Observation of the Moon, planets and  NEO’s – comets and asteroids. CCD observations of nebulae.
 

Necessary preparation before the observation

1.Introduction to Schmidt telescope and CCD camera
Brief information about the Schmidt telescope 50/70: The diameter of the objective mirror of the Schmidt telescope is 70 cm. The correction lens that compensates the aberration of the mirror has a diameter of 50 cm. The focal distance is 172 cm. The telescope has a 5-cm finder and a 20-cm guide.

Scheme of a Schmidt telescope:

Equatorial assemble: a circle of right accession and declination. A formula for estimation of t:

2. Introduction to the software of the camera and the star catalogue Guide 7
The software of the camera is CCDops.exe. Look at the instructions how to use the camera

3.Introduction to the objects that you are going to observe. Preparation of an observing plan for the night.
 

Observational program

1. Observation of the planets Jupiter and Mars
2. Observation of the Moon
3. Observation of NEO’s
 

Moon Phases and structures

Object:………………………........…     a = …^h …^m …^s    b =…° …’
Observer:……………….........………    Location: NAO Rozhen ( l = 1° 38’ f = 41 ° 41’)
Type of instruments: ....................……........................................................................

Note: ............................................................................................................................................
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Mars

Object:………………………........…     a = …^h …^m …^s    b =…° …’
Observer:……………….........………    Location: NAO Rozhen ( l = 1° 38’ f = 41 ° 41’)
Type of instruments: ....................……........................................................................

Note: ............................................................................................................................................
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Jupiter and its moons

Object:………………………........…     a = …^h …^m …^s    b =…° …’
Observer:……………….........………    Location: NAO Rozhen ( l = 1° 38’ f = 41 ° 41’)
Type of instruments: ....................……........................................................................
 

Date:…………………… 

Date:……………………

Note: ............................................................................................................................................
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Observation of the constellations

Observational tasks

1. Visit to the 2-m telescope – from 22h to 23h.
2. Observations of the following constellations: Draco, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Andromeda, Perseus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia – from 23h to 24h
3. Observations of double stars: b Cygnus, 61 Cygnus, e Lyra, n Draco, h Cassiopeia, g Andromeda, h Perseus, a Canes Venatichi, a Hercules, x Hercules, b Perseus, b Lyra, RZ Cassiopeia.
4. Observations of meteors. 
5. Observations of variable stars - Algol in the constellation Perseus, and RZ Cassiopeia.

Necessary preparation for the day

You have to: 
· Find the constellations Draco, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Andromeda, Perseus, Cepheus and Cassiopeia on the star map.
· Find the brightest stars: b Cygnus, 61 Cygnus, e Lyra, n Draco, h Cassiopeia, g Andromeda, h Perseus, a Canes Venatichi, a Hercules, x Hercules, b Perseus, b Lyra, RZ Cassiopeia.
· Read the instructions for visual observation of meteors.
· Read the instructions for observation of variable stars and to look at the observational form and the map for the variable star Algol and RZ from Cassiopeia.

Observational tasks
1. Visit to the 2-m telescope – from 22h to 23h.
2. Observation of the following constellations: Draco Corona Borealis, Hercules, Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila , Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Andromeda, Perseus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia:
Look at the configuration of the constellations, and find the brightest and the faintest star; Find the number of the stars that you can see with naked eye in each constellation and fill in the constellations observing form. 
 

Constellation observing form

Observer:………………………    Location: NAO Rozhen ( l = 1° 38’ f = 41 ° 41’)
Type of instruments: ....................……........................................................................
 
 

Constellations	Brightest star, designation	Faintest star, designation	Number of  stars in the  constellation
Draco (Dra)
Corona Borealis (CrB)
Hercules (Her)
Cygnus (Cyg)
Lyra (Lyr)
Aquila (Agl)
Ophiuchus (Oph)
Scorpius (Sco)
Ursa Major (UMa)
Ursa Minor (UMi)
Andromeda (And)
Perseus (Per)
Cepheus (Cep)
Cassiopeia (Cas)

 

Observations of double stars

A huge part of all stars on the sky are grouped in pairs. Not all stars that we can see are connected to each other. Some of them are accidentally projected on the sky hemisphere as stars situated near each other, but this is just the way we see them. Such stars are called optical binaries. For example: z from Ursa Major - Mitsar and Alkor. There are stars that are actually near each other in space. Such stars are called true binaries. This is because they are connected in a double system with gravitational forces. Under the influence of gravity they turn around a common centre of gravity and the more massive star is called the main star, and the other one is called a satellite star. 

Observational classification of double stars:
1) Visual double stars - these are double systems in which stars can be seen as separate in a telescope, for example: Mitsar А (2^m.4) and Mitsar В (4^m.0). There are about 2000 visual double systems.
2) Eclipsing binaries - they cannot be seen as separate in a telescope. The change of the brightness of one of the stars is due to a periodical eclipse of one the stars over the other. For example: b Perseus
3) Spectral binary stars - These stars are double because there is a change in their spectrum- one can observe a periodical shift of spectral lines. 
Observe the following interesting double stars: b Cygnus, 61 Cygnus, e Lyra, n Draco, h Cassiopeia, g Andromeda, h Perseus, a Canes Venatichi, a Hercules, x Hercules. Fill in the stars observing form.

