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The observing campaign was launched at last week’s VSS meeting in York and there a write-up in the current Section Circular (VSSC 160).
On returning home from the meeting, I found the star rising to outburst (Jun 22.977) at 16.9C and 24 hours later was slightly brighter at 16.2. Since then I haven’t been able to obtain further obs.
Best of luck to anyone wanting to join in the observing fun. Do let me know how you get on.
Go well! Jeremy
Hello Mike,
it’s good to see this worthwhile project progressing.
I wonder if you have considered measuring the brightness of the nebula and the star, PV Cep. David Boyd had a paper on their variability in the 2012 June JBAA.
Keep up the imaging!
Go well!
Jeremy
That’s an interesting image, Mike. Do post some more showing the orbital motion. Good luck with the project!
Go well!
Jeremy
Hello Cameron,
That’s a really nice image of M27. Well done. It’s amazing what can be achieved in spite of light pollution – you should be very proud of your result. I do hope you will submit your image to the Deep Sky Section.
I trust there will be many more to come in the future.
Congratulations and go well!
Jeremy Shears
There’s a short report of NEMETODE efforts to capture the CAMs by video camera here: http://www.nemetode.org/
William Stewart and I had a clear spell for a couple of hours after 00h UT on the 24th, but not much doing.
Go well!
Jeremy
Sad news indeed and the end of an era. I always enjoyed the entertainment of meeting Dudley Fuller when I visited Telescope House in London. For several years as a teenager I owned a Fullerscopes 6-inch reflector with “A” grade optics in a shiny white tube on a MkIII mounting. And one of the best views of M13 I have had was with the 18-inch Fullerscopes Newtonian at Charterhouse (Nick, I didn’t break it – it was somebody else who grabbed hold of a massive tube counterweight which came off in his hand – I just had to stand there balancing the tube on my head whilst help was summoned!).
Jeremy
Great to hear you are interested in visual variable star observations, Mike. There’s plenty of work to be done in this field. Best of luck with developing your technique – and don’t firget, if you have any questions, ask away. We’re here to help you!.
Go well!
Jeremy
Good to see you progressing this pioneering work on meteor video spectroscopy, Bill. The Lyrids can be pretty sparse, so you did well to capture the spectrum of one.
Go well!
Jeremy
Welcome to the BAA – I am sure you will enjoy your membership. I wish you success with your return to astronomy.
Glad to hear that you have an interest in variable stars – the Variable Star Section (http://www.britastro.org/vss/) is just the place to start. You are quite right that you can make a real scientific contribution in this field – the VSS has been contributing to science for 124 years! Feel free to ask any questions you might have – there are quite a few variable star observers who can help you. Are you interested in visual or CCD observing? Either way, you will have lots of targets accessible with your Celestron. You might also like to know that the Section is holding a meeting on June 21 in York – a bit of a hike for you, but worth considering.
Go well!
Jeremy
I don’t see a fundamental problem with composites so long as they are identified as such. People have done that with conventional photography for years. The issue is that in many cases they are not identified as such or are deliberately passed off as “real”. However, it is gratifying to see that with a bit of astronomical experience the brain can often tell immediately that “something is not right” – that’s fine for those of us who have been around for a bit, but not good for beginners, let alone the general public.
The biggest irritation I have is that with some many wonderful sights in the night sky, why bother to fake a picture?
Over-processed images are another matter. But what is acceptable is often in the eye of the beholder, even for “normal” astroimages. Colour selection is another matter – I, for example, am not so keen on the Hubble palette for colour images. To me it feels harsh and unreal – but what is real in terms of images that the eye cannot see in colour anyway?
Go well!
Jeremy
I couldn’t agree more, Gary. An absolutely cracking week-end. Enjoyed every minute of it, but it was over too soon.
Good to see a few new faces – hopefully even more next year.
Go well!
Jeremy
Nick,
there is a thread on this topic here: http://www.aavso.org/aperture-photometry-strategy-sn-2013
Go well!
Jeremy
