1. New Bulgarian University, X SBAC, Belgrade 30 May – 3 June 2016
On Some Bamberg Wide-Field Plate Catalogues Recently Incorporated into WFPDB
Katya Tsvetkova, Milcho Tsvetkov, Nikolay Kirov, Damyan Kalaglarsky, Heinz Edelmann, Ulrich Heber
Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
New Bulgarian University,
Dr. Karl Remeis-Observatory, Astronomical Institute of the Erlangen-Nuremberg University
X SBAC, Belgrade 30 May – 3 June 2016

2. Abstract
We present the incorporation of some Bamberg wide-field plate catalogues in the Wide-Field Plate Database (WFPDB), recently prepared in the framework of a project for astronomical photographic plate preservation funded by the German Science Foundation. These catalogues include 8400 plates obtained with two Tessar cameras (with WFPDB identifier BAM003 and BAM009A), a Xenon camera (BAM006), a Vierlinser camera (BAM008), an Ernostar camera (BAM009B), and a Dogmar camera (BAM011) in the period 1931 – The plate observations aimed at investigations of variable stars in the Northern sky. Some of the cameras were first mounted on an astrograph in Bamberg in preparation for and for testing of the Bamberg large-scale project for variable star research in the Southern sky in the period 1963 – 1976, mostly from Boyden and Mount John observatories.
The WFPDB data format puts requirements on content and data structure in the WFPDB. Therefore the original data of these Bamberg plate catalogues were converted to the needed data format by the WFPDB software tools for time and coordinates conversions.
Currently information on about 30 Bamberg plate archives done in the frameworks of the Bamberg Northern Sky Survey and Bamberg Southern Sky Survey can be found in the WFPDB, containing wide-field photographic astronomical plates.

3. Wide-Field Plate Database: Current Status
CWFPAs current version - 7.1, November 2015
currently contains description of 509 archives with more than plates from 163 observatories.
CWFPAs attributes changes in version 7.0 (February 2014)
Archive code (coded as 1,2,3,…) – needed when parts of archive plates are stored in different observatories.
Site code (coded as a,b,c,..) – needed when the instrument operated at different locations.
These codes complement the WFPDB instrument identifier (<observatory name><instrument aperture><suffix>, e.g. HAR020A) to form the unique identifier of the archive.
Examples:
HAR020A archive was made when the telescope operated in Cambridge, Arequipa, Bloemfontein, so Site code of a, b, c, etc. is applied.
ROZ050 archive plates are located at 3 locations: Sofia, Rozhen, Brussels, so Arch code of 1, 2, 3 is applied.
AstroPlate 2016

4. Wide-Field Plate Database: Current Status
CWFP metadata plates.
Plate Identifier
Coordinates of the plate center
Date and time of the observation
Object name and type
Method of observation
Duration of exposure and their number
Type of emulsion and filter used
Size of the plate
Quality of the plate
Notes
Availability of the plate
Information for plate digitization
Name of the observer
Sources for gathering plate metadata:
Telescope logbooks;
Photographic plates;
Plate envelopes;
Printed sources (books, papers, etc.)
AstroPlate 2016

5. Wide-Field Plate Database: WFPDB meta-model

6. Wide-Field Plate Database: Integration to VO and
Development to Astroinformatics
Integration of the WFPDB into the VO structures (e.g. GAVO) - to turn the WFPDB into a fully featured VO service (F. Rothmaier et al.);
Link between WFPDB and electronic journal IBVS as one of the goals of the Virtual Observatory – repository of data, which can be re-used.
Aim: closer connections between scientific papers and the data they are based upon. The merits of a paper can be evaluated better (both before and after publication) if the data used is accessible, which gives a possibility of its re-use.
AstroPlate 2016

7. Wide-Field Plate Database:
Data Visualization
Through AstroWeb (Alexander Kolev) using the exact data-set as the WFPDB search system. Visualization: Observatory geographical location, plate archives, content, plate preview.
AstroPlate 2016

