Variable Temperature Virtual Star
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC 140
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
This project was aimed at developing a virtual star that can be used for qualitative measurements of the surface temperature of a telescopically observed star. The surface temperature of a star plays a fundamental role in stellar astrophysics. The spectrum of a star and hence its apparent color is primarily determined by its surface temperature through the physics of the blackbody spectrum. Through an understanding of the blackbody spectrum and the use of the 1931 CIE Color System which characterizes the response of the human eye to color, it was found that the light emitted from a RGB (Red-Green-Blue) L.E.D. (light emitting diode) with wavelengths 620nm, 515nm, and 480nm (when mixed) could mimic the apparent color of certain stars ranging from 5,000K to 50,000K. Using an optical collimator, optical fiber, and other optical equipment, this apparent color could be coupled into the eyepiece (star diagonal) of a telescope to produce a pin point source of light which can be seen and compared telescopically adjacent to an actual star. Our design includes the ability to vary the color characteristics of our virtual star in response to a virtual temperature dial operated by the user so that the stars can be manually color matched. This color matching performed by the user will correlate to a virtual temperature which will indicate a qualitative measurement of the surface temperature of the real star.
Recommended Citation
Skousen, Ernest, "Variable Temperature Virtual Star" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 119.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/oralpresentations/119
Additional Mentoring Department
Physics
Variable Temperature Virtual Star
SURC 140
This project was aimed at developing a virtual star that can be used for qualitative measurements of the surface temperature of a telescopically observed star. The surface temperature of a star plays a fundamental role in stellar astrophysics. The spectrum of a star and hence its apparent color is primarily determined by its surface temperature through the physics of the blackbody spectrum. Through an understanding of the blackbody spectrum and the use of the 1931 CIE Color System which characterizes the response of the human eye to color, it was found that the light emitted from a RGB (Red-Green-Blue) L.E.D. (light emitting diode) with wavelengths 620nm, 515nm, and 480nm (when mixed) could mimic the apparent color of certain stars ranging from 5,000K to 50,000K. Using an optical collimator, optical fiber, and other optical equipment, this apparent color could be coupled into the eyepiece (star diagonal) of a telescope to produce a pin point source of light which can be seen and compared telescopically adjacent to an actual star. Our design includes the ability to vary the color characteristics of our virtual star in response to a virtual temperature dial operated by the user so that the stars can be manually color matched. This color matching performed by the user will correlate to a virtual temperature which will indicate a qualitative measurement of the surface temperature of the real star.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Michael Braunstein