Activities for GTN Participants
Details of Activities for Participants
Here are some detailed descriptions of the observing activities
for GTN participants. To engage in these activities a participant
needs to have access to a telescope system or access to telescope
time. The telescope system utilized should be capable of obtaining
filtered CCD images in the BVRI photometric system.
Participants can have their own telescope systems, or can have
access to telescopes or observatories in their local areas. Local
amateur astronomers may have telescope systems they might be willing
to have used for education or for scientific research. Often, local
universities or major observatories have small telescope systems that
can be reserved for observing runs.
Increasingly, time is becoming available for remote observing
using robotic telescope systems located at excellent observing sites.
In particular, the GTN is establishing a robotic telescope system at
a dark site in Northern California near the Sonoma State University
campus. This system, the Ground-based Optical Robotic Telescope
(GORT) will be available for observing time requests from GTN
participants.
Here are some suggested levels of commitment for GTN
participants.
Adopt a blazar
An individual or a group could adopt a particular GTN blazar.
The goal would be to observe the adopted object "as often as
possible" during its observing season. This might be a reasonable
option for a regularly scheduled class project or club project.
Objects could be selected for adoption based on known annual
weather patterns.
While the ultimate goal would be to obtain observations once or
twice a week, even observations once or twice a month, or once or
twice a season can provide useful and important information when
combined with data obtained by others. Several different groups or
individuals could adopt the same objects. Groups which have
adopted the same objects could then choose to collaborate on the
analysis and ultimate presentation or publication of the
results.
A blazar a month
An individual or group could commit to obtaining a minimum of
one or more GTN blazar observations each month throughout the
year. Such a commitment would require more or less assured access
to telescope system throughout the year. Such observations could
focus on just a few objects (as in "adopt a blazar"), or could
cover a large number of different objects.
A blazar a week
An individual or group could commit to obtaining a minimum of
one or more GTN blazar observations each week throughout the year.
Such a commitment requires a substantial investment of time and
resources. Such a commitment would likely be feasible only for
individuals or groups which manage and schedule observatory-class
facilities. Such a commitment would certainly be feasible for
individuals or groups who manage or schedule robotic telescope
systems.
Microvariability campaigns
An individual or group could commit to participating in one or
more microvariability campaigns each year. For microvariability
studies, the goal is to sit on a target object and take data as
rapidly as possible for as long as possible. Such observing runs
last for many hours at a time, preferable all night as long as the
target object is visible. A campaign normally lasts for 5-10 days
at a time during which observers attempt to have the target object
under virtually continuous observation. Such a commitment requires
the willingness to observe all night for an observing run lasting
several (or many) days. Such a commitment also requires the
ability to store and analyze the large quantities of data that are
produced. The ability to schedule a robotic telescope system for
such observations is an obvious advantage. The GTN will schedule
and participate in several microvariability campaigns each
year.
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