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The story about SN2008ha

Rusty845 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:18:04 CDT

How Caroline became the youngest
person to discover a supernova
..............................................................................................................................

On November 13th 2008, Caroline Moore a member of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search team was recognized by the International Astronomical Union for discovering a supernova. Their discovery has been named Supernova 2008ha in galaxy UGC 12682. And at the ripe old age of 14, Caroline has also been recognized as most likely the youngest person to discover a supernova.

It all came about at diner with Tim Puckett & Mike Peoples after the Friday’s opening of NEAIC 2008. Tim was telling us about the search team and the fact that the team had the youngest person to discover a SN her name was Jennifer and she was 16 ( it turns out she was 18 but Caroline did not know that until after her find ) Hearing that a 16 year old had found a supernova she pronounced “ I could beat her”. Timmy said it would take a lot of work, but if you think you’re up to it I’ll sign you up. So at the ripe old age of 13 Caroline started her hunt

That was the beginning of a long eight months. First she had to get a new computer and install all the software then work with Mike Peoples to learn how to get the data and what to do with it.

On November 6,2008 Caroline spotted something odd in one of the data files of distant galaxy UGC 12682, located in the constellation Pegasus. The image of the object was very faint but she noticed some pixels off to one side of the galaxy that made her suspicious, Caroline did all the checks and ran it through all the data basis. "I'm going to send it in. I think it's something," she told her Dad. It took couple nights until the team could get a confirmation image and it looked like her suspicions were confirmed. Team leader, Tim Puckett sent what’s called a CBAT ( Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams) It took more then a week before the professional astronomers could any thing with it, as you would have it the moon was up and right in Pegasus.

It was late around 11:30 pm on the night of the 18 of Nov. when the phone rang it was Mike Peoples, He told Bob, Caroline’s Dad he had to talk to her "We got confirmation and boy it’s a strange one," said Bob Moore. "I’ll have to drag her out of bed,” he did and handed her the phone. With he phone to her ear a smile came to her face and then she just started laughing.

Supernova 2008ha is in UGC 12682 a galaxy that is eating it self and where Supernovae normally do not occur that is one of the things the makes Caroline’s discovery unique some of the others are that it is a type 1a supernova and possibly the least luminous supernova ever observed.

...............................................................................

The Press Release
.............................

The Puckett Observatory
SUPERNOVA SEARCH TEAM

The Puckett Observatory
P.O. Box 818 Ellijay, GA.
30540

Press Release

Contact: Robert E. Moore
Phone: (845) 231-0509

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11:00 P.M. EST, November 13, 2008

Rare supernova found by 14 year old amateur astronomer

Ellikay, GA November 13, 2008, 3:00 P.M. EST

The International Astronomical Union, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. confirmed today the discovery of a supernova in galaxy UGC 12682. Supernova 2008ha was discovered by Caroline Moore a 14 year old girl from Warwick, NY. Moore is most likely the youngest person ever to have discovered a supernova.

Caroline is an active member of The Puckett Observatory Supernova Search team, a team of amateur astronomers that take thousands of images each night searching for rare events.

Moore is a member of the Rockland Astronomy Club, The Orange County Astronomical Association, and attends Warwick Valley High School in Warwick, NY.

Caroline is very active in helping young people understand the night sky by inviting guests to her families backyard observatory at her home in Warwick, NY.

The CBAT's
..........................

C.B.A.T. #1

Electronic Telegram No. 1567
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html

SUPERNOVA 2008ha IN UGC 12682

T. Puckett, Ellijay, GA, U.S.A.; Caroline Moore, Warwick, NY, U.S.A.; and Jack
Newton, Portal, AZ, U.S.A., report the discovery of an apparent supernova
(mag 18.8) on unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag 19.4) taken with a 0.40-m
reflector at Portal on Nov. 7.17 UT in the course of the Puckett Observatory
Supernova Search. The new object was confirmed at mag 18.2 on images
(limiting mag 19.8) taken by Ton Orff on Nov. 9.16 with a 0.60-m reflector at
Ellijay. SN 2008ha is located at R.A. = 23h34m52s.69, Decl. = +18o13'35".4
(equinox 2000.0), which is about 12" west and 0".5 south of the center of
UGC 12682. Nothing is visible at this position on images taken by Puckett
on Sept. 8 (limiting mag 19.4). The exact center of the apparent host
galaxy was very hard to measure, so its coordinates were taken from the
Sinbad website (position end figures 53s.55, 35".9), though Puckett's
measurements on the brightest nodule yield position end figures 53s.31, 38".0.

NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

(C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 November 10 (CBET 1567) Daniel W. E. Green

C.B.A.T. #2

Electronic Telegram No. 1576
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html

SUPERNOVA 2008ha IN UGC 12682

R. J. Foley, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on
behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 350-740 nm)
of 2008ha (cf. CBET 1567), obtained on Nov. 18.18 UT by N. Wright with the F.
L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-Ia
supernova, similar to the peculiar supernova 2002cx (see Jha et Al. 2006,
A.J. 132, 189, for a review of this class of objects). The spectrum is
similar to SN 2002cx (Li et Al. 2003, PASP 115, 453) at 10 days past maximum
light -- but with a velocity about 3000 km/s lower. Puckett et Al. reported
that 2008ha brightened between Nov. 7 and 9 by 0.6 mag (CBET 1567), requiring
that the phase of the supernova at the time of this spectrum to be < 9 days
after maximum brightness. If the unfiltered light curve is similar to that
of the R-band light curve of SN 2002cx, the spectrum of 2008ha should be <
17 days past maximum in the B band, consistent with the phase estimate.
From the minimum of the weak absorption line corresponding to Fe II 455.5-nm,
a velocity of -3000 km/s is measured, significantly lower than that of SNe
2002cx and 2005hk (approximately -5000 km/s and constant for < 60 days;
Phillips et al. 2007, PASP, 119, 360).
The spectrum does not have a red continuum, and there is no strong Na D
absorption in the spectrum, indicating that 2008ha is not heavily reddened.
Assuming (a) a distance modulus of 31.2 +/- 0.5 mag -- derived from a redshift
of 1393 km/s from Yu et al. (1993, Ap.J. Suppl. 88, 383), and allowing for
several flow models; (b) small Milky Way and host-galaxy extinction; and (c)
that the unfiltered magnitudes reported on CBET 1567 approximate those of the
R band, SN 2008ha had an absolute red magnitude of M_R = -13 +/- 1 at peak.
SNe 2002cx and 2005hk had M_R = -17.6 and -18.3 mag, respectively.
Considering the extremely low absolute magnitude and low ejecta velocity,
which imply a very low total energy release, Foley et al. wonder if 2008ha is
a true supernova that destroyed the progenitor star; if it is, then 2008ha is
possibly the least luminous supernova ever observed.

NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

Spectrum taken by N. Wright with the FL. Whipple Observatory
1.5-m telescope (+ FAST)

Times Herald-Record
Sunday November 23 2008

Warwick girl, 14, is astronomy star: discovers a supernova in outer space
Warwick teen hopes discovery inspires others.

14 Year old Caroline Moore at the controls of one of ten telescopes it her observatory

Image by William Wiethoff 2008

SN2008ha in UGC 12682, the supernova spotted by Moore, might be about 74 million light years old.

By Matt King
Times Herald-Record
November 23, 2008

WARWICK — At 14, Caroline Moore is, as her father says, "finding boys." She's also discovering dying stars.
Moore, a ninth-grader at Warwick Valley High, is believed to be the youngest person to discover a supernova, which is a little more impressive than your ability to find the Big and Little dippers on a clear summer night.

Moore can take astronomy next year, but she should probably teach it.

"Maybe when I was four I realized there are things out there you have to explore or you're missing out," she said, surrounded by most of the 10 telescopes she keeps in her backyard observatory. "I feel like I'm making a difference in the scientific community. That's really special."
Moore found her supernova as part of The Puckett Observatory World Supernova Search Team research team led by Tim Puckett in Atlanta. Puckett has 28 people in five countries looking for subtle changes in images and data of the night sky taken by the team’s telescopes.