8. Wide-Field Plate Database: Astroinformatics
Standard WFPDB requirements for content and data structure:
WFPDB Software tools:
Time Conversion: Local sidereal time (LST) or local time (local daylight saving time DST) to universal time (UT);
Coordinates Conversion: Equatorial coordinates to J2000.
Conversion Diagram

9. Wide-Field Plate Database: Astroinformatics
Astroinformatics as data oriented Astronomy with a lot of disciplines:
data-intensive computing, astrostatistics, data mining, knowledge extraction, information visualization, information retrieval methods, semantic science presented by semantic data integration, sky-based and catalogue-based indexing techniques, etc.
Existed Astroinformatics scientific groups in Bulgaria:
- Research group of Astroinformatics in the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, BAS;
- Department of Astroinformatics of the Institute of Astronomy, BAS;
- Research group in the Department of Astronomy of Faculty of Physics, Sofia University;
- Research group in the Informatics Department, New Bulgarian University;
- Research group from "G. S. Rakovski" National Defence College.
The main (meta)data provider is WFPDB with homogenizated data for the existed astronomical plate observations, their plate archives and contents, as well as providing respective curation for plate digitization for the plate preservation as cultural and scientific heritage and re-use for astronomical research.

10. Wide-Field Plate Database: Present Status and Future Plans
WFPDB development since 2009 should be summarized as:
International collaboration for plate archives inventory and their upgrading (only about 25% from all existing plates are visible via WFPDB) - the main aim of the project Humboldt_Astroinfromatics.net;
Digitizing plates according to the VO standards in FITS format, as well development of the equal criteria and parameters for plate digitization;
Preprocessing and photometry of digitized plates;
Free access to the files of digitized photographic plates by the VO instruments.

11. Wide-Field Plate Database: Astroinformatics
Existing collaboration with:
German Astroinformatics nodes:
- Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam ( AIP) ;
- Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University ( ZAH) with ARI - GAVO;
the Astroinformatics group established in 2013 at HITS.
German Observatories possessing plate collections:
Hamburg Observatory
Dr. Karl Remeis-Observatory Bamberg,
Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam,
State Observatory Königstuhl, Heidelberg
Astrophysical Institute and University Observatory, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena,
Tautenburg Observatory
Sonneberg Observatory.

12. Wide-Field Plate Database: Astroinformatics
Humboldt Astroinformatics Networking
To enable and maintain the contacts between Bulgarian and German scientists and scholars from astronomical institutes, centres, observatories and scientific groups, where Astroinformatics is developed as a single topic.
The benefit: -
In providing data for the plate archives worldwide; computational services; user-based research tools. Except exchange of available data for operations and tools for analyzing and/or storing very large datasets, as well as for standards and protocols development, it will helps also for data preservations and curation through innovative use of information technology.
Optional contacts with countries from the Southeast Europe: – the neighboring Balkan countries – Serbia, Romania, Greece, Turkey, as well as Armenia and Ukraine,
To serve as regional node for Astroinformatics establishing in such way innovative multilateral academic cooperation.
Establishment of a web portal (Humboldt Astroinformatics Web Portal) - the starting point at any searches, presentations, retrievals publishing preservation and dissemination of information concerning Astroinformatics in Bulgaria and Germany.

13. Wide-Field Plate Database: Astroinformatics
Humboldt Astroinformatics Networking
Establishment of a web portal - Humboldt Astroinformatics Web Portal
Aims:
Starting point at any searches, presentations, retrievals publishing preservation and dissemination of information concerning Astroinformatics in Bulgaria and Germany;
Computational education ;
To facilitate the historical and cultural heritage research in both countries;
Social networking, combining Science Portal and Public Portal;
Citizen Science (done by voluntary contributors together with professional scientists) ;
Links to other existed portals on Astroinformatics –
- by scientific organizations (e.g. with Astrostatistics and Astroinformatics Portal at at Penn State University, USA, established in 2012; with South African Astroinformatics Alliance or SA3 at established in 2013)
- or to self-referential portals which are rather personal home pages (e.g. astroinformatics.de - a personal astronomical image processing home page
- to wikispaces (e.g. Astroplate Wiki at – a space to further the exchange of knowledge, software and archival procedures, as well as to improve the standardization of metadata, catalogue data, and scientific tools).
- to other web-portals (e.g. “Alumniportal Deutschland”).

