Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"How to Start with CCD Photometry"
Closed captioning is enabled for this video. Our How-to Hour with Bob Buchheim was originally broadcast on May 1, 2021. It will benefit those of you who are curious about the “measurement” aspect of CCD imaging. Buchheim will introduce the concept of stellar photometry, some differences in imaging techniques* when your goal is “measurement” vs. “beauty,” and suggestions for your first few variable star activities.
This How-to Hour will be useful to you even without any experience in CCD imaging, but a little bit of knowledge will be helpful. The goal is to help you experience variable star measurement for yourself, so you can decide if it is an activity that you enjoy.
*A post-webinar note: We discussed the importance of Dark and Flat (and Bias) frames. Buchheim emphasizes that those are the only processing that should be done for your photometry images: no sharpening, no deconvolution, etc. The images may look washed out and “blah,” but they will contain the left-alone photometric information, which is what your photometry software expects.
There was a question about whether Sloan filters are acceptable for AAVSO photometry. The answer is “yes” – the AAVSO photometry database does recognize and accept Sloan-filtered data (filter codes are SU, SG, SR, SI, SZ for the Sloan u’, g’, r’, i’ z’ filters).
Explore AAVSO and how YOU can make a valuable contribution to science by visiting us at aavso.org
"How to Start with CCD Photometry"
Closed captioning is enabled for this video. Our How-to Hour with Bob Buchheim was originally broadcast on May 1, 2021. It will benefit those of you who are curious about the “measurement” aspect of CCD imaging. Buchheim will introduce the concept of stellar photometry, some differences in imaging techniques* when your goal is “measurement” vs. “beauty,” and suggestions for your first few variable star activities.
This How-to Hour will be useful to you even without any experience in CCD imaging, but a little bit of knowledge will be helpful. The goal is to help you experience variable star measurement for yourself, so you can decide if it is an activity that you enjoy.
*A post-webinar note: We discussed the importance of Dark and Flat (and Bias) frames. Buchheim emphasizes that those are the only processing that should be done for your photometry images: no sharpening, no deconvolution, etc. The images may look washed out and “blah,” but they will contain the left-alone photometric information, which is what your photometry software expects.
There was a question about whether Sloan filters are acceptable for AAVSO photometry. The answer is “yes” – the AAVSO photometry database does recognize and accept Sloan-filtered data (filter codes are SU, SG, SR, SI, SZ for the Sloan u’, g’, r’, i’ z’ filters).
Explore AAVSO and how YOU can make a valuable contribution to science by visiting us at aavso.org
![AAVSO How [My Students and I do Science With AAVSO Data and How You Can, Too]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hAu4MMD7g_g/mqdefault.jpg "AAVSO How [My Students and I do Science With AAVSO Data and How You Can, Too]
Originally broadcast May 7, 2022. Guest instructor: John Percy
Variable stars provide astronomers with unique and important information about the nature, evolution, and behavior of stars. AAVSO observers contribute mightily to this enterprise. For half a century, I have been engaged in variable star research, and in supervising and mentoring undergraduate research students, and even high school students. They can develop and integrate a wide range of science, math, and computing skills, motivated by the thrill of doing real science with real data – including AAVSO data – and publishing their results in journals such as the Journal of the AAVSO (JAAVSO). Skilled amateur astronomers can do this too, whether they are observers or not! I will lead you through some of our projects using freely-available AAVSO data and, more recently, freely-available ASAS-SN data. You will learn about the particular strengths of these datasets, and about the complementary power of light-curve analysis and time-series analysis, using the AAVSO VSTAR package. I will explain what we do, and how, and why. And I will point out some of the science which can be done – by you and/or your students.
John Percy is a very active Professor Emeritus of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Science Education at the University of Toronto. He has served as president of six national or international science and education organizations, including the IAU Commission on Variable Stars, and the AAVSO (1989-1991). He has been an AAVSO member for over 40 years, was the editor of JAAVSO for 10 years, and continues to serve as co-advisor to the Long-period Variable Observing Section.
If you are interested in:
* AAVSOs Long-period Variable Observing Section: https://www.aavso.org/aavso-long-period-variable-section
* attending the Zoom sessions of our How-to series: https://www.aavso.org/2022-how-to-hours
* finding out more about AAVSO, visit our welcome page: aavso.org/welcome")
