Dear group,
I sat down last night to pursue the 175-minute transit of the exoplanet HAT-P-5b in the constellation of Lyra. The parent star, GSC 2634:1087, is characterized with a magnitude of 11.950 (v) and, with a transit depth of 13 mmag (ie. 11.950 pre-ingress and 11.963 mid-transit), I was very apprehensive about a successful capture of the associated light curve. To make matters worse, my target was relatively low in the sky, for my pre-ingress sequence was with the parent star at 30 degrees altitude and a further five degrees higher at the onset of ingress.
Of course, my thoroughbred (aka AP160) showed its rich pedigree to its fullest and made child's play of the challenge at hand: http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Photometry-HAT-P-5-20080528.htm .... and all of this is with a first-generation (and noisy) ST-2000XM camera.
I have another transit involving the exoplanet WASP-3b, also in Lyra, for this Saturday with a depth of 12.9 mmag and I hope to have results immediately therafter. I must sit down and identify an even more challenging target for my thoroughbred for this evening as well as tomorrow evening.
Thanks to Rolando and company for these incredible instruments!!!
Anthony.
I sat down last night to pursue the 175-minute transit of the exoplanet HAT-P-5b in the constellation of Lyra. The parent star, GSC 2634:1087, is characterized with a magnitude of 11.950 (v) and, with a transit depth of 13 mmag (ie. 11.950 pre-ingress and 11.963 mid-transit), I was very apprehensive about a successful capture of the associated light curve. To make matters worse, my target was relatively low in the sky, for my pre-ingress sequence was with the parent star at 30 degrees altitude and a further five degrees higher at the onset of ingress.
Of course, my thoroughbred (aka AP160) showed its rich pedigree to its fullest and made child's play of the challenge at hand: http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Photometry-HAT-P-5-20080528.htm .... and all of this is with a first-generation (and noisy) ST-2000XM camera.
I have another transit involving the exoplanet WASP-3b, also in Lyra, for this Saturday with a depth of 12.9 mmag and I hope to have results immediately therafter. I must sit down and identify an even more challenging target for my thoroughbred for this evening as well as tomorrow evening.
Thanks to Rolando and company for these incredible instruments!!!
Anthony.