Finding Comparison Stars with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

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Finding Comparison Stars with the Sloan Digital
Sky Survey

• Jordan Raddick (Johns Hopkins University)

AAVSO Annual Meeting November 3, 2007
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Why use SDSS?

• Large source of comparison stars
• 25 of full sky
• 90 million stars
• Reliable mags 14 to 24
• Well-calibratedphotometry
• ugriz standard, can be converted to uvbri

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Why use SDSS?

• Long-term reliability
• Educational materials available

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SkyServer

• Entire database of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
• Free to anyone
• Tools for data access
• Projects for education

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SkyServer VS Sequences

• New tool for variable star photometry
• Uses sequence rules from JAAVSO paper
• Designed with Aaron at ASP meeting, 9/07
• Developed at JHU using ASPX web services
• Coming soon to skyserver.sdss.org
• Will E-mail link when its live

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SkyServer VS Sequences
DEMO
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Backup demo
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Backup demo
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Backup demo
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Backup demo
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New feature requests

• How else could this be helpful?
• We will consider
• Graphical representation of celestial sphere
• HMS/DMS input
• Cut off mags at 3 decs
• Update query on submit (or gray out submit)
• Show error for uvbri
• White sky, black stars
• Put chart together with table
• Flip left/right, mirror