Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Thu, 06/18/2015 - 05:00
I'm currently attending a science conf. where I learned about a software called "hotpants" :
http://www.astro.washington.edu/users/becker/v2.0/hotpants.html
HIGH ORDER TRANSFORM OF PSF AND TEMPLATE SUBTRACTION
The software can subtract an image from a reference image in a more elaborate way than just literally subtracting pixel-by pixel and is used by professional astronomers searching for transients. It's designed so you can subtract an image from a reference image even if the two images were taken by different telescopes (but roughly matching filters).
I wonder if this is used in the amateur field as well? Any experience with it?
Thanks,
HBE
Hi Bikeman,
Hotpants is basically an implementation of the image subtraction technique pioneered by Alard in his ISIS program. It looks like a more robust version, which is good because ISIS can be difficult to get to work. The problem with most of those difference-imaging techniques is that they recover the variation, but not the steady-state level, so are good for generating light curves with unknown zeropoint.
I don't know of any amateur using image subtraction, but it would be fun to experiment with the technique. Andrew Becker says on his webpage that he is coming out with a new version in a few months.
Arne
Thanks Arne for the comment.
I guess I always feel a bit guilty for not blinking any wide-field photometry frames or the occasional deep-sky pretty-picture frames I take, so if this could somehow help to automate checking those for transients (in addition to any conventional photometry), it would give me some peace of mind...if it works for wide field images .
CS
HBE
Hi Bikeman,
Instead of blinking you can try VaST:
http://scan.sai.msu.ru/vast/
I've already been using it for at least two years and found several new variables within the framework of our "Vendégcsillag-kereső" (Gust Star Hunter) programme: http://lmv.hu/Vend_variables
Clear skies,
Robert