Binary star research using

„microtelescopes“

Miloslav Zejda, Zdeněk Mikulášek, Jiří Liška

Masaryk University Brno, Czech Republic

Petr Svoboda

private observatory, Brno, Czech Republic

KOLOS 2011, Kolonica, December 1, 2011

first telescopes – diameter only several cm!

Galileo & Castelli:

discoveries of binaries or multiple systems:

Mizar (1616),

J1 Orionis – Trapez (1617)

b Scorpii …

Variable stars observations (in modern history since 1596)

Means:

• naked eye – limits – 6-7 mag, • telescope + eye – 1844 Argelander• telescope + photography – 1881 Draper – 14.7 mag• telescope + photoelectric photometer

1892 Monck, 1907 Stebinns• 1946 Kron, early 50‘s Johnson & Morgan UBV• telescope + CCD – 1979 – Kitt Peak NO

Silicon age

spread of objective measurements among many observatories and amateur astronomers

increasing number of photometric measurements

observing of fainter and fainter objects

HOWEVER

stars brighter than 6 mag are too bright

=> lack of observations of bright stars!

Do we need observations of bright stars?

yes, indeed!

Why?

• variability of bright stars is usually known for a long time => unique possibility to study long-term variations

• usage of different methods except photometry

objections?

surveys – ASAS… - monochromatic, unsatisfactory time resolution

space missions – Hipparcos – good, but old, time resolution

Kepler, COROT – excellent jobs, but …

GAIA – bright limit 6 mag

nano-satellite – BRITE project

solution?

• return to Galileo‘s size telescopes

=> usage of micro/nanotelescopes• „windows astronomy“• „balcony astronomy“

• break down the prejudices• suitable for amateurs and small

observatories

Advantages: • cheap acquisition• cheap and efficient practise• excellent opportunity to obtain unique

long sets of observations • possibility for students and travellers

suggestions?

• to equip the observers with a kit (CCD, photometric filters, nanotelescope)

• tell them what and how they should observe (targets, filters, time resolutions…)

• establish a network of observers – see for an example http://var.astro.cz

Examples of usage nanotelescopes

Minima timings of eclipsing binaries

J. Liška: RF 0.04m + CCD ATIK 16IcP. Svoboda; 0.035m refractorCCD SBIG ST7 filter I

TW Dra

NO Pup

Phe

DI = 0.15 mag

SAAO 0,5m + single-channel PEPMJUO 0,6m + single-channel PEP

L. C. Watson, J. D. Pritchard, J. B. Hearnshaw,P P. M. Kilmartin and A. C. Gilmore: MNRAS 325, 143–150 (2001)

J. Liška: 0.04m refractor + CCD G2-0402

Light curves

P. Svoboda; 0.035m refractor, CCD SBIG ST7

amplitude DV≈ 0.02 mag

P. Svoboda; 0.035m refractor, CCD SBIG ST7

HD 1438 (And)

It is worth to do it!

Thank you for your attention!

In the presentation we used observations and materials from:

VSES archiveNYX archivepersonal archives of authorsMNRAS 325, 143–150 (2001)NASA ADS servisewebpages: http://ccd.mii.cz

http://var.astro.czhttp://www.astronomie2009.czhttp://en.wikipedia.org

and others

Your notes are welcome!

zejda@physics.muni.cz