v* - vStar Online v1.0 User's Guide
v* - vStar Online v1.0 User's Guide

  Introduction
  GPL
Application

HowTo Search Variable Stars
  Overview
Refining Results
    By Coordinates
    By Constellation
    By Light Curve

Glossary

Source Code Download

 

Introduction

 

GPL

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vStar - Searches variable star records in AAVSO data file. Copyright © 2012- Frederick (Rick) Burton @ DataPathways.com

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.

Application

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vStar performs a selection of searches for variable stars based on American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) records. NOTE: The data file is no longer available from AAVSO, but is included with this program here http://astronomy.datapathways.com/concepts/WDS/vallongtype.txt


 

HowTo Search Variable Stars

 

Overview

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Position Criteria

  • Select criteria values from the droplists in the upper left portion of the vStar screen, then click the "Search" button.
  • Right Ascension and Declination criteria specify an area of the sky to search.
  • Alternately select a constellation from the drop-list just below Right Ascension and Declination.
  • TIP: The values 00 and 23 respectively for Right Ascension , then -90 and +90 respectively for Declination will include the entire sky.

Light Curve Criteria

  • Magnitude and Period criteria set limits on variability behaviors of the stars to include in the search.
  • When the "Mag:" check box is checked, magnitude values are used in the current search. When unchecked, magnitude values are disregarded.
  • When the "Period:" check box is checked, the minimum and maximum values are used in the current search. When unchecked, period length is disregarded.
  • When the "No Lt. Curve" check box is checked, only stars with no magnitude or period values are included in the search. When unchecked, magnitude and period are used as specified.
  • TIP: With all three check boxes unchecked, every star in the designated region of the sky is displayed.

Refining Search Results

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Right Ascension

Hours are selected with values ranging from 00 to 23. The "West" value represents the western-most hour to search while the "East" value represents the eastern-most hour to search. When the same value is entered for West and East, only that hour is searched. Any values within the given range may be selected for either criteria. The hour 00 will be spanned when it is contained by the series of hours to be searched.

Declination

Degrees are selected with values ranging from -90 to 90. Negative values represent southern degrees and positive values represent northern degrees. The "South" value represents the southern-most declination to search while the "North" value represents the northern-most declination to search. Any values within the given range may be entered, but South must be less than North.

Constellation

Constellations are selected from the "Constellation" drop-list. When any constellation is selected, Right Ascension and Declination are disabled as coordinates will be determined by constellation boundaries.

Magnitude

Maximum magnitude is selected as a positive value. This "Max >" value represents the lower limit of brightness (or upper limit of numeric value) for the maximum magnitude of the star's brightness range.

Delta magnitude is selected as a positive value. This "Delta" value represents the least amount of brightness change for the star's complete period (See below).

TIP: The values 99 and 0 respectively for Max and Delta will include any records with magnitude data.

Period

Days are selected as positive values. The "Least" and "Greatest" values represent the lower and upper limits of the period of time, in days, during which the star's brightness change completes one cycle.

TIP: The values 0 and 99999 respectively for Min and Max will include any records with period length data.

No Light Curve

This option is selected to retrieve records for which there are no values for either magnitude or period.

TIP: When this criteria is selected, both Magnitude and Period criteria are disabled. With all three check boxes unchecked, Magnitude, Period and No Light Curve, every star in the designated region of the sky is displayed.


 

Glossary

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  Right Ascension: Astronomical Longitude. Each hour equals 15 degrees and is divided into minutes and seconds of arc.

Declination: Astronomical Latitude. Degrees mirror terrestrial latitude with negative numbers representing southern locations.

Magnitude: Brightness Scale. Each whole number represents a change in brightness by a factor of 2.512 (5th root of 100) so that every five whole numbers represents a change in brightness by a factor of 100. Smaller values indicate greater brightness. A magnitude of 6.0 is naked-eye threshold.

Period: Length of Brightness Variation Cycle. The duration of the entire brightness variation pattern expressed in decimal days.

Light Curve: Variable star's changes in brightness over time represented as a graph - typically a somewhat wave-like curve.