While some structure can be seen in the blue filter image, the hot spots really aren't resolved anywhere near enough to use them to do a detailed study of this region.
The RASC observer's handbook was very useful for finding information in this section. I found that, while several different sources had different classifications of NGC 2903 (SBc, Sc SABbc, etc) the classification listed in the handbook was the one used in most of the serious studies of the object. NED (NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database) was also useful in obtaining information for this section, the image and spectra servers were particularily useful. I could not find any information on relative luminosities for the object though.
I found it hard to find images in wavelengths outside of the NIR-Optical-UV range for this object. I guess that not too many multiwavelength studies have been done of this galaxy. I did, however find lots of images in the range listed previously. NED came in handy here too.
I used INSPEC to search out articles on my object and topic, and used Google to find some related basic information on other topics, like galaxy classification. INSPEC was particularily useful, since it allowed me to download citation information directly, and let me find articles fast. The google searching required lots of patience, because it always returned a bunch of pages, but very few were actually what I wanted. The NASA Astrophysics Abstract Service also enabled me to list the abstracts of the main articles that I used.
I had some problems with ImageJ, apparently the Mac version doesn't like to convert stacks to individual images. When you use TurboReg (like I did with my blue image) it outputs the registered image in a stack with a mask. Every few frames after deleting the mask the program decided to crash, and so I would have to register the previous frame all over again. And it inevitably crashed if the images were large (like, say the SDSS images). I curcumvented this problem by saving the stack as an image sequence. Other than this and the problem with the flat fields for the first image the processing worked fine.
If we had more clear skies for observing (each group had one, maybe two of the regular observing nights where they were able to take data due to weather condiditons), I would try to get some red or maybe even IR data and tried to make a colour map with them, as it seemed to be one of the only measurements done in the studies that I could have duplicated.
I think the guide camera only worked at all for one group out of the five, so maybe in the future less time should be spent worrying about it if there doesn't seem to be much drift of the focus star during the focussing process. Maybe taking a slew of one minute exposures instead of five minute ones (like the majority of the class) is the best bet. Also, fluorescent markers on either side of the last turnoff to the observatory road would be helpful, as I got stuck in the ditch because I turned too early on one occasion. Snow everywhere has the effect of disguising things.
• Discussion •
• Back • Index •
_________________________________________
Banner image is a slice of HST image by NASA/ESA