Workshop 2024

Workshop on Observational Techniques

26 August – 6 September 2024 at Ondřejov observatory

Overview

The Stellar Department at ASU, in collaboration with the Stellar Astrophysics Group at the University of Potsdam and TLS – Thuringian State Observatory in Tautenburg, Germany, will host the Fourth International Workshop on Observational Techniques 2024 at the Ondřejov Observatory from Monday 26 August to Friday 6 September 2024.

The workshop consists of lectures and practical exercises. It aims to teach students how to prepare and carry out an observing run, select targets using data mining techniques, and process and analyze photometric and spectroscopic data. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to perform spectroscopic and photometric observations on the Perek telescope in Ondřejov, and how to perform remote observations on the E152 telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile. In addition to gaining unique expertise in observational astrophysics, students will also have the opportunity to significantly contribute to specific ongoing scientific projects on runaway stars, hot subdwarf binaries, and exoplanets.

The workshop is open to interested students from the Stellar Astrophysics Group at the University of Potsdam in Germany, from the Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics at the Masaryk University in Brno (course F9146 Observational techniques), and from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at the Charles University in Prague (course NAST018 Special practicum II).

Registration

For Czech students only: Registration for the workshop should be done by sending an e-mail to workshop2024@stel.asu.cas.cz with the following information:

  • First, middle, and last name,
  • Your gender,
  • University and department,
  • Student status (Bachelor, MSc or PhD student),
  • Level of Linux and IRAF usage knowledge.

Due to accommodation capacity and the format of the workshop, the number of participants is limited to 12.

There is no registration fee.

Registration is open until the 30th of June.

Accommodation

Accommodation at the Ondřejov Observatory will be free of charge.

Organization

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC)

  • Prof. Stephan Geier
  • Dr. Matti Dorsch
  • Dr. Veronika Schaffenroth
  • Dr. Brankica Kubátová
  • Dr. Petr Kabáth

Local Organizing Committee (LOC)

  • Dr. Brankica Kubátová (chair)
  • Dr. Kateřina Pivoňková (co-chair)
  • Doc. Jiří Kubát
  • Dr. Petr Kabáth
  • Eva Žďárská

Lecturers

  • Prof. Stephan Geier (Potsdam University)
  • Dr. Matti Dorsch (Potsdam University)
  • Dr.Dr. Veronika Schaffenroth (Thuringian State Observatory Tautenburg)
  • Dr. Jana Köhler (Thuringian State Observatory Tautenburg)
  • Dr. Eike W. Guenther (Thuringian State Observatory Tautenburg)
  • M.Sc. Harry Dawson (PhD student, Potsdam University)
  • M.Sc. Max Pritzkuleit (PhD student, Potsdam University)
  • M.Sc. Aakash Bhat (PhD student, Potsdam University)
  • M.Sc. Fabian Mattig (PhD student, Potsdam University)
  • Dr. Brankica Kubátová (Astronomical Institute AS CR)
  • Dr. Petr Škoda (Astronomical Institute AS CR)
  • Dr. Petr Kabáth (Astronomical Institute AS CR)

Observer Support at the Telescopes

  • Dr. Martin Jelínek (Astronomical Institute AS CR)
  • Dr. Miroslav Šlechta (Astronomical Institute AS CR)
  • M.Sc. Jiří Žák (Astronomical Institute AS CR)
  • Jiří Srba (Astronomical Institute AS CR)

Technical support and software installation

  • Roman Veselý (Astronomical Institute AS CR)
  • Jiří Srba (Astronomical Institute AS CR)

Programme

Monday (August 26, 2024)

  • 10:30 – 11:30
    • The Perek 2m telescope tour (Miroslav Šlechta)
  • 11:30 – 12:00
    • Welcoming (Stephan Geier & Brankica Kubátová)
    • Overall organization of the Workshop (Matti Dorsch & Brankica Kubátová)
  • 12:00-14:00
    • Lunch break
  • 14:00 – 19:00

Tuesday (August 27, 2024)

  • 9:00-12:00
    • Spectroscopy project (Aakash Bhat) – presentation
    • Photometric variability of binaries, light curve analysis, and photometry project (Stephan Geier & Harry Dawson) – presentation
    • Exoplanet project (Veronika Schaffenroth) – presentation
  • 12:00-14:00
    • Lunch break
  • 14:00 – 18:00
    • Data mining with Topcat (Max Pritzkuleit) – presentation
    • Hands-on session: preparing a target list (Harry Dawson & Max Pritzkuleit & Veronika Schaffenroth)
  • 18:00-19:30
    • Dinner break
  • 19:30 – …
    • Spectroscopy or/and photometry observation with the Perek 2m / E152 telescopes (if the weather forecast is favourable)

Wednesday (August 28, 2024)

  • 12:00-14:00
    • Lunch break
  • 14:00 – 18:00
    • Introduction to IRAF (Harry Dawson) – presentation
    • Data reduction of photometry – General overview (Harry Dawson) – presentation
    • Hands-on session: reducing photometric images (Harry Dawson & Aakash Bhat & Veronika Schaffenroth)
  • 18:00-19:30
    • Dinner break
  • 19:30 – …
    • Spectroscopy or/and photometry observation with the Perek 2m / E152 telescopes (if the weather forecast is favourable)