She started looking with her father, Robert, in April and spotted a dying star on November 6th. The find has been confirmed by The International Astronomical Union via a Telegram from the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams at Harvard, entitled CBET 1567: 20081110: SUPERNOVA 2008ha IN UGC 12682. The IAU which named the 14 year olds discovery a very uninspiring SN2008ha. "If she finds a comet, she gets her name on that," her dad said."

Still, her dad & mom are over the moon about it. They bought Caroline her first scope four years ago and then built the observatory with a retractable roof.

A supernova is a star at the end of its life cycle. It's important to map them because scientists can study them for clues about what will happen when our star explodes (we've been assured it won't be any time soon).

It's not clear yet how old Moore's supernova is, but it's safe to assume the light she saw on the November 6th left its home galaxy a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Maybe 74 million light years ago, Robert Moore said. In addition to her precocious astronomy skills, Moore is an accomplished singer and on the school's ski team. She's not yet sure she wants to be an astrophysicist. This may just be a lifelong hobby.

"Some recognition is important to me," she said. "I think this will motivate other kids to do anything they want. Not just astronomy."

mking@th-record.com
Edited by R.E.Moore

Here is a story from the Astro Bob web site
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Caroline's supernova

Surrounded by three of her telescopes in a shed-style observatory,
14-year-old Caroline Moore is the youngest person ever
to discover an extragalactic supernova. Photo courtesy of Robert Moore

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Caroline Moore is 14 years old and just discovered her first supernova. Moore, who lives in Warwick, NY, is the youngest person ever to discover the exploding remains of a dying star in a distant galaxy. She's a member of the the Puckett Observatory Supernova World Search Team headed up by principal investigator, Tim Puckett. Every clear night at various locations around the globe, members photograph thousands of galaxies remotely using computer-controlled robotic telescopes (no humans involved). The images are then analyzed by 28 team members for the telltale brightening of an exploding star. These suspect stars are confirmed and then reported to the professional astronomers for study.
Caroline and her father Bob Moore started looking for supernovas last spring when she was only 13, and on November 6, Caroline spotted something odd in one of the photographs of the distant galaxy UGC 12682, located in the constellation Pegasus the Winged Horse. The object was very faint but her keen eye noticed some pixels off to one side of the galaxy that made her suspicious. "I'm going to send it in. I think it's something," she told her father. A couple nights later, her suspicions were confirmed. "We got confirmation very late at night," said Bob Moore. "I had to drag her out of bed, and she just started laughing."

Caroline's supernova, named 2008ha, shines dimly in the distorted galaxy UGC12682. It's approximately 74 million light years from Earth. Galaxies like this one generally don't have supernovas, making Caroline's discovery even more interesting. Photo: William Wiethoff
Named 2008ha, Caroline's supernova was once a white dwarf star that hungrily fed on a close companion star until it got heavy enough to ignite its own core in a runaway explosion that blasted the star to bits. The explosion happened in the distant past -- some 74 million years ago -- but news of the event just reached us this November thanks to Caroline's search. Her father is justifiably proud of his daughter, who took an interest in astronomy from the age of 10. "We all know 13-year-old girls are chasing everything else but supernovas!" said Moore.
This is truly a wonderful achievement for someone so young, and a fine example of how keen observation, combined with determination, can lead to discovery no matter what your age. To learn more about Caroline's supernova, click here.

Supernova 2008ha in UGC 12682
This page is devoted to information on Supernova 2008ha in UGC 12682. Basic information on this SN, including the last reported brightness, on this Supernova can be found on the main page. Information on the original web pages for many of these images can be found on the updates and links web pages. Discovered by Caroline Moore, Warwick, NY ( USA ) This is a pecular type Ia supernova. There is an international collaboration studying this one. Caroline Moore it turns out, is a 14 year old girl who found this one. We have a DSS Photometry reference image made by Odd Trondal. Icon generated from the discovery image. This supernova is in the Constellation Pegasus.

SNWeb has a 2008ha page

The following is a list of images of this SN, in chronological order. Click on the name in the "Image Credit" column to see the image. Times and dates are in UT unless otherwise noted. If you know of any others, please tell me! Image Credit Date Mag Filter Comments

CfA spectrum (mirror) Taken 2008/11/18 showing a peculiar type Ia event. See the CfA page for a further explination.
SNWeb Measurements and light curve.

