Height of Lunar Mountains
With a little geometry, algebra, and a CCD camera you can estimate the height of lunar features to within one pixel error! Below, you will find some basic information to get you started and a few well-tested web sites for reference. If you would like detailed instruction please email Walter Glogowski and ask for the Lunar Mountain Instructions. If any of our members would like to start an image bank of lunar features please send them to Walter Glogowski, and we will post them on our web site.Refrence web sites:
Determination of Jupiter’s Mass- TASS, The Amateur Sky Survey http://stupendous.rit.edu/
- Height of Lunar Mountains
http://stupendous.rit.edu/classes/phys236/moon_mount/moon_mount.html- J. Scott Shaw, Dept of Physics and Astronomy, University of Georgia
http://www.physast.uga.edu/~jss/
- Project # 4 Height of Lunar Mountains,
http://www.physast.uga.edu/~jss/1120L/LunarMount.html
If you are an observer of Jupiter there are several interesting projects you can perform. One project is to take CCD images of Jupiter and one or more of it’s moons to determine the approximate mass of the planet! Another is to take CCD images of Jupiter concentrating on its giant red spot to determine it’s approximate rotational period. Below, you will find some basic information to get you started and a few well-tested web sites for reference. If you would like detailed instruction please email Walter Glogowski and ask for the Jupiter Mass Instructions. If any of our members would like to start an image bank of Jupiter and it’s moons please send them to Walter Glogowski, and we will post them on our web site.Reference web sites:
Center for Backyard Astrophysics- Finding the Mass of Jupiter, by William Lee
http://hou.lbl.gov/studentreports/williamjup/jupiter.html- Determination of mass of Jupiter and that of some minor planets from observations of minor planets moving in 2:1 commensurability with Jupiter
http://www.astro.amu.edu.pl/Science/Conference/pdf/kochetova_r.pdf- Mass of Jupiter
http://www.bu.edu/astronomy/manuals/AS101pdf/day_lab_2_jupiter.pdf
If you are interested in observing variable stars, here’s a twist. The Center for Backyard Astrophysics was founded by David Skillman in the 1970s. The single product of the CBA was, and still is, light curves of variable stars, but not just ay variable stars! You can study cataclysmic variables (CVs). There are many ways to become involved please check their web site.Reference web sites:
Beautiful Astronomical Images- Useful References for CV’s http://cba.phys.columbia.edu/references/
We know that many of our members are interested in taking and processing astrophotographs. If you would like to have them proudly displayed on our web site, send a high quality image (jpg format) to Walter Glogowski with the following information:
Telescope used:
Focal Length:
Camera used:
Exposures used:
Date of exposure:
Processing techniques:
Object name:
ESA/NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)'s realtime coronagraph movies are online. Anyone can access the data. Half of the top ten SOHO comet hunters are amateurs. Oates: 28 discoveries; Stezelberger: 14 discoveries; Boschat: 11 discoveries; Lovejoy: 9 discoveries; and Meyer: 7 discoveries.If you want to become a hunter, go to the SOHO webpage. The coronagraph data is posted every 30 minutes or less. Find out the criteria for comet discovery. Discovery info should be sent to Goddard Space Flight Center. Confirmed discoveries are listed on "What's New" at: http://sungrazer.gsfc.nasa.gov
Source: "Some Comets Like it Hot", NASA Science News; 7-7-00 release via stardust-owner (NASA) and baalke (NASA).