Video Technique for Observing Eclipsing Binary Stars

Volume 43 number 1 (2015)

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Hristo Pavlov

9 Chad Place, St. Clair, NSW 2759, Australia; hristo_dpavlov@yahoo.com

Anthony Mallama

14012 Lancaster Lane, Bowie, MD 20715; anthony.mallama@gmail.com

Abstract

Video recording has been used for more than a decade to time astronomical events such as stellar occultations. We present a technique for using video to determine the time of minimum of eclipsing binary stars and we examine various aspects of using video. The free open source software packages occurec and tangra have been enhanced to offer better support for the recording and reduction of video observations of eclipsing binaries. We present our work in a style and detail that is appropriate for both video observers unfamiliar with variable stars and for variable star observers unfamiliar with video. We present the results of ten times of minima of southern eclipsing binary stars determined using the video technique.