On December 30th 2008
Caroline was recognized by the Town of Warwick
For her discovery
..........................................................

Here are some photos:

Warwick Town Board members pay close attention as Caroline describes her discovery.

Warwick Town Board Supervisor Michael Sweeton presents Caroline with her certificate.

Supervisor Sweeton looks over some images of Caroline's supernova

On February 9th 2009
New York State Assemblywoman
Annie Rabbitt will called Caroline to the floor of the
New York State Assembly to receive a proclamation

**** This Just Off The Wire****

On February 9th 2009
Caroline did a live to tape interview at
National Public Radio Studios in Albany, New York
Date and Time of the airing of the interview will be posted

Caroline's interview will be aired on North East Public Radio's
stations April 20 2009 @ 8:00 PM, then on April 22 the interview will go out
to 600 NPR stations in the US and around the world.
Check your stations web site for times,
the interview will be on the show : The Best of Our Knowledge

****This Just Off The Wire****

The date has not been set yet
but some time in the fall
Caroline will share the stage with Dr. Heidi Hammel
at Andrus Planetarium at the Hudson River Museum

Scientific Research Papers on SN2008ha

here are the first research papers.

Peculiar Small Supernova Discovered By New York Teen

SN 2008ha in UGC 12682. Credit: William Wiethoff

by Staff Writers
Cambridge MA (SPX) Jun 12, 2009

In November 2008, Caroline Moore, a 14-year-old student from upstate New York, discovered a supernova in a nearby galaxy, making her the youngest person ever to do so. Additional observations determined that the object, called SN 2008ha, is a new type of stellar explosion, 1000 times more powerful than a nova but 1000 times less powerful than a supernova. Astronomers say that it may be the weakest supernova ever seen. Even though this explosion was a weakling compared to most supernovae, for a short time SN 2008ha was 25 million times brighter than the sun. However, since it is 70 million light years away, it appeared very faint viewed from Earth. The peculiar object effectively bridged the gap between a nova (a nuclear explosion on the surface of an old, compact star called a white dwarf) and a type Ia supernova (the destructive death of a white dwarf caused by a runaway nuclear reaction starting deep in the star). SN 2008ha likely was a failed supernova where the explosion was unable to destroy the entire star. "If a normal supernova is a nuclear bomb, then SN 2008ha is a bunker buster," said team leader Ryan Foley, Clay fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and first author on the paper reporting the findings. "From one perspective, this supernova was an underachiever, however you still wouldn't want be anywhere near the star when it exploded." Caroline was able to discover the object using a relatively small telescope, but some of the most advanced telescopes in the world were needed to determine the nature of the explosion. Data came from the Magellan telescopes in Chile, the MMT telescope in Arizona, the Gemini and Keck telescopes in Hawaii, and NASA's Swift satellite. In typical supernova explosions, light from different chemical elements (such as calcium or iron) is smeared out across the electromagnetic spectrum by the Doppler effect (the same principle that makes a police siren change pitch as it passes). Because the ejected bits of the star were "only" moving at 4.5 million miles per hour (compared to 22 million miles per hour for a typical supernova), the light wasn't as smeared out, allowing the team to analyze the composition of the explosion to a new precision. "You can imagine many ways for a star to explode that might resemble SN 2008ha," said Robert Kirshner of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "It could have been a massive star suddenly collapsing to form a black hole, with very little energy leaking out. But it looks a lot like its brighter cousins, which we think are nuclear explosion of white dwarfs. Maybe this one was an explosion of that general type, just much, much weaker." One reason astronomers haven't seen this type of explosion before might be because they are so faint. "SN 2008ha was a really wimpy explosion," said Alex Filippenko, leader of the University of California, Berkeley supernova group, which monitors thousands of relatively nearby galaxies with a robotic telescope at Lick Observatory in California. But a new generation of telescopes and instruments is beginning to search greater distances than ever before, effectively monitoring millions of galaxies. Foley's team concludes that hundreds of this type of event may be spotted in the next few years. "Coincidentally, the youngest person to ever discover a supernova found one of the most peculiar and interesting supernovae ever," remarked Filippenko. "This shows that no matter what your age, anyone can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the Universe."
related report

