Astronomy 350 Au2002

CCD Differential Photometry of CY Aquarii

Part 1: Finding Catalog Data

Using the resources in the Astronomy Reading Room (MP4032) and the World-Wide Web, look up basic data for CY Aquarii. In particular, search for its equatorial coordinates (in J2000.0 if possible), magnitudes, photometric color indices, spectra type, proper motions (or limits thereon), and any other information you think will be relevant for your analysis.

Using these coordinates, create a finder chart for CY Aquarii using the online Digitized Palomar Sky Survey (DPOSS). This finder will be needed to determine the location and orientation of the CCD field of view during your observation set.

As a starting point, the pixel scale of the ANDICAM CCD channel is 0.6 arcseconds/pixel when used in its 2x2 binning mode (resulting in 512x1024 pixel images). Your finder chart created from the online DPOSS images should be large enough to encompass the field of view of the CCD in any orientation, but not so large as to dwarf the field of interest. It is not safe to assume that CY Aqr is centered on the CCD (it is relatively close, but not centered exactly). The orientation is given as unknown - your job is to determine it from the images themselves.

All notes you take during this step should go into your lab notebook. You can either transcribe data taken off the web, or (if you wish to use the space), cut and paste the relevant parts of printouts into your notebook.


Advance to Part 2: Retrieve your CCD Data

Return to the CY Aqr Lab Main Page


Updated: 2002 November 20 [rwp]

Copyright © Richard W. Pogge, All Rights Reserved.