for very many, on someone else's observing night--what filter should we use? Any? Why or why not? Do we have any need to generate a color image by using multiple filters one right after another? (I don't think so, but let's think it through together to be sure.) (An aside: These questions about filters apply only to photometric data--why is this?)

Thursday, November 8, 2007
We had a half day plus career day, so there was no work to be done in class. I received the book from Joe and I started reading the first chapter. It's actually very interesting! Hopefully I can read enough before our meeting together on Monday! Oh yeah, the book is called //Observing Variable Stars//. Pretty self-explanatory!

Friday, November 9, 2007
I updated my logbook for yesterday. I also have worked on my logbook assessment some more! I only have three left to go!! :] But for now, I have somewhere to be and can't finish it! :[ I also read some of the book Joe gave me before I went to bed!

Saturday, November 10, 2007
I finished with my logbook assessment! YES!! I have also started reading some more of the book this morning. I'm trying to get through as much as possible before our Monday observing time!