1. Using Remote Telescopes Astronomy Images in the Classroom Robert Sparks National Optical Astronomy Observatory

3. Satellite Educator’s Association August 14th, 2009 Los Angeles, California

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53. Using Remote Telescopes An Introduction to Photometry for Educators Robert Sparks National Optical Astronomy Observatory

54. Telescopic Imaging Most astronomy classes take place during the day Using remote telescopes can bring images into the classroom –Telescopes can be programmed at day and take images automatically at night –Students retrieve images over the internet and analyze them in the classroom

55. What instruments are available to measure the brightness of stars? Your Eyes, Cameras, Charged Coupled Devices (CCD’s), etc.

56. Why Use Telescopes? Collect Lots of Light –Doubling diameter multiplies light gathering ability by a factor of 4 Resolve fine features on an object –Doubling diameter lets you resolve objects half as big 50 millimeter aperture 6.5 meter aperture! James Webb

57. Aperture size and Approximate limiting magnitude Aperture (inches) Aperture (mm) Limiting Magnitude 5127.014.2 6152.414.6 10254.015.7 12304.816.1 14355.616.4 16406.416.7 Skynet Telescopes MicroObservatory Telescopes

58. MicroObservatory 6 inch telescopes in Cambridge and Amado, New Mexico Can only observe objects from a select list Fewer telescope settings to change Good for beginners

59. GTN Telescopes GTN telescopes - have small aperture but can do science and are inexpensive for school districts or universities They have the ability to automatically track celestial objects They have scientific grade CCD cameras They use scientific filters (UVBRI)

60. GTN Partner Telescopes Sonoma State University Observatory (SSUO) The Elk Creek Observatory (ECO) GLAST Optical Robotic Telescope at the Hume Observatory, California Academy of Sciences HOU: Hands-On Universe telescopes Skynet Sonoma State University

61. Importance of knowing the exact location of the telescope you use RA (right ascention) and DEC (declination) are to the sky what longitude and latitude are to the surface of the Earth. Some objects are visible only from the northern or southern hemisphere Some objects are visible only at certain hours of the night Image curtsey of: http://www.ulo.ucl.ac.uk/

62. What is a digital image? Digital images are black and white CCD is divided into pixels Each pixel records how much light strikes it Each pixel has a value assigned to it depending on the bit depth

63. Bit Depth Range of values each pixel can have –8 bit data is from 0 to 255 –12 bit data is from 0 to 4096 –16 bit data is from 0 to 65536

64. Max angular size is limited by the type of CCD camera Chip you use When planning an observing session, we want to predict if the image of the object observed will fit on the CCD chip The amount of the sky imaged is called field of view or FOV for short

65. Calculating Field of View Light is collected and focused onto the CCD chip by the telescope as if it were a funnel for light. Because we imagine the sky to be a large sphere surrounding Earth, the amount of sky contributing light to each pixel is measured as an angle. Filed of view of Comet Hale Bopp -- “What the CCD chip will image”

66. Formula for Determining Pixel Scale Pixel Scale = 206,265 arcseconds X pixel size / focal length When you are choosing targets for your telescope/CCD system you need to know how big your target is in comparison with the total surface of your system. Each site will give you specific information on the chip size of their CCD camera

67. Where does sky noise come from? Artificial light pollution Environmental light pollution Integrated light from faint and distant stars

68. How can we use what a star looks like in an image to determine its brightness? The method of determining the brightness of the two stars in the activity is known as differential photometry. Differential photometry uses two or more objects in an image. –The more objects that are used the better the statistical errors become. –Easier to tell if one of your comparison stars is variable

69. Cookie Cutter Photometry You will be provided with a clay model of a star field. This model represents an image of a small part of the sky. Your model will have two or more mounds of clay that represent stars. The higher the mound, the more light reached the image at that point. The sheet of clay on which the mounds are located represents the brightness of the background.

70. Procedure Figure out a way to subtract out the background noise so that you can determine the brightness of the star in relationship to the other object in the field.

71. Your Tools 1 balance 1 sharp pencil 1 12-inch (30-cm) ruler 1 plastic knife (Safety first) Use the worksheet provided to solve the problem.

72. Data & Calculations Light from star 1: Light From Star 2:

73. Why is it important to be able to determine the brightness of stars? Being able to determine the brightness of an object allows us to: –Understand how that object is changing with time. –Determine the distance to objects. –Determine properties of objects. This allows us to deduce what processes are at work in the system.