14. Wide-Field Plate Database: Astroinformatics
Humboldt Astroinformatics Networking
Humboldt Astroinformatics Web Portal – Structure
Introduction to the topic – overview of the status in Bulgaria and Germany;
Presentation of the basic articles on the topics developed in Bulgaria and Germany;
Links to the running projects;
Links to other similar portals and wikispaces;
Information about the participants including s for contacts and user support; Interactive blog for discussions and comments with functions as a social networking service, which except in communication mode could be used for education, e.g. for giving instructional resources;
Dictionary of the used terms;
News;
Events.

15. The first Bamberg Northern Survey for Variable Stars
P. Guthnick (Babelsberg) in 1926 proposed one common survey for variable stars to
Bamberg (E. Zinner) and Sonneberg (C. Hoffmeister) with equal telescopes - Ernostars,
the same exposure time (30 min) and the same technique of processing (Blinkcomparator).
The participation of the three observatories assured better sky covering at different weather conditions.
In Bamberg in the period 1928 October - up to December 1939 with two instruments:
Ernostar D=135mm, f=240mm, 1:1.8 (E-Pl), about 5785 plates included into WFPDB.
Tessar Ideal D=30mm, f=135mm, 1:4.5 (I-Pl).
Two assistants were appointed - H. Ruegemer and S. Boehme. During the war in 1941 the Ernostar camera mm (BAM014B) was loaned to Sonneberg, after the war was taken as a war reparation.

16. Incorporation of the Bamberg Catalogues:
Error Analysis
The metadata file (for 8421 plates ), readable by Topcat, has been sorted by different columns (e.g. Julian date, etc.).
Analysis of errors made by the observer and corrected by Edelmann and me - from file ErrorsAnalysis. The errors corrected by Edelmann are with bold shrift.
Revealed mistakes:
Of the observer (corrected and mentioned in Notes).
How they were noticed:
- no correspondence between other given data on the envelopes (JD, dates, serial plate number);
- digit reversal;
- false data as written day of the month 35 instead of 25;
- some missing data which can be deduced (as dates, plate numbers) are added;
- twice using the same plate number.
2. Typos from typewriting (noticed errors as reverse mode of date writing, wrong plate number, because discrepancy with the chronological order, omitted file serial numbers – as in the cases 207.jpg; 208.jpg; 2956.jpg and 4680.jpg.

17. Incorporation of the Bamberg Catalogues: Instrument Designation
The metadata for 8421 plates (with size 9x12cm ) is taken directly from the plate envelope.
All plates although being taken with different instruments have consecutive serial number.
No instrument designation: 257 plates taken in July May 1960*
With “G” June 1930 – May 1931**
With “UV” (BAM014A) August 1932
WFPDB Original Observatory Period of
Identifier Name Designation Operation
BAM003 Tessar Ideal T, T1 April 1931 – March 1953***
BAM006 Xenon X Nov July 1960
BAM008 Vierlinser V Feb Oct 1963
BAM009A Tessar T, T17, T2, TII, TIII March Oct 1963
BAM009B Ernostar E Oct Sept 1962
BAM011 Dogmar D Sept Oct 1963
Notes: * That period the working instruments in the observatory were 3 cm Tessar Ideal (BAM003) and 14 cm Ernostar (BAM014B).
** 2 plates in 1935, and 2 plates in 1938
*** there is only 1 plate from Jan 1954.

