Stardial: A Drift-Scan Stardial: A Drift-Scan Camera at UIUCCamera at UIUC

Jim BedientJim Bedient

TOPS 2003TOPS 2003

June 25, 2003June 25, 2003

High-tech gear

How Drift-Scanning WorksHow Drift-Scanning Works

What You GetWhat You Get

What you can doWhat you can do

Monitor Variable StarsMonitor Variable Stars

Discover New Variable StarsDiscover New Variable Stars

Observe Small Solar System BodiesObserve Small Solar System Bodies

Observe Man-made anomalies such as Observe Man-made anomalies such as satellites and airplanessatellites and airplanes

Make observations of night-time cloud Make observations of night-time cloud covercover

Caveat EmptorCaveat Emptor

Not presently operational, archive mode Not presently operational, archive mode onlyonly

Not true R-bandNot true R-band

Limiting Magnitude mLimiting Magnitude m”R””R”=~12=~12

Not “flat” – background is modeled, and a Not “flat” – background is modeled, and a polynomial fit is subtracted from each polynomial fit is subtracted from each imageimage

V838 Mon Images from HST

V838 Mon Images from HST

V838 Mon Images from HST

V838 Mon Images from HST

V838 Mon – A Peculiar VarStarV838 Mon – A Peculiar VarStar

A totally new addition A totally new addition to the astronomical to the astronomical zoozooTransformed itself Transformed itself from a small under-from a small under-luminous star a little luminous star a little hotter than the Sun, to hotter than the Sun, to a highly-luminous, cool a highly-luminous, cool supergiant star supergiant star undergoing rapid and undergoing rapid and complex brightness complex brightness changes changes

Getting DataGetting Data

Web or FTPWeb or FTP

Instructions on the site: Instructions on the site: http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/stardial/http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/stardial/

AnalysisAnalysis

Blinking and Photometry in MiraBlinking and Photometry in Mira

Using SIMBAD, VizieR to identify objectsUsing SIMBAD, VizieR to identify objects

Plot Light Curves in ExcelPlot Light Curves in Excel

Gee, we taught you how to do all that!Gee, we taught you how to do all that!

ExampleExample

Chad Nishizuka’s Science Fair Discovery2002 Windward District WinnerA Hawai’i representative to the 2002 International Science and Engineering Fair in Louisville, KYAdvisor: Clyde Kobashigawa