Timings of minima of eclipsing binaries

[Tony Vale]

I have been using a DSLR and small refractor to obtain light curves and timings for the minima of eclipsing binaries.  I submit the timings I obtain to the TIDAK database maintained by Krakow University as unpublished timings and I can see from the list of minima that a few other BAAVSS observers seem to be doing the same but its not clear to me whether any of these observations are getting added to the O-C database and there doesn’t seem to be any feedback. I have emailed the administrator to ask if these observations would be more useful or more credible to if they had been published but so far without reply.

I have  noticed that the Journal of the AAVSO regularly publishes long lists of these observations made by their Eclipsing Binary section members  and I wonder if anyone is aware of a route to publication for BAAVSS members.  I assume the AAVSO publication process involves some kind of review to ensure the quality of the observations and feedback with suggestions for improvement and I would welcome this.

[Jeremy Shears]

Hello Tony,

I am not an EB observer so I haven’t used that database. You could drop a line to Des Loughney, VSS EB officer (contact details in the VSS Circular) to see if he knows.

Jeremy

[James Screech]

Another place you can submit minimum to is http://www.as.up.krakow.pl/add-minima/ 
That’s where mine go.

James

[Tony Vale]

Thanks Jeremy. Yes I think I’ll drop hm a lne to see what he says.

tony

[Tony Vale]

Hi James. I think that is actually the one I mean. I can certainly see observations from you and David Conner listed there  ( many more than I have done by the way !) but I wonder why there is a distinction between published and unpublished observations. Do you know if the unpublished ones are actually getting added in to the database ? 

Tony

[Graeme Coates]

On the occasion that I do some EB ToM work, I tend to submit the timing to Gerry at the AAVSO – he collates the timings and publishes them in the JAAVSO on a 6 monthly basis – it does tend to be driven by a small number of dedicated observers from the names in the articles. I’m not sure how frequently they may their way into the Krakow/Lichtenknecker DBs of course, but at least thay are in the literature…

(I presume the BAA doesn’t publish observations of binary ToMs in this way – or at least, I’ve not seen them published in this way, hence why I go down theJAAVSO route to do it…?)

[James Screech]

By “published” I assume in a peer reviewed journal, presumably by a professional astronomer. 

[Jeremy Shears]

Graeme,

you are welcome to write a note or article containing ToM’s for the VSS Circular. Or you can send ToM measurements directly to Des Loughney and he will include in the Eclipsing Binary News section. The VSSC is sent to Krakow.

Jeremy

[Tony Vale]

James,

The publications include the AAVSO journal and our own BAAVSS journal. I can’t find a way of identifying who the observers are from the Krakow database but I can see observation details including observers, on the Czech website (O-C Gateway). I haven’t so far been able to find any observations on the List of Minima on the Krakow website which also appear on the O- C gateway of the Czech astro society but AAVSO observations published in their December Journal are already on there. In future I think I will do as Jeremy suggests below and go through Des. 

Tony

[Tony Vale]

Hi Graeme,

I have seen an observation of yours in the AAVSO journal. Is there any information you have to supply to Gerry Samolyk in addition to the published information ? I’m planning to try to get mine into the BAAVSS circular if I can. We know what the AAVSO do works so its a good place to start I think.

Tony

[David Conner]

Last night I noticed that Kreiner/Krakow are no longer accepting data submissions via their website.  Their ‘old’ data is still accessible.  I don’t know why this has changed. Atlas of O-C Diagrams of Eclipsing Binary Stars (up.krakow.pl)

[Tony Vale]

Hi David,

There is also this page :-  http://www.as.up.krakow.pl/add-minima/?p=form

Which suggests a new database is being prepared, perhaps  including the times of minima submitted through the database.  They are still accepting minima but these now have to be emailed to the address supplied. 

Before the list disappeared it seemed to include some very old observations and I am fairly sure that none of the observations I added over the last year or so had been added. In contrast, observations included in the AAVSO journal seem to get included as soon as they are published as far as I can work out. The obvious solution would be to send observations to the AAVSO for inclusion in their Journal as does Graeme Coates (see earlier post) but I would rather have them published in the BAAVSS circular so that it better reflects the activities of UK based variable star observers and that’s why I sent my observations to Des for him to include in the last issue. I would have thought once they realise that ToMs are being published regularly  in the Circular they would wish to add them to the database in the same way they do with the AAVSO data.

[David Conner]

Hi Tony, thanks for the info.  It seems the ‘old’ Krakow database would be a good place to data mine if it were available!  A shame if the data is not used, not everyone will have submitted it to the AAVSO.  I take your point about publishing them in the BAAVSS circular, they are fundamental results that should be readily available.  (I’ve got a secondary min of UV Leo from last night, I’ll probably submit that to the circular.)  Hopefully Krakow will go live again in the not too distant future.

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