Star observing form

Observer:………………………    Location: NAO Rozhen ( l = 1° 38’ f = 41 ° 41’)
Type of instruments: ....................……........................................................................
 

Observation of meteors (2 observational periods х 20 min)

1) Methods for observation of meteors. 
2) Sky maps
3) Observing forms
 

Observation of variable stars

Steps:
· Find the star on the sky. Use star atlases or the sky maps of AAVSO. 
· Choose the stars for comparison and find them on the sky. Choose several pairs of stars that you will use for comparison – for example 3 pairs. 
· Give an evaluation of the brightness of the variable star. 

Methods for evaluation:
1) Method of Argelander 
We observe consequently the star for а and the variable star v. If we see that they do not differ from brightness we write down on the form а = v. If, after a long period of comparing, we see that а is less bright, we write down а1v and say that a is one degree brighter than v.
If you see a difference immediately after you have looked at the stars, then we write down that the evaluation is а2v. A larger difference in the brightness is evaluated as а3v, а4v, а5v.
After having made this comparison with the star a, we choose other 3 stars and the evaluation is repeated.
2) Method of Pickering
You choose 2 stars for comparison – one of them is brighter and the other fainter than the variable star. The interval of brightness between the stars is divided into 10. Observing carefully first the variable star and than the stars for comparison, you should determine the interval from degrees of brightness, for example: a1v9b, a3v7b, a8v2b or in the common type apv(10-p)b. The brightest star is always written as the first one. 
Determination of star magnitude of variable stars using the method of Pickering. 
Example: The star magnitude of the brighter star a used for comparison is m_a = 3.0
The magnitude of the fainter star b used for comparison is m_b = 3.6
The received value is: а4v6b
DP = m_a - m_b= 3.6 – 3.0 = 0.6 (here we subtract the magnitudes)
P = 0.6 : 10 = 0.06 (divide DP of 10) 
Look at the first value - а4v means that the star magnitude of the bright star a is 4х0.06 brighter than the magnitude of the variable star.
m_v= m_a + 4x0.06 = 3.0 + 4x0.06 = 3.0 + 0.24 = 3.24
m_v = 3.24
Look at the second value – v6b means that the magnitude of the fain star b is 6х0.06 fainter than the magnitude of the variable star.
m_v = m_b - 6x0.6 = 3.6 - 6x0.06 = 3.6-0.36 = 3.24
m_v = 3.24

Repeat this calculation for the other pairs of stars, and you will receive the evaluation of the magnitude of the variable star. 

Variable star observing form

Observer:………………………    Location: NAO Rozhen ( l = 1° 38’ f = 41 ° 41’)
Type of instruments: ....................……........................................................................
 
 

Observational program

1.Task: Observation of meteors (3 observational periods х 20 min):
1) Read about the method for observation of meteors
2) Use star maps 
3) Fill in the observing forms

2. Task: Observation of variable stars
· b Perseus
· RZ Cassiopeia
· r Perseus
Look at the maps of the variable stars, find the variable stars on the sky, give evaluation of the brightness of the variable stars and fill in the variable stars observing forms.
 

Observation of Messier's deepsky objects

Necessary preparation before the observation

Look at the objects from the Messier catalogue and see which objects you are going to observe. 
· Find the constellation, in which the Messier objects are situated. 
· Creation of an observational program for making photographes, taking into consideration the fact when the objects rise and how much time you have to photograph them 
· Introduction to working with a telescope. Installation of the telescope on its stand. 
· Observation of the Sun that will be projected on a piece of paper. 
· Preparation of the photo cameras

Taking photographs of the night sky

When one photographs celestial objects using a telescope and a camera, one should know the field of its vision. For example, if you have a lens of an amateur photo camera with focus distance 50 mm of a cadre 24х36 mm, then it will photo a field from the sky of  approximately 30° х 40°, i.e. this means  more than 1000 square degrees.

It is useful for you to know the following characteristics: 
1.Dimension of the photograph – it is used to determine the length of the object on the negative. If a is angular size of the object ( in arc minutes), F – focus distance of the lens, then the linear size of the lens is
d [mm} = a * F[mm] * sin1’,
and sin1’ = 1/3437,75 = 0.000291
Example: The angular diameter of the Moon is 31’. The linear diameter of the moon on a photograph will be:
d [mm] = F [mm] * 0.009 = F [mm] * 1/111, i.e. about 1/100 from the focus distance.

Suggested Messier objects:
Star clusters- М10, М12,М2, М13, М34
Nebulae – М57, М27, М8
Galaxies – М51, М81, М31, М33, 
 

Deepsky objects observing form

Observer:………………………    Location: NAO Rozhen ( l = 1° 38’ f = 41 ° 41’)
Type of instruments: ....................……........................................................................
 
 

Object, constellation	Date (hh:mm)	Telescope	Type of object	Drawing

Deepsky objects Photographer's form

Observer:………………………    Location: NAO Rozhen ( l = 1° 38’ f = 41 ° 41’)
Type of instruments: ....................……........................................................................
 
 

Object	Photographic camera	Camera's lens	Date, UT,  hh:mm	Exposure time	Type and sensibility of the film	Note (Cloudy, Windy, Moon)