Here's an example of quick/easy science that you can do...without all that calibration stuff. No filter needed, just bias, dark, flat calibration.
Some of us are taking data for IPHAS 0627+0148, a cataclysmic variable where the white dwarf rotates every 37 minutes or so. It's also an eclipsing system - happens about every 8 hours.
Our data helps update the orbital ephemeris since we captured an eclipse. But with some frequency analysis/processing of the data...the principal investigator has removed the eclipse and slow rise/fall/flickering (typical in many CV's)...and shown that we clearly captured the 37-minute white dwarf rotation.
This was taken with a C-11, unfiltered, 120-second exposures. (The variable was about mag 16 - in it's 'bright' state.)
Bob, it's hard for you to corral that 24-inch for 8 hours...but in 1 or 1.5 hours...you can take enough data to help refine/update things like white dwarf rotation in cataclysmic variables.
Some pro's would be very happy to have that data from time to time. Mike Rice will be happy that you don't tie up the scope all night. And you don't need to spend hours determining extinction and transformation coefficients.
Three attachements:
1. Light curve, showing eclipse
2. Power spectrum (with orbital frequency removed), showing the white dwarf rotation at about 40 cycles/day
3. Light curve, detrended (low-freq. variations removed), and phase plotted/wrapped at the 37-minute white dwarf rotation period.
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Tom Krajci
Cloudcroft, New Mexico
http://picasaweb.google.com/tom.krajci
Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA)
http://cbastro.org/ CBA New Mexico
American Association of Variable Star
Observers (AAVSO): KTC http://www.aavso.org/
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