We are pleased to announce the first course in the CHOICE fall schedule, 'How To Use VPHOT' is now open for registration.
How To Use VPHOT (August 11- September 5) Registration Now Open
This course is designed to teach observers how to use VPHOT, the AAVSO’s cloud based photometry reduction software. You will learn how to upload and manage your image files, how to perform photometry on single images and time series, how to save your analyses and how to submit your results to the AAVSO. You do not have to own a CCD or have your own images. Sample images will be provided.
You must successfully complete exercises and weekly quizzes as well as a final examination to pass the course.
This course is only available to AAVSO members. If you would like to join the AAVSO click here.
If you are already a member and would like to take the course click here to register.
The remainder of the CHOICE fall schedule will be announced soon.
Mike Simonsen
AAVSO
would it be
Hello Mike,
would it be possible to participate in the course over the Internet?
Best wishes,
Tõnis Eenmäe
Hi Tonis,
Absolutely! That is how the courses are structured. It is all done online. For more information see the CHOICE page describing the program.
http://www.aavso.org/choice-astronomy
Mike Simonsen
AAVSO
There are only ten days until the CHOICE course, How to use VPHOT, begins, and there are still spots available in the class.
This course is designed to teach observers how to use VPHOT, the AAVSO’s cloud based photometry reduction software. You will learn how to upload and manage your image files, how to perform photometry on single images and time series, how to save your analyses and how to submit your results to the AAVSO. You do not have to own a CCD or have your own images. Sample images will be provided.
This course is only available to AAVSO members. If you would like to join the AAVSO click here.
If you are already a member and would like to take the course click here to register.
Mike Simonsen
AAVSO
Mike,
I'm a visual observer, who is slowly bringing myself up to speed on DSLR photometry (not least of all because I already own a couple of DLSRs). I see there is a CHOICE course for DSLR photometry coming up in October, but was wondering if this course might also be useful to me. Thanks!
Stephen
Anyone who wants to learn how to use VPHOT, for whatever photometry you want to do can benefit from the VPHOT course. We don't discuss many things specifically regarding telescopes, cameras or DSLRs. It is all about the software and how to use it.
You might use VPHOT to analyse DSLR images, but you will want to learn the fundamentals of DSLR image acquisition, calibration and processing in the DSLR course first. That course is being designed around software that is freely available, which may end up meeting all your requirements in the end.
Mike
VPhot can't work directly on DSLR RAW images, they would first need to be separated into individual blue, green and red channels then converted to FITS format. There are probably programs out there to batch convert RAW to FITS but I haven't tried that.
I would suggest running a program locally on your computer first to learn the process then think about using VPhot later perhaps.
The DSLR course will be using IRIS as the default program for people who don't yet have a photometry program, but if they do have software already they are welcome to use it, However I won't be able to spend time solving program specific issues (unless I'm familiar with the particular program). Cheers,
Mark