Download Data Mining Asteroid Images

Science with Your Telescope
Brian D. Warner
Palmer Divide Observatory
http://www.MinorPlanetObserver.com
Space Science Institute
http://www.SpaceScience.org
Science is Fun!
• You can use what you already have
• Expands your knowledge
• Professionals depend more, not less, on amateur observations
• Satisfaction of collaborations and publication
Asteroid Lightcurves at
The Palmer Divide Observatory
Why Do Asteroid Lightcurves?
• Correlation between size and period.
• Slow rotators - what about them is common?
• Size, shape, pole orientation
• Size, shape, pole orientation
• Additional observations in support of radar observations
• Remove observational bias towards brighter, main belt asteroids, i.e., increase
statistical sampling
The Palmer Divide Observatory
20”
14”
The Palmer Divide Observatory
0.35m LX-200GPS
North:
FLI-1001E - unfiltered
South:
ST-9E, f/5.0 reducer, VRC
0.5m f/8.1 Ritchey-Chretien
FLI-1001E (1Kx1Kx24m)
FLI filter wheel - BVRC
80mm/ST-237 guiding
The Palmer Divide Observatory
A Typical Night
• Select targets
• Open observatories
• Write scripts
• Start runs
• Download images during/after runs
• Measure images and analyze data
A Typical Night
• Works 2 asteroids
• Periodically syncs
• Periodically focuses
• Shuts down camera
• Homes scope
A Typical Night
• Measure images with
MPO Canopus
• Plot raw data and look for
obvious outliers
• Do Period Search with
MPO Canopus Fourier
analysis
Follow up
• Merge multiple nights
• Do Period Search on
combined data set
It’s Not Always Pretty!
Binary Asteroids
Initial Discovery at PDO (Oct. 2004 - present)
3309
5477
5905
9069
34706
76818
Brorefeld
1989 UH2
Johnson
Hovland
2001 OP83
2000 RG79
Results - Hungarias
From Harris Lightcurve List (August 2006)
• Total Number: 70
• PDO (primary): 49 (70%)
• Spin Rate Distribution:
– Two peaks
– Less “Spin barrier” effect versus NEO population
Results - Hungarias
Publishing Your Work
The Minor Planet Bulletin
• Published quarterly by Minor Planets Section of ALPO.
• Best place for amateurs to submit.
• Juried publication, in many professional libraries
around the world (good PR for school programs)
• Inexpensive: FREE!
http://www.MinorPlanetObserver/mpb/default.htm
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Variable Star Search
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Variable Star Search
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Variable Star Search
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Data Mining Asteroid Images
Binary Stars
Modeling Binary Stars
Binary Maker 3
http://www.binarymaker.com
Modeling Binary Stars
Binary Maker 3
Mass ratio input = 1.500000
Omega 1 = 4.439516
Omega inner = 4.526136
Fillout 1 = 0.150000
mass ratio < 1 = 0.666667
Omega 2 = 4.439516
Omega outer = 3.948668
Fillout 2 = 0.150000
Surface area 1
Volume 1
Mean radius 1
Temperature 1
Luminosity 1
Inclination
Surface area 2
Volume 2
Mean radius 2
Temperature 2
Luminosity 2
=
=
=
=
=
=
2.298928
0.321256
0.426171
5400.00
0.4662
72.000
=
=
=
=
=
1.612613
0.186599
0.355198
6000.00
0.5338
Variable Stars (Visual/CCD)
American Association of Variable Star Observers
(AAVSO)
http://www.aavso.org
Double Stars
• Easy to do with
CD/DSLR/Webcam equipment
• Many targets in one night
• Help is needed on neglected stars
Double Stars
Washington Double Star Catalog (WDS)
http://ad.usno.navy.mil/wds/wds.html
Yahoo News Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/binary-stars-uncensored/
Double Stars
aa / da RA / Dec of the primary
ab / db RA / Dec of the secondary
Double Stars
Double Stars
Publishing Your Results
Journal of Double Star Observations
http://www.jdso.org/
The Webb Society
Double Star Circulars
http://www.webbsociety.freeserve.co.
uk/notes/doublest01.html
Science is FUN!
Society for Astronomical Sciences
http://www.SocAstroSci.org
Acknoweldgements
Funding for this research was provided by:
NASA grant NNG06GI32G
NASA grant NNX06AB30G
NSF grant
AST-0607505