74. Stellarium Stellarium is a free planetarium program Can be used to plan observing sessions and find targers Available for Mac and Windows It’s free! http://www.stellarium.org

75. Observing with the MicroObservatory Go to http://mo-www.harvard.edu/cgi- bin/OWN/Own.plhttp://mo-www.harvard.edu/cgi- bin/OWN/Own.pl Different objects can give slightly different observing options

76. Object Selection

77. Select Options

78. Provide Contact Info

79. Free Telescope Time! How to make an observation request using the Skynet system which runs all the GTN telescopes: Choose an object to observe Can be norther or southern hemisphere Be sure it is up tonight! Go to http://skynet.unc.edu

80. Skynet Login Enter username ( ssu2 ) and password ( whitney ) Click “Login” (or hit enter)

81. Observation Manager Go to “Observation Manager” which gives a list of the requests made by this account Click on “Add Observation”

82. Observation Request For galaxies, etc, you can use the “Lookup” function (not planets or the moon) Priority 5 (not high but ok, not many requests yet anyway) Max Airmass 3 ( = 30 o above the horizon) Max Sun Elevation -18 (want sun well below the horizon so is dark) Filters B, V, Rc are good ones. Then click on “Choose Telescopes”

83. Telescope Choice Choose Acceptable Telescopes: Now click on “Add Exposures”

84. Satellite Educator’s Association August 14th, 2009 Los Angeles, California Exposure Details Just choose one exposure until you know that you are on target, right length, etc. Max exposure times vary by telescope. A good length for galaxies is 90-120s. Click on “Post Exposures” You may get warning message if a bright object is in your field.

85. Confirmation Screen Skynet produces this summary screen. You must choose “Confirm” to submit your observation.

86. Progress Check If you want to check on the progress of your observations you can click on “Observation Manager” and it will tell you if you are active, in progress, etc.

87. M104 From Skynet Three images were taken in different filters Images were combined using ImageJ for form a color image Image by Siobhan Sackey

88. Getting Students Started An activity is available that is designed to introduce students to designing an observing program and collecting image data using a remote robotic telescope. You can examine this activity at… http://gtn.sonoma.edu/activity/oa/ http://gtn.sonoma.edu/activity/oa/

89. Satellite Educator’s Association August 14th, 2009 Los Angeles, California What does a star look like in a digital image?

90. How can we use what a star looks like in an image to determine its brightness? Analysis Aperture Gap Annulus

91. Digital Image Analysis Software AIP4WIN - http://www.willbell.com/aip4win/AIP.htmhttp://www.willbell.com/aip4win/AIP.htm MaximDL - http://www.cyanogen.com/http://www.cyanogen.com/ CCDSoft - http://www.bisque.com/http://www.bisque.com/ Mira - http://www.axres.com/mira_ap.htmlhttp://www.axres.com/mira_ap.html Iris - http://www.astrosurf.com/buil/us/iris/iris.htmhttp://www.astrosurf.com/buil/us/iris/iris.htm Canopus - http://www.minorplanetobserver.com/http://www.minorplanetobserver.com/ SIP - http://www.phys.vt.edu/~jhs/SIP/http://www.phys.vt.edu/~jhs/SIP/ MicroObservatory Image- http://mo- www.harvard.edu/MicroObservatory/index.htm l http://mo- www.harvard.edu/MicroObservatory/index.htm l

92. Why a GTN System? The GTN System was set up to observe objects in visible light which are being observed by high energy telescopes in orbit. GLAST launch 2007 XMM-Newton launch 1999 Swift launch 2004

93. GTN Targets Blazars (supermassive black holes in the cores of distant galaxies that shoot out wildly variable gamma- ray jets) Gamma-Ray Bursts (powerful explosions that occur at random locations in the sky) Polars (binary systems with flaring highly-magnetic white dwarfs) Variable Stars (such as pulsating and eclipsing) Extra-solar Planets (planets around other stars) Pretty Objects, Solar System Planets, the Moon

94. “High Energy Outreach” For More Information:  rsparks@noao.edu  GTN: http://gtn.sonoma.edu/public/http://gtn.sonoma.edu/public/  Student Activity: http://gtn.sonoma.edu/activity/oa/http://gtn.sonoma.edu/activity/oa/  Skynet: http://skynet.unc.edu/ http://skynet.unc.edu/  GLAST : http://glast.sonoma.edu/ http://glast.sonoma.edu/  Stellarium: www.stellarium.orgwww.stellarium.org

95. Create an Image From Data Each pixel has a value from 0 to 9 You may use four colors Choose a color for each range of values Color the grid to create your image What object is being imaged? Compare your image to your neighbor

96. Different Ways of Dipslaying an Image Different selections of colors can highlight different regions of an image Selecting different max and min values for display All values above max are white All values below min are black Demo in ImageJ