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CONTEST WINNERS
NOVEMBER 2001

Imaging Category:

Adam Block

Science Category:

Gianluca Masi

Credit: Adam Block/AURA/NOAO/NSF
To see the image full size click here.
For details go to: http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m1.html

Adam Block nearly won in both categories with this LRGB image of M1! The LRGB image was taken with an ST-8E camera, CFW8 filter wheel and AO-7 adaptive optics accessory. This high resolution shot prompted Fred Hermann to suggest that Adam blink this image with an older one to see if the expansion of the nebula could be detected. Not only is the expansion obvious but the proper motion of stars and change of angular position of one binary is clearly seen in the result. To see the blinked image click here.

Gianluca Masi provided an excellent light curve from the recent extremely rare
superoutburst of WZ Sge. For details see his web site at:
http://www.bellatrixobservatory.org/wzsge.htm

"Time-resolved, unfiltered differential photometry has been performed by Gianluca Masi from July 23.89 to July 24.01 [reference star: GSC 1621:1830 (V=8.76, R=8.64- the latter an indication by B. Skiff for this A2-type star)]. The resulting lightcurve, with a good signal-to-noise ratio, shows large variations (0.5 mag); also, three eclipses are very well visible, in good agreement with the ephemeris provided by Kato on VSNET. The distance in time among these eclipses is about 82 minutes (and the same period is for primary maxima). Superimposed to this main trend there is another evident, smaller but strong modulation (probably developing superhumps). Also main maxima (and minima) clearly give the impression that the star was still rising during the observing run, with a trend of 0.9 mag/day.

Congratulations to the winners!