Queen Astronomers Propose New Supernova Interpretation
Belfast, UK (SPX) Jun 12, 2009 - In a controversial new paper in the journal Nature, astronomers from Queen's University Belfast have proposed a new physical interpretation of a supernova discovered on 7th November 2008. A group of researchers, led by Dr. Stefano Valenti from Queen's University Belfast, found a weak explosion that is unusual in many ways, and several lines of evidence suggest it could be from a massive star. This goes against mainstream thinking in the astrophysics community which believes that this type of supernova comes from old white dwarf stars (low-mass stars) in binary systems.
The supernova in question SN2008ha was a faint explosion that contained no hydrogen. In their paper however, Valenti and his colleagues propose that the peculiar spectrum and faint luminosity of the supernovae in question, SN2008ha, more closely resembles those supernovae associated with the death of massive stars when their core collapses. The key difference with the other faint explosion of massive stars was the lack of hydrogen which is usually detected in underluminous Supernovae. Dr Valenti said "SN2008ha is the most extreme example of a group of supernovae that show similar properties. Up until now the community had thought that they were from the explosion of white dwarfs, which we call type Ia supernovae. Those are the ones that have been used to measure the geometry of the distant Universe and infer the existence of dark energy. But we think SN2008ha doesn't quite fit this picture and appears physically related to massive stars" Professor Stephen Smartt from Queen's added "This is still quite controversial, we have put this idea forward and it certainly needs to be taken seriously. "The implications are quite important. If this is a massive star explosion then it is the first one that might fit the theoretical models of massive stars that lose their outer layers through their huge luminosity pressure and then, perhaps, collapse to black holes with a whimper". Dr Valenti's team is keen to use new deep, time resolved surveys of the Universe to find more of these and test their ideas. One such experiment is the first of the Pan-STARRS telescopes that has started surveying the sky in the last month. The supernova in question was found in the galaxy UGC12682 in the constellation Pegasus by American school girl Caroline Moore, a member of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search team.
It was immediately recognized by professional astronomers as quite unique, as it was one of the faintest explosions of its type ever discovered, with an energy approximately 50 times smaller than usual. This is the equivalent of converting several earth masses completely into energy.

Title:		SN 2008ha: An Extremely Low Luminosity and Extremely Low Energy Supernova
Authors:		Foley,RyanJ.; Chornock,Ryan; Filippenko,AlexeiV.; Ganeshalingam,Mohan; Kirshner,RobertP.; Li,Weidong; Cenko,S.Bradley; Challis,Pete; Friedman,AndrewS.; Modjaz,Maryam; Silverman,JeffreyM.; Wood-Vasey,W.Michael
Publication:		eprint arXiv:0902.2794
Publication Date:		02/2009
Origin:		ARXIV
Keywords:		Astrophysics - Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Comment:		22 pages, 15 figures, submitted to AJ
Bibliographic Code:		2009arXiv0902.2794F

Abstract

We present ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared photometry as well as optical spectra of the peculiar supernova (SN) 2008ha. SN 2008ha had a very low peak luminosity, reaching only M_V = -14.2 mag, and low line velocities of only ~2000 km/s near maximum brightness, indicating a very small kinetic energy per unit mass of ejecta. Spectroscopically, SN 2008ha is a member of the SN 2002cx-like class of SNe, a peculiar subclass of SNe Ia; however, SN 2008ha is the most extreme member, being significantly fainter and having lower line velocities than the typical member, which is already ~2 mag fainter and has line velocities ~5000 km/s smaller (near maximum brightness) than a normal SN Ia. SN 2008ha had a remarkably short rise time of only ~10 days, significantly shorter than either SN 2002cx-like objects (~15 days) or normal SNe Ia (~19.5 days). The bolometric light curve of SN 2008ha indicates that SN 2008ha peaked at L_peak = (9.5 +/- 1.4) x 10^40 ergs/s, making SN 2008ha perhaps the least luminous SN ever observed. From its peak luminosity and rise time, we infer that SN 2008ha generated (3.0 +/- 0.9) x 10^-3 M_sun of 56Ni, had a kinetic energy of ~2 x 10^48 ergs, and ejected 0.15 M_sun of material. We classify three new (and one potential) members of the SN 2002cx-like class, expanding the sample to 14 (and one potential) members. The host-galaxy morphology distribution of the class is consistent with that of SNe Ia, Ib, Ic, and II. Several models for generating low-luminosity SNe can explain the observations of SN 2008ha; however, if a single model is to describe all SN 2002cx-like objects, either electron capture in Ne-Mg white dwarfs causing a core collapse, or deflagration of C-O white dwarfs with SN 2008ha being a partial deflagration and not unbinding the progenitor star, are preferred. Abridged.

