A Practical Guide to Lightcurve Photometry and Analysis [Paperback]

Tools for amateur astronomers who wish to go beyond CCD imaging and step into serious science. The text offers techniques for gathering, analyzing, and publishing data, and describes joint projects in which amateurs and students can take part. Readers learn to recognize and avoid common errors in gathering photometry data, with detailed examples for analysis. Includes reviews of available software, with screen shots and useful tips.

It is a pleasure and an honor to offer a few words of forward to Brian Warner's guide to photometry. In his preface, he makes a considerable point about amateurs and professionals, and those who dare or deign to step across the line supposedly dividing the two. Here I would like to make a few observations about the two monikers, and suggest that there is not, or at least should not be, a distinction - tween amateur and professional. In preparing these remarks I referred to W- sters New Collegiate Dictionary (1960 edition; not so new anymore, but that was when my collegiate experience began): am?a?teur, n. [F. , fr. L. amator lover, fr. amare to love. ] 1. One who cultivates a particular pursuit, study, or science, from taste, without pursuing it professionally; also, a dabbler. 2. In sports and esp. athletics, one who is not rated as a professional. Well. . . a dabbler eh? not rated as a professional ? No wonder we have an identity problem here. Somehow in my youth as an amateur astronomer I missed this connotation of the term. To me, the meaning of the term amateur was do- nated by its root, to love, that is, one who does what he does out of love of the subject, not for remuneration (to the extent one can get away with that).Getting Started.- Targets of Opportunity.- Photometry Fundamentals.- The Photometry Primer.- Photometric Reductions.- Second Order Extinction.- Telescopes and Cameras.- Imaging and Photometry Software.- Collecting Photons.- Analyzing the Data.- Period Analysis.- Building Star Systems.-lq