Participants
| Kačmár Slavomir |
| Lubomir Marcin |
| Pavol A. Dubovsky |
| Pauco Martin |
| Rebic Mathew |
| Svitič Ján |
| Michal Mráz |
| Pavol Onderčin |
| Cimbáková Zuzana |
| Kudzej Igor |
| Lazorová Iveta |
| Monika Chudy |
| Justyna Zuzia |
| Bartek Kuler |
| Ladislav Bálint |
Results
Visual observations: 4 minima of eclipsing binary stars, 38 estimates of physical variables
CCD observations: 7 minima of eclipsing binaries
Report
Variable 2006 in the sign of CCD photometry
The Vihorlat Observatory in Humenné organized another year of the traditional expedition of variable star observers Variable 2006. The expedition took place in the area of the Astronomical Observatory at Kolonic Saddle. Co-organizers were the Slovak Central Observatory in Hurbanovo, the Slovak Astronomical Society and the Local Group of Slovak Union of Astronomers in Snina. The leader of the expedition was the director of the Vihorlat observatory RNDr. Igor Kudzej.
As always, the expedition was focused on practical observation of variable stars. A new element was CCD photometry. Over the past year, the observatory’s equipment has been expanded with three Meade DSI Pro CCD cameras, which can work in parallel on different mounts with different telescopes. During the expedition, a 30 cm pointer of the Vihorlat National Telescope, a 26.5 cm Newton Hugo on a german equatorial mount by Uniwersal from Žywec and a 400 mm telephoto lens on a german equatorial mount by Carl Zeiss Jena were used. The observations were aimed at obtaining times of minima of eclipsing binaries.
A significant revival of the expedition was the foreign participation of 4 representatives of the Youth Astronomical Observatory from Niepolomice in Poland. Their enthusiasm was also transferred to the local participants and the leader of the group, Mgr. Monika Chudy also brought her experience in three-channel photoelectric photometry at the Suhora Observatory.
The results of the expedition can be summarized in the following statistics:
- The weather allowed only 4 observation nights, even that only partially clear
- 6 observers obtained 7 CCD minima of eclipsing binaries
- 4 visual observers measured 4 minima in two stars
- A total of 14 observers participated in the observing activities
- A total of 10 eclipsing variable stars were observed
- In addition, the output of the expedition is 38 visual estimates of physical variables.
In one case, we simultaneously observed the minimum of DI Peg with a CCD camera on a 400mm telephoto lens and visually via Somet Binar. Complete beginner Bartek Kuler measured the time of the minimum by 10 minutes behind the CCD measurement.
Pavol A. Dubovsky
CCD minimum of DI Peg performed by a 400 mm telephoto lens and DSI Pro camera, operated by Ladislav Bálint and Justyna Zuzia.