Caroline On Fox News Channel June 17 2009

On July 3 2009 Caroline discovered her 2nd supernova
SN2009he a type 1a Caroline had just turned 15 nine days before.

On September 1 2009 Caroline will receive
a proclamation from the New York State Senate
This is the second time that New York Start has recognized
Caroline for her extraordinary discovery

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SN2008ha E-MAIL THEM TO CRAZYNOVAGIRL@AIM.COM

NGC 6888 10+hours

Rusty845 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:47:42 CDT

SBIG ST-10ME IMAGE PAGES: 2009

Rusty845 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:52:56 CST

Over the winter I picked a new camera an ST-10ME

Here are some facts about the ST-10ME

The Model ST-10XME is the flagship of the "ST" series of self-guiding CCD cameras from SBIG. The body is identical to the ST-7XME, ST-8XME, ST-9XME and ST-2000XM models with some slight modifications to accommodate the larger detector. Like other self-guiding cameras in the ST series, the ST-10ME contains two CCDs. In this case, the imaging CCD is an enhanced KAF-3200ME imaging detector from Kodak with 3.2 million pixels. The guiding CCD is the TC-237H with 657 x 495 pixels. As of March, 2006, both the single CCD and dual CCD models come with the Remote Guide Head port for attaching an external guiding head. The ST-10ME camera use a USB 1.1 interface that is as fast or faster than some competitors' USB 2.0. Moreover, the USB 1.1 interface is easily extended up to several hundred feet with commonly available and relatively inexpensive USB extenders whereas USB 2.0 is not.For a comparison of the ST-10XME please refer to the chart below. See the table below for a comparison of the two versions.
The addition of a micro lens layer over the pixels of the CCD has significantly increased the quantum efficiency of the KAF-3200ME detector. The peak QE for this CCD is over 85%. Previously, this level of QE was achievable only through the expensive process of thinning the wafer and illuminating the image sensor from the backside. The QE for the blue wavelength of 400 nm is nearly double that of the 3200E and there is a 30% increase in QE over the 3200E (from 65% to 85%) at the important deep red H-alpha emission line. Except for the increased QE, the CCD specifications remain the same as the 3200E: 2184 x 1472 pixels at 6.8 microns with the same low read noise and low dark current as the KAF-3200E CCD. The cosmetic grades also remain the same, a Class 2 CCD is free of column defects. This 3.2 megapixel CCD has a Full Frame Resolution of 2184 x 1472 pixels at 6.8 microns making it an ideal camera for wide field apochromatic refractors. The active imaging area is 17% greater than the ST-8E and the arrays contain approximately twice as many pixels. The imaging camera includes an electro-mechanical shutter, 16 bit analog to digital (A/D) converter, regulated temperature control with all of the electronics integrated into the CCD head. Communication to the PC is through the USB port with image data transfer at up to 425,000 pixels per second. Click here for more information on recent improvements in camera design and the High Speed USB Interface

The KODAK DIGITAL SCIENCE TM KAF-3200E Image Sensor is a high density, full-frame Blue Plus image sensor. It joins the family of Kodak Blue Plus sensors with improved quantum efficiency across the visible spectrum. Ultra-low dark current of less than 1e-/pixel/second at 0 degrees C (typical) allows moderate cooling for applications involving extended exposures. With an improved liquid cooling design, the ST-10XME cameras will reach approximately 45 degrees C below ambient temperature for best performance even in hot climates. Although the ST-10XE/XME camera is a perfect match to high quality refractors in high resolution mode, with 3.2 million pixels the ST-10XE/XME is easily adapted to a variety of focal lengths. The various binning modes of 6.8, 13.6 and 20.4 micron pixels allow you to match the focal length of a wide range of telescopes and lenses to this imaging camera.

