ASDP Automated Supernova Detection Project

	[Home\|DSE] Since the Phoenix telescope is going more and more automatic (see the next generation telescope page), this development opens for very efficient searching of supernovae in distant galaxies. An ongoing project develops software for automatic supernova search. The search will be done in the following way: The computer extracts coordinates for a galaxy from a list of objects to observe (a data base). The telescope is pointed to the object by the telescope computer. The CCD camera locks onto a guide star. An exposure of pre-determined length is taken. The image is transferred from the camera to the observatory main computer. Go to step 1 and in parallel process the CCD image. Automatic pattern recognition algorithms are used to check if a possible supernova is present. If there is, the normal observation schedule is interrupted 15 minutes later and steps 1-5 is repeated for the same galaxy. If the same object is detected in the new image (in the same position), and alarm is sent to the observatory front-end computer that generates e-mail alarm messages to the project people and also sends an alarm telephone call (calling their attention to their e-mail servers). The schematic algorithm described above represents "pipeline processing" of galaxies. This means that an exposure of a galaxy is taken while the previous exposure is processed. Combined with the short exposure time needed, a very efficient search is obtained. It is expected that about 30 galaxies can be observed and inspected within an hour.

	[Home\|DSE] Updated Dec. 15th 98 by vevadministrator@dse.no

[Home|DSE]

Since the Phoenix telescope is going more and more automatic (see the next generation telescope page), this development opens for very efficient searching of supernovae in distant galaxies. An ongoing project develops software for automatic supernova search. The search will be done in the following way:

The computer extracts coordinates for a galaxy from a list of objects to observe (a data base).
The telescope is pointed to the object by the telescope computer.
The CCD camera locks onto a guide star.
An exposure of pre-determined length is taken.
The image is transferred from the camera to the observatory main computer.
Go to step 1 and in parallel process the CCD image. Automatic pattern recognition algorithms are used to check if a possible supernova is present. If there is, the normal observation schedule is interrupted 15 minutes later and steps 1-5 is repeated for the same galaxy. If the same object is detected in the new image (in the same position), and alarm is sent to the observatory front-end computer that generates e-mail alarm messages to the project people and also sends an alarm telephone call (calling their attention to their e-mail servers).

The schematic algorithm described above represents "pipeline processing" of galaxies. This means that an exposure of a galaxy is taken while the previous exposure is processed. Combined with the short exposure time needed, a very efficient search is obtained. It is expected that about 30 galaxies can be observed and inspected within an hour.

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Updated Dec. 15th 98 by
vevadministrator@dse.no