Follow-up

Gaia Science Alerts Follow-up Server

We are currently testing a facility which allows uniform calibration of the photometric follow-up observations of alerts reported by SkyAlert.org.

Here is the documentation on the [ Calibration_Server|Cambridge Photometry Calibration Server] Please refer to the Manual for details.

If you plan to perform any photometric follow-up observations of the alerts available at SkyAlert.org and you would like to use our service, please contact Lukasz Wyrzykowski for password. When contacting us please provide us also with your observatory name, longitude and latitude and available filters.

Useful links for observers willing to do follow-up observations for Gaia:

• astrometry.net - online service providing astrometric WCS solution for any image
• astromatic.net - collection of useful astro-software, including Sextractor

Preliminary minimal requirements on the photometric and spectroscopic follow-up of Gaia Alerts

Photometry:

• multi-band photometry, at least two bands (e.g. V,I), Sloan ugriz preferred
• flux calibration no worse than 10% (0.1 mag)
• WCS and fluxes (from, e.g., Sextractor) submitted to the Calibration Server
• availability of flux measurements within 2 hours

Spectroscopy:

• spectral range minimal: 4500-7000A
• signal to noise > 20 all over the range above
• resolution R > 150
• lambda calibrations better -+ 3A
• relative flux calibrations better -+10%
• absolute flux calibrations: none
• availability of reduced spectra within less than 12h

Current and future instruments suitable for Gaia alerts response

Please expand this list with information on the telescopes/surveys which might be suitable and interested in Gaia alerts follow-up and in operation in years 2012-2017.

Hessman's list of (mainly robotic) telescopes (including ones in preparation).

• MASTER Robotic Net (Lipunov et al. 2009) limiting mag= 19-20, started in 2002 in Moscow, Russia, followed-up many GCN alerts; now being upgraded to a network all over Russia (1000 clear nights per year).

• 3 telescopes operated at the Konkoly Observatory, Piszkesteto Mountain Station [1] (Hungary): 50 cm Cassegrain, 60/90/180 cm Schmidt, 1m RCC.

• Loiano 1.52m Cassini Telescope + BFOSC - Photometry + Spectroscopy, Lat. 44 15 33 N, Long. 11 20 02 E, 785m asl - INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Bologna