Magnitude Report of Variable Stars to VSNET

Japanese version Home Page Updated on November 12, 2000

Magnitude Report of Variable Stars to VSNET

The sample image used in this page is taken by KenIchi Kadota.

This page introduces how to look up variable stars in the image field and report the magnitude of all variable stars to the VSNET (Variable Star Network), after the examination using the PIXY System 2.

Go to the PIXY System 2 page.

Here is the sample FITS image and the examination result XML file used in this page. Please download them. The XML file contains the result of the examination using the Guide Star Catalog.

2300+6000.fts
2300+6000.xml

This is the image of the Milky Way around Cassiopeia, taken with 35-mm camera lens and CCD.

Zoom In

Here are the steps to look up variable stars in the image field using the PIXY System 2 and report the magnitude of all variable stars to the VSNET (Variable Star Network). You have to examine the image as introduced in the Examine Your Image page and save the result in the XML file in advance.

Push Review button.
Select [File] - [Open XML File] menu and open the XML file.
Select [Analysis] - [Identify] menu.
Select a catalog and run.
Wait for some seconds.
Select [Analysis] - [Magnitude Report to VSNET/VSOLJ] menu.
Check the check boxes of variable stars only in the table window.
Click the right button of your mouse and select [Save] menu.

Let's follow the steps in detail.

First of all, run the PIXY System 2 and select Review in the main menu window.

Then a new virtual desktop appears.

First, open the XML file. Select the [File] - [Open XML File] menu and open the sample XML file you downloaded.

The image file is automatically opened when opening the XML file in general. If the message shows you that the image file is not found, select the [File] - [Open Image File] menu and open the image you downloaded.

Then select the [Analysis] - [Identify] menu, and a dialog appears to select a catalog to identify with.

In order to look up all of the common variable stars in the image field, it is recommended to identify with the following catalog.

General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS 2000)

You have to get the catalogs by yourself. Push the Help button on the dialog, and the information on the selected catalog appears and shows you how to get or download the catalog. For example, in case of the GCVS 2000, it shows the following information.

The arranged file of the General Catalogue of Variable Stars, 4.1 Edition, and the recent Name Lists, compiled by Taichi Kato and Makoto Iida.

Download:
http://www.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/vsnet/gcvs/gcvs2000.all

Some catalog files are compressed by the gzip command. The filename of the compressed catalog ends with .gz suffix. The PIXY System 2 can also read the compressed file, so uncompression is not required.

Here is the identification result of the sample image with the GCVS 2000. You can review the windows introduced in this page when you open this XML file in the Review mode of the PIXY System 2.

2300+6000-2.xml

Open this XML file and select the [Analysis] - [Identification Overview Chart] menu, then the overview chart appears where the identified stars are plotted. You can see so many variable stars are detected from the sample image.

Zoom In

After the identification process is completed, select the [Analysis] - [Magnitude Report to VSNET/VSOLJ] menu. Then a dialog appears.

Here you have to input the date and time, filter code, and your observer's code. If you have no observer's code, please make a contact to the VSNET administrators. On the filter code, push the Help button and select one in the list.

Push the OK button and a table window appears.

Only the magnitude of variable stars, not all of the detected stars, should be reported to the VSNET. So only check boxes of variable stars must be checked. First of all, click the header of the Name column and the data is sorted in order of the name. Then click the header of the check boxes column and cancel of all checks. Finally, check only the variable stars.

After finished checking all variable stars, click the right button of your mouse and select the [Save] menu in the popup menu. Then the magnitude report file to the VSNET is created, as follows.

ANDAY 19980620.72345 73C Mis GSC3985.921 ANDBQ 19980620.72345 85C Mis GSC3634.76 ANDRT 19980620.72345 73C Mis GSC3998.2312 ANDRZ 19980620.72345 95C Mis GSC3998.2342 ANDSS 19980620.72345 66C Mis GSC3998.1952 ANDV387 19980620.72345 62C Mis GSC3999.2075 CASAR 19980620.72345 55C Mis GSC4011.1296,GSC4011.1297 CASBB 19980620.72345 95C Mis GSC4285.1074 CASCEa 19980620.72345 87C Mis GSC4281.1042,CASCEb,CASCF CASCG 19980620.72345 92C Mis GSC4014.3024,CASV654 CASCU 19980620.72345 87C Mis GSC4019.3606 CASCZ 19980620.72345 91C Mis GSC4284.1168 CASDD 19980620.72345 94C Mis GSC4285.314 CASDG 19980620.72345 81C Mis GSC4003.1056 CASDK 19980620.72345 82C Mis GSC3661.1300 CASDL 19980620.72345 <91C Mis GSC4015.2567 CASDQ 19980620.72345 49C Mis GSC4283.1498 CASDS 19980620.72345 89C Mis

All Data

Attach the file and send the e-mail to the VSNET. For more details, please read the VSNET home page.

http://www.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/vsnet/

As mentioned in this page, the CCD image with a wide field camera lens can yield magnitude data of many variable stars at one time. However, the identification of variable stars is sometimes in mistake, especially in case a faint variable star locates near by a bright star, a variable star locates in a cluster, some variable stars are very close, and so on.

Select the [Analysis] - [Identification Report] menu and a table window of the identification result appears. You can see the data of variable stars, and checks the position difference between the detected position and the cataloged position of variable stars. It is recommended to verify the identification result using this table.

Zoom In