Observers’ Workshop: Comets and Meteors

Observers Workshop – Comets and Meteors, Burlington House, London.

Techniques for the observation of both comets and meteors have been revolutionised by technology over the past decade. Visual observations are still crucial since they allow us to compare current activity with the historical archive but, for various reasons, fewer people are now involved in visual work. This workshop will cover the ways that modern
technology is used in comet and meteor work and how the results can be used in scientific analysis.

The programme for the day will be as follows:

10:30 – Doors open and registration

10:50 – Introduction (John Mason)

11:00 – Meteor orbit determination and advances in video techniques (Nick James)

11:25 – Combining video and radio meteor detection techniques (Richard Fleet)

11:50 – Video meteor detection using the Raspberry Pi (Callum Potter)

12:10 – Visual comet magnitude analysis and the introduction of CCD visual equivalent magnitudes (Jonathan Shanklin)

12:40 – Review of the 2015 European Comet Conference (Nick James)

13:00 – Lunch

14:00 – Tutorial/workshop  sessions (breakout rooms)

16:30 – Review of the day’s activities (lecture theatre)

17:00 – close

Meteor and Comet tutorial sessions will be run in parallel in separate rooms. The topics covered will include:

• Video meteor detection and analysis using the SonotaCo suite of tools.
• Comet imaging (DSLR and CCD) and analysis, specifically visual equivalent magnitude extraction using various techniques.

We intend to work through real examples so please bring a laptop if you can.

This is a free meeting for BAA members and Affiliated Society members. Accompanied young people under 16 will be admitted free of charge. There will be a small entrance fee of £2.50 for non-members, which will cover refreshments but not lunch.

To book your place, contact the BAA Office by 14th September 2015. Spaces are limited to 70 places, and will be issued on a first come first served basis.

Telephone: 020 7734 4145
Email: office@britastro.org
Post: The British Astronomical Association, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J ODU