There are also half-frame and quarter-frame modes available for each resolution setting. Moreover, even when binned 2x2 or 3x3 the number of pixels is still comparable to the ST-7XE, ST-8XE and ST-9XE as the table to the right illustrates. For example, in addition to 2184 x 1472 at 6.8 microns, the user can elect to image at 1092 x 736 with 6.8 micron pixels or 1092 x 736 with 13.6 micron pixels. In "low" resolution, full frame mode, the ST-10EXE/XME still operates much like a ST-9XE with 36% more pixels and 43% larger field of view! The various combinations of useable frame and pixel sizes makes this an extremely versatile camera.

The file size of high resolution images can be reduced by about half by saving the images in SBIG compressed file format. The benefit of this format is that the compression is lossless, unlike JPEG and other compression techniques. The original file size and amount of compression varies somewhat depending on the content of the image and the resolution mode selected, but the information contained in the table below is typical.
The ST-10XME camera utilizes SBIG's newest high speed analog and digital electronics with a USB interface to the PC. This new interface is up to 14 times faster than our older parallel interface, and in some cases faster than others' USB 2.0. The full frame download rate for the ST-10ME is approximately 8.7 seconds. For finding and centering objects and for focusing, various binning or partial frame modes may be selected to significantly shorten the download time. For instance, in focus mode with a 20 x 20 pixel box the download time is about 0.5 seconds per frame.
The Model ST-10XME camera maintains similar performance, low noise and high QE as the ST-8XME camera. In fact, the ST-10ME has slightly less dark current and lower read noise than the ST-8XME. The dual CCD structure also allows the full range of existing accessories to work with the ST-10ME: The AO-7 Adaptive Optics System, CFW-8A color filter wheel, CFW-10 color filter wheel, camera lens adapters, etc., are all the same for the ST-10ME as the other ST series cameras.

Astro Images 2006 Just starting out 2

Rusty845 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:41:24 CST

The Ring Nebulae M57 Luminance only.

This was one of my very first images taken of a DSO and was taked with a SAC-7 imager.

Reprocess of M42 with AIP4WIN.

Guest Image's

Rusty845 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:40:46 CST

The Images on the Page are From People Who's Work I Admire

THE GUM NEBULA ( Gum 12 )

(Feb, 4 2007)

My Friend Jim Burnell took this rare image of the Gum Nebula on his resent trip
to Guatemala. The Gum is in the constellation of Vela and is a supernova remnant.
The equipment used for this image was, Scope: Tele Vue NP 101, Mount: AP1200,

Camera:ST-10 XME, Filters: Ha & OIII. Exposure times were 8 x 8 Ha for luminance, 8 x 8
Ha for red, 11 x 8 OIII for blue and 11 x 8 OIII for green. All processing was done in AIP4WIN V2The image was taken at Adriana Sherman's Lake Atitlan observatory in Guatemala

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Rusty845 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:36:09 CST

Youngest Person Ever to discover a Supernova

Copywrite Robert Moore

Copywrite Puckett Observatory

Mp3 download link of Caroline's radio interview on WTBQ Radio Wish Kids show. A teen talk radio show

