David's Astronomy - Images 2010-03-24 (S00418)

Objects Session Notes

GK Per - Variable Star, Nova (1901) : Outburst Mar 2010

HAT-P-13 - Extrasolar Two Planet Host Star

81P/Wild - Comet

NGC 3423 - Spiral Galaxy & Supernovae 2009ls

SN 2010ba - Supernovae in anonymous galaxy

NGC 4449 - Irregular Galaxy

Photometric Monitoring - Variables

- HR Aur, SY Cnc, R CrB, AM CVn, RS CVn, CY Cyg, AM Her,
- U Her, RZ LMi, DY Per, GK Per, ER UMa

KR Aur, S Cyg attempts (failed due to cloud)

Astrometric Monitoring - Nearby Stars

- DX Cnc (Gliese 1111) , CN Leo (Wolf 359)

- Evening session (2.6 hrs), thin cloud

- Session operated under semi-automated control, with remote monitoring from indoors computer.

- Ambient Temperature: +2 deg C (minimum)

- CCD operation -25 degC (at 65% average cooling).

- main objectives of the session was to acquire images of selected project stars for ongoing photometric analysis

- opportunity taken to acquire a couple of deep sky targets

GK Per - Variable Star, Nova (1901) : Outburst Mar 2010

GK Per (Perseus) GK Per is star (NA + XP) which had a nova eruption in 1901, and undergoes occasional minor outbursts since then, for example the outburst in Sept 2008. New outburst in Mar 2010 is noted to have occurred between observations at 2010-03-01 01:00h UT and 2010-03-09 20:00h UT



GK Per - 2010-03-03 Mag V +13.0		GK Per - 2010-03-24 Mag V +11.4

Annotated CCD Image (cropped) 3 x 15s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, V Filter 2010-03-03 00:57hUT (#415187-91) 12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME		Annotated CCD Image ( cropped) 3 x 15s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, V Filter 2010-03-24 23:39hUT (#418071-75) 12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

HAT-P-13 - Extrasolar Two Planet Host Star

HAT-P-13 (Ursa Major

HAT-P-13 is a 2-planet system, with planet "b" transiting every 2.9 days and a massive planet "c"
in a ~ 430 day orbit that is highly eccentric. The inclination of the outer planet could either be
approximately coplanar with the inner planet or tilted ~ 45 degrees, according to current
observational constraints and theoretical considerations. If it is coplanar then two interesting
scientific goals are feasible: 1) the inner planet's orbital eccentricity can be measured and used
to infer the planet's mass distribution, and 2) the outer planet might transit. Both goals are thought
to be within reach of advanced amateur exoplanet observers. This 2.5-month
observing opportunity repeats every 14 months, but this year's is unusually favorable and will
not recur for several years.
Greg Laughlin has a good description of this upcoming event posted at
his oklo web site: http://oklo.org/tag/hat-p-13/
More on HAT-P-13 at

Annotated CCD Image (50% size)
3 x 15s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C filter,
2010-03-25 00:16h UT (#418110-16)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME
[Full size Image]

HAT-P-13 - Reference Stars Used

Annotated CCD Image (75% size, cropped)
3 x 20s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, V filter,
2010-03-25 00:17h UT (#418111-17)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

81P/Wild - Comet

Comet 81P / Wild (passing through starfield in Virgo)

CCD Image (50%)
5 x 45s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter
2010-03-25 00:23 hUT (#418120-24)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

Comet 81P / Wild - - detail

CCD Image (log scale)
Image details as above

CCD Image (log scale, cropped)
Image details as above

False Colour CCD Image (log scale, cropped)
Image details as above

Earlier Image of Comet 81P / Wild - 2010-03-10

CCD Image (cropped)
3 x 45s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter
2010-03-10 00:30 hUT (#416382-86)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME
[larger image]

Earlier Image of Comet 81P / Wild - 2010-02-21

CCD Image (cropped)
3 x 45s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter
2010-02-21 01:37 hUT (#414534-36)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

NGC 3423 - Spiral Galaxy & Supernovae 2009ls

NGC 3423 with SN 2009ls (Sextans)
SN 2009ls (Type II) was discovered 2009/11/23.779 by Koichi Nishiyama and Fujio Kabashima
Magnitude at discovery +xx.x
(Rochester Supernova site | Discovery Image | Reference Image)

Image below (2010-03-25.03) was taken 121 days after SN 2009ls discovery.
SN is much fainter but still visible - Estimated Magnitude +16.6 (C)

Annotated CCD Image (Linear Scale, cropped)
4 x 90s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter
2010-03-25 00:45 hUT (#418152-55)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

SN 2009ls - light curve based on images shown here (C Filter)

NGC 3423 - earlier image (2009-03-09)
Image below (2010-03-09.97) was taken 106 days after SN 2009ls discovery.
SN is much fainter but still visible - Estimated Magnitude +16.9 (C)

Annotated CCD Image (Linear Scale, cropped)
5 x 60s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter
2010-03-09 23:50 hUT (#416348-52)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

NGC 3423 - earlier image (2009-02-20)
Image below (2010-02-20.95) was taken 89 days after SN 2009ls discovery.
SN is marked by white cross-hairs. Estimated Magnitude +15.9 (C)

Annotated CCD Image (Linear Scale, cropped)
5 x 60s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter
2010-02-20 22:50 hUT (#414350-54)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

NGC 3423 - earlier image (2009-12-11.16)
Image below (2009-12-11.16) was taken 17.4 days after SN 2009ls discovery.
SN is marked by white cross-hairs. Estimated Magnitude +14.6 (C)

Annotated CCD Image (Linear Scale, 200% size, Cropped)
5 x 60s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter
2009-12-11 03:52 hUT (#403383-87)
12" LX200R (at f/5.7) + ST-10XME

NGC 3423 - earlier image (2009-11-27.18)
Image below (2009-11-27.18) was taken 3.4 days after SN 2009ls discovery.
SN is marked by white cross-hairs. Estimated Magnitude +14.3 (C)

CCD Image (Linear Scale, 200% size, Cropped)
3 x 60s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter
2009-11-27 04:18 hUT (#400089-112)

SN 2010ba - Supernovae in anonymous galaxy

SN 2010ba in anonymous galaxy (Leo)

SN 2010ba (Type Ia) was discovered 2010/03/21.33 by Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey
Magnitude at discovery +14.4
(Rochester Supernova site | Discovery Image | Reference Image)

Image below (2010-03-25.05) was taken 3.7 days after SN 2010ba discovery.
SN is much fainter but still visible - Estimated Magnitude +15.3 (C)

Annotated CCD Image (cropped)
5 x 60s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C filter,
2010-03-25 01:05h UT (#418170-74)
12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

NGC 4449 - Irregular Galaxy

NGC 4449 / Caldwell 21 (Canes Venatici)