DISCLAIMER
This experiment is based on "Project 1: Colour-Maginitude Diagrams of Star Clusters" of The Open University and adapted to the setup as provided by the Campus Observatory Garching (COG). ![/!\](/moin_static1911/modernized/img/alert.png "/!\"){kind=small}
Is this enough?
General Introduction
This section should contain a general overview of astronomy (Stars, HRD, Star Clusters) and instrumentation (CCD, Mounting, Optics, Filters). Errors and limitations (Seeing, Air mass, CCD-related errors,)
Goals
The aim of this "advanced lab course" is to construct colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) for star clusters (open and globular clusters). The targets for the observation should be planned ahead of the observation. The analysis of the stellar clusters should reveal properties of the stellar population of the observed cluster. The analysis is conducted using a widely used, standard tool for image preocessing in astronomy, IRAF .
The objectives are: ( Maybe add some objectives)
To prepare a schedule for the observations you want to do during the night. What calibration frames do you need? Choose observable star clusters (at least one globular and one/two
open cluster) for this night. Obtain CCD images during the night for your objectes through at least two different broad-band filters and write a night log.
Analyse your images by first creating a general correction frame for each filter (combined bias frames, dark frames and flat fields)
Perform apeture photometry on the stars in each cluster and obtain magnitudes (/!\ reative magnitude or calibrated (standard field) absolute magnitude?
Produce a CMD for each cluster and discuss it (ages and distances).
anything else?.
Preperation
Observing
Analysis
Log on to your account on the Linux machine via VNC. The tutor should have copied the raw images to your working directory. As a first step it is useful to produce a local backup in case you need to start over.