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RIT Observatory
Data Pipeline & Automation Project:
Summer Research
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Presented by:
Kevin Beaulieu & Dustin Crabtree
CIS South Pole Involvement
• CARA has pioneered the operation of
telescopes in Antarctica.
– Advantage
» Dry, cold weather ideal for IR astronomy
– Disadvantages:
» Harsh climate results in few astronomers begging to visit Antarctica.
» Few understand how to process the data obtained.
– Solution: RIT CIS in 1999 built a pipeline to provide
uniform data products to the world astronomy community
– However the pipeline was far from efficient…
Motivations for
RIT Observatory Project
• Objective of Summer Based on the CIS Astronomy
Pipeline Project
– RIT Observatory Data Pipeline and Automation Project serves as a local
‘model’ for South Pole astronomy
– Ultimate Goals:
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1. Images obtained remotely with ease
2. Data reduction accurate and timely
3. Find and report “roadblocks” in process
4. Apply lessons learned from this experience (and the 1999
SPIREX/Abu program) to a next generation IR telescope
How it relates to Imaging Science...
• Imaging Science:
– The body of knowledge resulting from our ability to detect
and display information in visual formats.
• We have all necessary components in process:
• Input, System, Output
– Imaging System Analysis Goals:
» Improve efficiency of system
» Provide user with automatic tools with minimal
maintenance and user intervention
RIT Observatory Facility
• 10” Meade SchmidtCassegrain telescope
mounted on Astro Pier
• 5-meter Ash Dome
RIT Observatory Facility
• CCD camera
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1530 x 1020 pixels
FOV: 0.4 degrees
Four filters: B, V, R, I
2nd smaller array:
– used for tracking
– read out in “binned”
mode
• CCDops Software
– Image Capture
• Interface connecting
Dell computer to
telescope
Automation Project
(Ideal)
Dome Automation
• Assisted in Dome Circuitry Analysis
– Circuitry housed in a NEMA protective
box
– Became familiar with PSpice™
Schematics© software
TASS Mark IV Data Pipeline
•
The pipeline is designed for use with the Mark IV prototype camera used by the
Amateur Sky Survey, but has been adapted for use by the RIT Observatory
•
The pipeline processes an entire data set automatically. The Data Reduction
Pipeline operates through several steps in order to reduce the data:
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Reference Catalogue -
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Dark Image -
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Flat Field Image
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Image Cleaning
•
Find and Measure Stars
•
Astrometry -
Astronomical Image Acquisition
• Participated in several nights at the Observatory for image
acquisition
• Assembled a well-documented binder for future reference
– Motives for Researching Selected Objects
– Brief Description of Data Pipeline
– Separate Sections for Each Night’s Observations
» Meticulous Logs
» Sample Images
» Plots- Julian Date Vs. Magnitude, Julian Date Vs. Background,
Julian Date Vs. Full Width at Half Max
Motives for Researching Selected Objects
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ST Virgo- Variable Star
Berkeley 87- Star Cluster
2001 KP41- Asteroid
756 Lilliana- Asteroid
WZ Sagittae- Cataclysmic Variable Binary Star System
Unknown- Eclipsing Binary Star System
ST Virgo
• Focus of Research in June/Early July
• Pulsating Variable Star
• Objective:
– Selected as a target to learn more about the entire image
acquisition and data reduction processes
– “Roadblocks” in Observatory Automation Project noted as
astronomical data was collected and analyzed
ST Virgo Data
• Proof of Variability
Magnitude Vs. ID Number
ST Virgo Data
• June 28, 2001: Cloud Cover Example
Magnitude Vs. ID Number
Sky Vs. ID Number
Berkeley 87
• Star Cluster
• Objective:
– Used as a target while the Observatory’s 10-inch Meade
telescope Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope was tested for
slew accuracy
– COMPLETE automation will require telescope to
accurately move from one object to another
WZ Sagittae
(sah-JIT-ee)
• Cataclysmic Variable Binary Star System
• Objective:
– Help in a global effort to determine its period during a
RARE SUPER-OUTBURST display
» Theory: By analyzing the light curves, humps are
found in the plots that suggest that the larger secondary
star is transferring mass to the smaller, yet denser white
dwarf.
WZ Sge Light Curve from 2001 SuperOutbursts
(from
)
WZ Sge Data:
Magnitude Vs. Julian Date
July 26
August 4
August 7
Unknown Eclipsing Binary Star System
• We noticed that a star within the FOV of WZ Sge was
changing brightness over the course of his shift at the
Observatory.
– Collecting and analyzing data (plotting light curves) to find out
more
Unknown System’s Light Curve
Magnitude Vs. Phase
Challenges
• Telescope and Camera Automation
• Dome Control
» Weather- open, close
» Alignment with telescope
• Telescope DOES NOT have a memory
• Need automatic focus
• Data Pipeline
– Automating reduction process (as soon as data arrives in
archive)
– Data Storage Limits
Conclusion
• RIT Observatory summer research has been a start
to building the local ‘model’ for the South Pole.
• Experimental Design:
• Creation of a pilot software package is underway.
• Data Acquisition:
• The Dome Automation Project will continue into the fall of 2001.
• Data Reduction:
• Most of the major problems of the Data Pipeline have been
addressed.
• Archiving:
• A universally accessible storage area for raw/cleaned images and
processed data has been created.a