GRANDMA looking for help

[silv (Annette)]

That's right. GRANDMA is looking for help.
If you have a telescope (> 16 mag in 10 min), let’s join here and be ready for 2019 ! https://grandma.lal.in2p3.fr/educati...eur-astronomy/

Role description: when gravity waves are detected of a kilonova you get an alert. Your job it is then to point your scope and camera to one of the possible listed source candidate galaxies. And upload your image to the server.

GRANDMA stands for "Global Rapid Advanced Network Devoted to the Multi-messenger Addicts".

Australia, France and China are cooperating on Grandma.
uhm. that sounds funny. But you know what I mean, like.

I reckon, most targets will be only visible for the Southern Hemisphere folks. So you guys could chip in and donate 10 minutes of imaging time every once in a while.

[The_bluester (Paul)]

It is the kind of thing I would be interested in doing if I happened to be imaging at the right time. But I have no idea what mag I would get down to in 10 minutes.

It would not be a bad idea if they popped up a really basic idea of equipment that would be likely to produce suitable images for them. Like "X" scope diameter at "Y" focal ratio and an image scale of "Z" degrees.

I don't get to image all that often but I will probably sign up and see how I go on the assumption my gear is suitable.

[xelasnave]

I am suspicious.

Those folk involved in the gravity wave "business" are sprouting that gravity waves is/are☺ the new way in astronomy which only means they want a bigger slice of the astronomy budget/pie and this attempt to involve folk I see as no more than seeking support so the road to more funding becomes an easier path.

Lets keep in mind exactly what we have with a gravity wave observation...a very short chirp interpreted by templetes that suggest this or that black hole merged with this or that black hole at so far extraordinary distances to reveal exactly what about the universe I dont know and doubt if anyone can suggest just how these observations take us anywhere.

Further why are gravity waves only described via GR and any attempt to offer a "quantum" approach are fiercely ignored.

Is it perhaps important to understand what is taking place at a particle level and seek an explanation as to why GR works and exactly what is being observed when a gravity wave rings the bell.

Given the seemingly wide regions to look if answering Grandmas call to look can one really expect anyone to luck into a capture that shows a "possible" candidate...so far it seems finding a needle in a hay stack would be more doable and surely those folk seeking "searchers" must realise this...just think how careful you need to be just to frame m42 correctly then imagine responding to their call.

I think it is a tactic to get more people on side to support their notion that gravity waves are the future of astronomy...well I say lets spend the money on better scopes that product results that require only understandable processing to produce a result.

The search for gravity waves has been completed and GR has been proved right again but heck it has been proved right for a century...we get it.
Alex

[silv (Annette)]

Hi Paul,

you're right. Info re scope specs is missing from the call for help.
A guy who already signed up said 8" is enough, maybe 6" if the sky permits. Catching galaxies of -16mag and below in [a stack of] 10mins is the limit for meaningful contribution.

They expect around 10 events per year to be detected by LIGO. 10% of these are expected to be detected by VIRGO, as well, which is less sensitive. And incidentally, what VIRGO can detect is also then possible to be caught in visible light by amateurs, i.e. in the vicinity of -16mag

It follows that imaging for crowd science would happen about once a year.

The guy I asked made himself an alarm clock with a Raspberry Pi which turns on the light in his bedroom when an alert comes through that fits his Northern hemisphere observer location
Here's the not so trivial software guide https://emfollow.docs.ligo.org/userguide/index.html

I think it's great you signed up for it. Would be totally awesome if you and your scope catch the light phenomenon accompanying a merger!

Annette

[silv (Annette)]

To receive events on IOS 11+ devices:
https://itunes.apple.com/tr/app/grav...s/id1441897107

[Stonius (Markus)]

I was expecting this thread to be full of replies saying "Just get him an 8" Dob"