Accurate Photometry with Digitized Photographic Plates of the Moscow Collection. Issue Volume 14:Issue S339(2018) (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sokolovsky, K. V.; Zubareva, A. M.; Kolesnikova, D. M.; Samus, N. N.; Antipin, S. V.; Belinski, A. A.
• Editors: Griffin, E.
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. Volume 14:Issue S339(2018)
• Page Start: 340
• Page End: 343
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: Techniques: photometric, -- stars: variables: other; Astronomy -- Congresses; Astronomy -- Periodicals; 520
• DOI: 10.1017/S174392131800296X
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-9213

Abstract

Abstract: Photographic plate archives contain a wealth of information about the positions and brightness of celestial objects decades ago. Plate digitization is necessary to make this information accessible, but extracting it is a technical challenge. We have developed algorithms to extract photometry with an accuracy of better than ∼0.1 mag. in the range 13 < B < 17 mag from photographic images obtained in 1948–1996 with the 40-cm Sternberg Institute astrograph (30 × 30 cm plate size, 10 × 10 deg field of view) and digitized using a flatbed scanner. The extracted photographic light-curves are used to identify thousands of new high-amplitude variable stars (>0.2 mag). The algorithms are implemented in the free softwareVaST available athttp://scan.sai.msu.ru/vast/