Obtaining Successful CCD Light Curves of Faint Cataclysmic Variables

Volume 22 number 1 (1993)

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Paula Szkody

Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Abstract

There are advantages and disadvantages to using CCDs for producing light curves of variables that were previously too faint to observe with photometers. With the availability of more data on fainter sources comes increased effort in data handling and reduction. Examples of light curves of 16th-20th magnitude cataclysmic variables obtained with a 36-inch telescope are shown. Some techniques that have proven helpful for maximizing the results on the short time scale variability of cataclysmic variables are discussed.