Studying Variable Stars

From CoolWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

Calendar Scavenger Hunt

Developed by Beth Thomas. Here is a worksheet for exploring various ways of measuring time: worksheet (pdf) and answer key (pdf)

Interacting Binary Star System Activity

Developed by Beth Thomas. This completely self-contained activity was originally designed for a Spitzer Teacher project (from 2008). Download the pdf here.

Simulation of an Eclipse of WZ Sge Activity

Developed by Beth Thomas. This completely self-contained activity was originally designed for a Spitzer Teacher project (from 2008). Download the pdf here.

How do you find variables?

Based on materials developed by Peter Plavchan, NExScI/IPAC/Caltech

Accessing Kepler and CoRoT data

Kepler and CoRoT data are much more than just exoplanets, but of course they're in here too.

What is a periodogram?

Information on periodograms -- what they are, why you care about them, and how to use the NASA Exoplanet Archive's tool for determining them.

Movie tutorials for Kepler data

These were created by John Blackwell (Exeter) for one of the 2011 NITARP teams. Note that they were developed using an earlier version of the NASA Exoplanet Archive's interface, but should still be helpful.

  • http://youtu.be/3r0ltH9Ixg0 -- searching the Kepler database, obtaining light curves, periodograms, and interpreting the periodograms. (~4 min)
  • http://youtu.be/lzrtQSxwajg -- more on Kepler light curves and periodograms, and how to do more sophisticated investigation of the light curves using the NASA Exoplanet Archive's tools. (~8 min)

Measuring eclipsing binaries in the Kepler data set

Based on materials developed by Julian van Eyken, NExScI/IPAC/Caltech

NanoKepler -- Hunting for Planets with Kepler

Based on materials developed by Kaspar von Braun, NExScI/IPAC/Caltech

Hunting for Planets with CoRoT

Based on materials developed by Stephen Kane, NExScI/IPAC/Caltech

Classifying variables in the Kepler data set

Based on materials developed by Peter Plavchan, NExScI/IPAC/Caltech -- still under construction

Other Resources