Thursday (August 29, 2024)

  • 12:00-14:00
    • Lunch break
  • 14:00 – 18:00
    • Data reduction of the Echelle spectra using IRAF (Matti Dorsch & Veronika Schaffenroth) – presentation1, presentation2
    • RV determination using VIPER (Jana Köhler) – for exoplanet project only – presentation
    • Hands-on session: reducing spectra (Harry Dawson & Aakash Bhat & Veronika Schaffenroth & Fabian Mattig & Jiří Žák)
  • 18:00-19:30
    • Dinner break
  • 19:30 – …
  • Spectroscopy or/and photometry observation with the Perek 2m / E152 telescopes (if the weather forecast is favourable)

Friday (August 30, 2024)

  • 14:00 – 18:00
    • Light curve analyses (Harry Dawson) – presentation
    • Hands-on session: reducing the echelle spectra and photometric images with IRAF (Harry Dawson & Aakash Bhat & Fabian Mattig & Veronika Schaffenroth & Jiří Žák)
  • 18:00-19:30
    • Dinner break
  • 19:30 – …
    • Spectroscopy or/and photometry observation with the Perek 2m / E152 telescopes (if the weather forecast is favourable)

Saturday and Sunday (August 31 – September 1, 2024)

  • 19:30 – …
    • Spectroscopy or/and photometry with the Perek 2m / E152 telescopes (if the weather forecast is favourable)

Monday (September 2, 2024)

  • 9:00 – 12:00
    • Work on projects after an introduction to data analysis. Preparation of presentations in which students should describe the data acquisition, reduction, and analysis based on what they have been taught. The presentations should also include a short introduction outlining the main astrophysical concepts involved and a results/conclusions section.
  • 12:00 – 14:00
    • Lunch break
  • 14:00 – 18:00
    • PLATOSpec (Petr Kabáth) – presentation
    • Work on the projects
  • 18:00-19:30
    • Dinner break
  • 19:30 – …
    • Spectroscopy or/and photometry observation with the Perek 2m / E152 telescopes (if the weather forecast is favorable)

Tuesday (September 3, 2024)

  • 9:00 – 12:00
    • Work on projects
  • 12:00 – 14:00
    • Lunch break
  • 14:00 – 15:00
    • Basics of quantitative spectroscopy (Brankica Kubátová) – presentation
  • 15:00 – 19:00
    • Work on the projects

Wednesday (September 4, 202)

  • 9:00 – 12:00
    • Work on the projects
  • 12:00-14:00
    • Lunch break
  • 14:00-15:00
    • Observatory tour (Jiří Srba)
  • 15:00-19:00
    • Work on the projects or free day

Thursday (September 5, 2024)

  • 9:00-12:00
    • Work on the projects
  • 12:00-14:00
    • Lunch break
  • 14:00-15:00
    • Stellar Spectroscopy with Virtual Observatory (Petr Škoda) – presentation
  • 15:00-19:00
    • Work on the projects

Friday (September 6, 2024)

  • 9:00-12:00
    • Presentations of the projects of each group
  • 12:00-14:00
    • Lunch break

Coffee breaks will be introduced as needed after agreement with all participants.

Student presentations

Photos from the workshop can be viewed here.

Venue & Travel  information

If you are flying into Prague airport, it would be best to arrange for someone to meet you and take you from the airport to the Institute. This is the best option by far.  A taxi will cost you around 80 EUR. If you prefer to travel by public transport on your own, be prepared to spend another two hours traveling. Take bus 119 outside the airport terminal to Nádraží Veleslavín and change to metro line A. Continue by metro to Háje, change to line C at the Muzeum, and then take bus 383. (timetable).

If you are traveling by car, take exit 21 from the D1 Praha-Brno motorway (in the direction of Benešov). Immediately after the motorway exit, turn into the village of Mirošovice and drive towards Mnichovice. After about 4 km, turn right in Mnichovice towards Ondřejov. At the beginning of the village (by the sawmill) you will see a sign pointing to the left of the Institute.

Ondřejov is served by two ROPID (Prague Local Transport Authority) bus lines. Route 383 (timetable) departs from the Háje station in Prague (the last stop of the metro line C). The journey takes about 60 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the train to Strančice and change to bus no. 490. (25 min; timetable).

Tickets can also be purchased via SMS or the Lítačka mobile app, which can also be used to search for the ideal public transport connection. The application is available for Android and iOS. 

For more information on transport, prices, and connections, please visit http://www.dpp.cz/ en/.

Trains from Prague main railway station stop at Strančice from where you can take bus no. 490, or get off at Mirošovice or Senohraby and take a pleasant walk (5 km; follow the tourist signs).

Contact

Please contact the Local Organising Committee at the following email address for any further information: workshop2024@sunstel.asu.cas.cz.