A Photometry of the Young Cluster Berkeley 87
Location
CSU 238
Start Date
16-4-2013 10:05 AM
End Date
16-4-2013 11:05 AM
Student's Major
Physics and Astronomy
Student's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Mentor's Name
Paul Eskridge
Mentor's Department
Physics and Astronomy
Mentor's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Description
We obtained images of a field in the star cluster Berkeley 87 through a set of filters that extend from the near ultraviolet to the near infrared. The Images are taken in the U band (wavelength ~ 360nm), B band (~420nm), V band (~520nm), R band (~640nm), and I band (~800nm). From these images, we measured the brightness of ~ 180 stars in the cluster. Such measurement is called photometry. The photometry of our images is then calibrated using published photometry of a subset of the stars in our field of view.
The calibrated photometry is presented in a set of Color-Magnitude, and Color-Color diagrams. The magnitude system is an inverse logarithmic scale that ranks stars in order of brightness. The difference in the magnitude of the star in two different band passes gives the color of the star. As a result, colors are logarithms of flux ratios. The Color-Magnitude diagrams of the cluster are constructed using the measured magnitudes of the stars in the cluster. The Color –Magnitude and Color-Color diagram are used to derive estimates for the distance, age, and foreground reddening of our cluster target. Studies of Berkeley 87 tell us about recent star formation as it is a very young cluster (a few million years old).
A Photometry of the Young Cluster Berkeley 87
CSU 238
We obtained images of a field in the star cluster Berkeley 87 through a set of filters that extend from the near ultraviolet to the near infrared. The Images are taken in the U band (wavelength ~ 360nm), B band (~420nm), V band (~520nm), R band (~640nm), and I band (~800nm). From these images, we measured the brightness of ~ 180 stars in the cluster. Such measurement is called photometry. The photometry of our images is then calibrated using published photometry of a subset of the stars in our field of view.
The calibrated photometry is presented in a set of Color-Magnitude, and Color-Color diagrams. The magnitude system is an inverse logarithmic scale that ranks stars in order of brightness. The difference in the magnitude of the star in two different band passes gives the color of the star. As a result, colors are logarithms of flux ratios. The Color-Magnitude diagrams of the cluster are constructed using the measured magnitudes of the stars in the cluster. The Color –Magnitude and Color-Color diagram are used to derive estimates for the distance, age, and foreground reddening of our cluster target. Studies of Berkeley 87 tell us about recent star formation as it is a very young cluster (a few million years old).
Recommended Citation
Akinyemi, Abolaji. "A Photometry of the Young Cluster Berkeley 87." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 16, 2013.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2013/oral-session-05/2