18. Information about Previous Incorporated
Bamberg Archives: Designation and Number of Plates
Southern Sky:
BAM010 A 2053
BAM010 B 2065
BAM010 C 2053
BAM010 D 52
BAM010 E 169
BAM010 F 174
BAM010 G 191
BAM010 H 1952
BAM010 I 1942
BAM010 J 1939
BAM010 K 1437
BAM010 L 1456
BAM010 M 177
BAM010 N 1172
BAM010 O 134
BAM010 P 139
BAM010 Q 135
BAM010 R 136
BAM010 S 136
BAM010 T 129
HAR008C
HAR
HAR
Northern Sky:
BAM014B
Totally up to our present work:
Southern sky: 20 BAM010 archives with plates.
3 HAR archives with 2620 plates.
Northern sky: 1 archive with plates.
24 archives with plates.

19. Totally up to our present work: Totally with our present work:
Information about Currently Incorporated
Bamberg Archives: Designation and Number of Plates
Southern Sky:
BAM010 A 2053
BAM010 B 2065
BAM010 C 2053
BAM010 D 52
BAM010 E 169
BAM010 F 174
BAM010 G 191
BAM010 H 1952
BAM010 I 1942
BAM010 J 1939
BAM010 K 1437
BAM010 L 1456
BAM010 M 177
BAM010 N 1172
BAM010 O 134
BAM010 P 139
BAM010 Q 135
BAM010 R 136
BAM010 S 136
BAM010 T 129
HAR008C 467
HAR
HAR081 15
Northern Sky:
BAM014B
BAM003 (T) Tessar Ideal
BAM006 (X) Xenon (65/130/1587")
BAM008 (V) Vierlinser
BAM009A (T) Tessar (90/405/509)
BAM009B (E) Ernostar (92/166/1246")
BAM011 (D) Dogmar (110/50/417)
Totally up to our present work:
Southern sky: 20 BAM010 archives with plates.
3 HAR archives with 2620 plates.
Northern sky: 1 archive with plates.
24 archives with plates.
Totally with our present work:
6 archives with 8421 plates
30 archives with plates.

20. in the Catalogue of Wide-Field Plate Archives
Bamberg Catalogues
in the Catalogue of Wide-Field Plate Archives
(version 7.1, November 2015)

21. Information about Recently Incorporated Bamberg Archives: Location and Observatory

22. Information about Recently Incorporated Bamberg Archives: Instrument Parameters and
Number of Plates
WFPDB Observatory Name Years of Number of Plates
Identifier and Designation Operation
BAM003 (T, T1) Tessar Ideal –
BAM006 (X) Xenon –
BAM008 (V) Vierlinser –
BAM009A (T, T17, T2, TII, TIII) Tessar –
BAM009B (E) Ernostar –
BAM011 (D) Dogmar –

23. Bamberg Astrograph in 1936

24. The Bamberg Second Northern Sky Survey began in 1952
According to R. Kippenhahn (AN ) the Ernostar plates from the first Bamberg Northern Sky Survey plus new ones obtained with Dogmar (110mm, f=500mm) by Stiegler and Sandig and Tessar (30mm, f=135mm) from August to November 1952 were used for discovery of 18 suspected and variable stars.
The Bamberger Second Northern Sky Survey has set itself the following tasks:
1. Discovery of previously unknown variable.
2. Search for a periodicity in the brightness variations.
3. Derivation of the elements, mainly of eclipsing variables and Cepheids.
4. To ensure the derived elements on the basis of possible large period and plate material, using
also such of other observatories (Babelsberg, Sonneberg, Harvard)
5. Check the elements by a light curve, using all available plates
6. Classification of the light curves, as groundwork for subsequent photoelectric and spectroscopic measurements.
7. Link between the shape and amplitude of this provisional light curve and the spectral type.
8. Detecting any changes of the period.