Welcome To The Caroline Benson Memorial Tree House Observatory

My name is Bob I live in the small town of Warwick, New York with my wife Nancy & our daughter Caroline.
Warwick is about 60 miles north west of New York City in the foot hills of the Catskill mountains.
.
We first got into amateur astronomy back in 2004,when our daughter asked for a scope for Christmas.
That was the start of a much delayed boyhood love of the night sky.
.
Over the last 4 years we have become members of
The Board of The Rockland Astronomy Club,
The Orange County Astronmical Association,
The International Dark -Sky Association,
North East Astro Imaging Conference Co-Chairman,
And N.E.A.F. Board of Directors
.
We have had lot's of help getting to where we are
and have made some good friends on the way!
such as
Mike Peoples
Tim Puckett
Morris Bagnall
Jim Burnell ( Co-author of AIP4WIN )
Alan Traino
Dave & Grant ( from High Point Scientific )
Mike Heuler
to name just a few
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The equipment list consists of
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Scopes
Takahashi MT-160
Orion Xt10i Newt. on a dob Orion 10" Newt. F4.5
Vixen R200SS
AstroTech 80MM ED
AstroTech 66MM ED
Hardin Optical 80mm Refractor ( guide scope )
Orion Starblast 4.5" Newt.
Coronado PST in H-Alpha
.
Mounts
Losmandy G11 with Gemini L3
Orion Atlas EQ-G goto
iOptron Cube Pro
.
Imagers
Philips ToUcam Pro II
Meade DSI Pro II
Statlight Xpress Mx-716
SBIG ST-10ME

Links

Rusty845 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:42:31 CST

Clubs:
Rockland Astronomy Clyb
Orange County Astronomical Association
North East Astro Image Conference
North East Astronomy Forum

Some of the Best Imagers I Know:
Jim Burnell's Ad\stro Imaging Page
Joe Stef's Astro Imaging page
Rob Gendlers Astro Imaging Page
Dietmar Hager
Warren Keller

Good People To Buy From:
High Point Scientific
Shoe String Astronomy
ADM Rings & Things
Orion Telescopes
QSI CCD Imagers

Help With Focusing:
How To Build A Hartman Mask
Hartman Mask Template Genertor
Diffraction Spike Focusing

Others:
Amateur Astronomy Resources on the Web
Andys Shot Glass the place to go for info.
Astro Mart
Cloudy Nights
Ken's Rings

Bubble & M52

Rusty845 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:36:56 CST

Winner of Cloudynights September 2008 DSO imaging Challenge

NGC 7380 The Wizard

Rusty845 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:17:38 CDT

2nd place Cloudynights August 2008 CCD Imaging & Processing Challenge

NGC 7000 ( The Wall )

Rusty845 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:12:22 CDT

Here is a close up image of the 'wall' or 'gulf' region of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) taken 7/14/08. 8 X 8 minute exposures were captured through a 6nm Astronomik Hydrogen Alpha filter using a QSI-532 CCD camera and a Vexin R200ss F4 scope on a G11 mount, auto-guided via the program PHD and a Meade DSI Pro II CCD camera. Image acquisition was done in Maxim DL Post processing was performed in AIP4WIN and Adobe Photoshop CS2.

Winner of Cloudynights August 2008 DSO imaging Challenge

QSI 535 Images 2008

Rusty845 — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:09:02 CDT

	.
This is my new M27	Holmes 17P With the start of a tail
.NGC 891 R200ss,MX716 Lum only stack of 5 30sec..	M33 R200ss, MX716 Lum only stack 8 30 sec.
NGC 7380 L,Ha= Red, OIII= Blue & Green	NGC 7635 Ha as Red

IC 1396

Rusty845 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:17:44 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

IC 1795

Rusty845 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:16:50 CDT

NGC 6992

Rusty845 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:11:34 CDT

NGC 6992 The eastern Veil Nebula taken 7/15/08. 8 X 8 minute exposures were captured through a 6nm Astronomik Hydrogen Alpha filter using a QSI-532 CCD camera and a Vexin R200ss F4 scope on a G11 mount, auto-guided via the program PHD and a Meade DSI Pro II CCD camera. Image acquisition was done in Maxim DL Post processing was performed in AIP4WIN and Adobe Photoshop CS2.

Astro Images 2006 Just starting out

Rusty845 — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:37:31 CDT

First ever image with DSI Pro II.

My First L,R,G,B, image.

The Bubble Nebulae.

New Observatory photos#3

Rusty845 — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:26:19 CDT

images from Fall 2007

Rusty845 — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:58:39 CDT

NGC 6946 R200ss, MX-716, G11 image is 32 min's Lum	One more BUBLE.
Holmes 17p on 10-29-07.	Holmes 17p on 11-01-07showing movement
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