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InStAR Books

Double Star Research
A Student-Centered Community of Practice

Edited by Jolyon Johnson
Foreword by John Kenney

110 pages containing 19 papers

Softcover • $29.95

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Since 2006, Dr. Russell Genet has taught an innovative astronomy research seminar at Cuesta College in which students conduct original scientific research primarily on visual double stars. As an authentic scientific investigation, these students co-author papers published in academic journals—a rare feat for undergraduates and high school students. The astronomy research seminar supplements the normal science education these students receive in school by offering them a glimpse of what real scientists do. In 2015, a number of students across the country formed small, local teams, each led by an assistant instructor to the seminar. These teams collaborated with experts in the field to complete their projects and in the process created a networked community of practice. Each team focused its research on visual double stars by contributing observations using a visual eyepiece, CCD camera, or speckle interferometry. A few teams studied techniques of finding orbital solutions. This book serves as a compilation of all student papers produced during the spring 2015 seminar.

doublestarresearch_cover.jpg

Hardcover • $29.95

About the Editor

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Jolyon Johnson is a physics teacher at Sammamish High School in Bellevue, Washington and also an Editor of the Journal of Double Star Observations. He was also a participant and long-time assistant instructor in the original Astronomy Research Seminars.

Double Star Research Contents
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Part I. Visual Measurements

  • A Weekend Workshop on Double Stars for Students
    (Mark Brewer, Chris Estrada, Reed Estrada,and Sean Gillette)

  • Vanguard Preparatory School Observations of the Double Star STF 1692
    (Serenity Anderson, Breck Buccola, Karen Garcia, Matthew Gosney, Jonathan Housatchenko,
    Lilian Martinez, Wyatt Myskow, Noah Renteria, Ruth Schlosser, Leone Thompson, Reed Estrada,
    and Chris Estrada)

  • Student Measurements of the Double Star STFA 35
    (Mark Brewer, Grace Bateman, Benjamin Funk, Isabella Giles, Lindsey Gillette, Tara Izadi, Logan Moreno, Mikayla Rangel, Savanna Salazar, and Travis Gillette)

  • Student Measurements of STFA 14 AC at Vanguard Preparatory School
    (Sean Gillette, Alex Archulet, Lizbeth Diaz, Kyle Gillespie, Timothy Gosney, Stephen Johnson, 
    Nikita Mohan, Jacob Rajacich, Nathaniel Roehl, Scotty Sharpe, and Kahaloha Whitt)

  • Visual Measurements of the Double Star 23 ORI
    (Crystal Collins, Sadie Wessel. Samantha Brown,Dylan Head, Alex McCombe, Garrett Hosier, 
    Russ Genet, Jolyon  Johnson, Joseph Carro, and Thomas J. Hollis

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Part II. CCD Measurements

  • Accuracy and Precision of Multicolor Observations of Four Double Stars
    (J.D. Armstrong and Wyman Tong)

  • Astrometric Observations of Double Stars Using Altimira Observatory
    (Sherry Liang, Lucas Senkbeil, Karthik Nair, Robert K. Buchheim, Christine McNab, Kelsey Henry,
    and Heidi Newman)

  • CCD Astrometry of the Four Components of STF 1088
    (Stuart Martin, Linsey Daclison, Cathrina Ramos, Diana Castaneda, Russell Genet, Kakkala Mohanan,
    and Joseph M. Carro)

  • CCD Astrometry with Robotic Telescopes
    (Faisal AlZaben, Dewei Li, Yongyao Li, Aren Dennis, Michael Fene, Grady Boyce, and Pat Boyce)

  • CCD Astrometric Measurements of WDS 04155+0611
    (Zhixin Cao, Junyao Li, Jeff Li, Steve Qu, Michael Fene, Grady Boyce, and Pat Boyce)

  • CCD Astrometry of Select Stars in the Washington Double Star Catalog
    (Ashwini Iyer, Izzy Gross, Rachel Freed, Chris Spenner, Jolyon Johnson, and Russell Genet)

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Part III. Speckle Interferometry

  • Speckle Interferometry Measurements of STF 1670 AB and STF 919 AB, AC, BC
    (Ethan Wuthrich and Richard Harshaw)

  • Speckle Interferometric Measurements of STF 1223 and STF 1523AB 
    (Kyle Dolbear and Richard Harshaw)

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Part IV. Orbital Analysis

  • A Program-Based Method of Plotting the Orbital Data of a Double Star
    (Nick Smith, Chris Foster, Blake Myers, Barbel Sepulveda, and Russell Genet)

  • Orbital Plotting of WDS 04545-0314 and WDS 04478+5318 
    (Nick Smith, Chris Foster, Blake Myers, Barbel Sepulveda, and Russell Genet)

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Part V.

  • Speckle Interferometry of KUI 71, A 351 AB, and A234 AB
    (Ayden Haen, David Hoffman, Blake Howard, and Grady Boyce)

  • Speckle Interferometry of HU 920 and A 2246
    (Young Cho, Arthur Chang, and Grady Boyce)

  • Two Unresolved Double Stars: CHR 139 Aa.Ab and HDS 2003
    (Zhixin Cao and Grady Boyce)

  • Two Unresolved Double Stars: HDS 1615 and CHR 138 Aa,Ab  
    (Christopher Salisbury, Elijah Countryman, Caleb Morris, and Grady Boyce)

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