25. Bamberg Astrograph in 1958-1959
In 1958 W.Strohmeier (Kleine Veroeffentlichungen der Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg No. 24, 1958) reported about
discovered variable stars BV from No. 223 up to 254 a result of checking the old Ernostar plates, and the new ones obtained with the following cameras:
+80 deg zone Tessar 1:4.5 D=9.0 cm
Dogmar 1: cm
Ernostar 1: cm
Xenon 1: cm
The exposure time= 60min. Limiting magnitude is mag.

26. Bamberg Astrograph in 1958-1959

27. Bamberg Astrograph in September 1960

28. Bamberg Astrograph in September 1960
September 1, cameras
Aero-Tessar 16x deg
Tessar x
Vierlinser x
Dogmar x
Ernostar x
Ernostar x

29. Bamberg Astrograph in August 1961

30. Bamberg Astrograph in August 1961
August 1, cameras
Aero-Tessar
Tessar
Vierlinser
Dogmar
Ernostar
Aero-Ektar
Strohmeier and Knigge in Veroeffentlichungen der Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg Band V (10), 1961,
Sonderdruck aus AN 286, 3 reported about the new Bamberg survey for variable stars, which continued the Ernostar survey (part of the Babelsbeg, Bamberg, Sonneberg survey from ). In 1954 already 5 cameras were used simultaneously whose number has risen to 8. With diameter =10cm and exposure time 60 min limit magnitude is =12.5 mag. The paper considered the BV stars with numbers
W. Strohmeier, Knigge and H.Ott (Veroeffentlichungen der Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg Band V, 14, 1962) discovered new BV and improved the elements of known variables on the basis of plate material obtained in Sept – Oct 1961 as well as old plates.

31. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues: Exposure
52 plates (or 0,6%) with 2,3,4,5 exposures
From them 42 plates were taken in the period May 1957-November 1957, when Comet Arend-Roland had been observed.

32. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues: Exposure
Number In %
of Plates
Information about exposure: %
No information: %
Duration Number
(in min) of plates
10 8
20 20
30 50
40 37
50 33
70 17
80 1
90 0
100 0
110 0
120 2
All 4647

33. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
BAM003 (Tessar Ideal)
All-sky distribution of the plate centres
Plate Number Distribution by Years

34. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
BAM006 (Xenon)
All-sky distribution of the plate centres
Plate Number Distribution by Years

35. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
BAM008 (Vierlinser)
All-sky distribution of the plate centres
Plate Number Distribution by Years

36. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
BAM009A (Tessar)
All-sky distribution of the plate centres
Plate Number Distribution by Years

37. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
BAM009B (Ernostar)
All-sky distribution of the plate centres
Plate Number Distribution by Years

38. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
BAM011 (Dogmar)
All-sky distribution of the plate centres
Plate Number Distribution by Years

39. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
Observed Objects
Objects: Sky regions (main target);
Meteors (19 plates with 2 bolides);
Comets (Arend-Roland in 1957, Burnham in 1960);
Moon (153 plates in the period ).

40. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
Method of Observation
Method: Direct observations (one-exposure plate);
Multi-exposure plates (52 plates);
Trails along declination (about 40 plates).

41. Analysis of the Bamberg Catalogues:
Emulsion Used
Emulsion: Available is a scarce information (for 26 plates only).
In Agfa Infrarot 730 , when in the same period in Potsdam Wilhelm Becker put the grounds of his RGU system of photographic photometry using Agfa Infrarot 730 emulsion with Schott filter RG1.
In – panchromatic emulsions.
In 1954 – some blue and red emulsions.

42. Bamberg Astrograph in 1962-1963
In 1963 Strohmeier, Knigge and H.Ott reported about BV (Veroeffentlichungen der Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg Band V (16), 1963).
In the Bamberg Observatory began the Southern sky survey with 10 cm Aero Tessar objectives (price 25 dollars) of firm Bausch and Lomb. The objectives were in Bamberg before and were tested. The used emulsions were Perutz 16x16 cm. With 60 min exposure the limit mag is 14.

43. END