Observation by Kevin Gurney: Carbon star spectral features

Uploaded by

Kevin Gurney

Observer

Kevin Gurney

Observed

2018 Oct 26 - 22:58

Uploaded

2018 Oct 30 - 23:16

Objects

W-Ori
Spectrum

Equipment

Altair Astro 10in RC truss tube
LHires 600l/mm
Atik 460EX
MESU200 mount
Prism, Demetra, Isis

Exposure

6 subs at 300s each

Location

West Sheffield

Target name

WZ Cas, W Ori

Title

Carbon star spectral features

About this image

I decided it would be refreshing to look at something other than H alpha in Be stars for a change...

Richard Walker has a good section on Carbon stars in his Spectroscopic Atlas which inspired me to look at some of the highlights therein.

WZ Cas has strong Lithium absorbtion at 6708A (panel b), and an even stronger sodium absorbtion around 5890. This is in fact a doublet which is just visible (I think!) in my medium resolution spectrum (panel a)

In contrast, W Ori has no strong Lithium absorbtion (panel d), but has a complex of lines at the blue end know as Merrill Sanford bands, apparently due to Silicon dicarbide (SiC2) - see panel c

Files associated with this observation

Carbon_stars.jpg (1.8 MB)

Like this image

David Basey, Graham Winstanley, Ray Emery, Jeremy Shears, Andy Wilson, Peter Mulligan, Peter Carson

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