1. Process overview - abstract Acquire field images - Reference - Target Extract magnitudes Choose plot Quick peek target lightcurve with raw target instrumental magnitudes Reduce -Transforms -Color index -Extinction Convert target field to standard magnitudes Plot target lightcurve with standard magnitudes Calibrate images Gather more lightcurve phase data to fill-out the curves entire phase End Start Entire lightcurve phase obtained ? yes no

2. PhotoRed MPO Canopus Process overview – package based Acquire field images - Target - Comparisons - Object Reduce - Target -Color index -Extinction Acquire field images - Reference - Color Index - Extinction Extract reference magnitudes Reduce - Reference -Transforms -Color index -Extinction Convert target field to standard magnitudes Plot target lightcurve with standard magnitudes Choose plot Quick peek target lightcurve with raw target instrumental magnitudes Calibrate images Extract target magnitudes Calibrate images import Start

3. Acquire images – two alternative workflows High color index reference field – V,R,C Landolt, Henden High-low extinction reference field – V,R,C Landolt Continuous target field – V or C, V preferred High color index reference field – V,R,C Landolt, Henden Continuous target field – V, R, C Low extinction “reference” field – V,R,C “High” extinction “reference” field – V,R,C Basic hi-low method Continuous VRC method <2º Best comparison star in target field

4. PhotoRed reduction coefficients set from acquired images High color index reference field – V,R,C Landolt, Henden High-low extinction reference field – V,R,C Landolt Continuous target field – V or C, V preferred Basic hi-low method <2º Best comparison star in target field Transforms First-Order All Sky First-Order Comps Color Index (Comps/Target) Comps Standard Mags Target Standard Mags

5. PhotoRed reduction coefficients set from acquired images Transforms First-Order All Sky First-Order Comps Color Index (Comps/Target) Comps Standard Mags Target Standard Mags High color index reference field – V,R,C Landolt, Henden Continuous target field – V, R, C Low extinction “reference” field – V,R,C “High” extinction “reference” field – V,R,C Continuous VRC method <2º Best comparison star in target field

6. Process – overview – Three methods to convert to standard magnitudes Only one of the three methods – the basic “rigorous” method is graphed here, using only the basic “high-low” imaging method. PhotoRed Reduce - Target -Color index -Extinction Extract reference magnitudes Reduce - Reference -Transforms -Color index -Extinction Convert target field to standard magnitudes Calibrate images Basic rigorous - can use in all cases Binzel - use where comp stars of same color index are in target field Quick Mags - use for long-period AAVSO variables Report to MPO Center Report to AAVSO

7. Extract target field image data MPO Canopus Acquire field images - Target - Comparisons - Object Extract target magnitudes Calibrate images Reference Field image low-high in V,R and C View raw comparison plots Choose other comparison stars or reshoot session Target field image in V and/or C Extract data (Lightcurve wizard) Make observations *.FF2 files View raw comparison plots Comparison stars variable? Choose other comparison stars or reshoot session yes no Continue – import data to PhotoRed Quick peek target lightcurve with raw target instrumental magnitudes or Save image of comp stars & note best comp star Choose best comparison star

8. Extract reference field data - reduce transform coefficients PhotoRed Acquire field images - Reference - Color index - Extinction Extract target magnitudes Calibrate images Reference Field image low-high in V,R and C Reference field image high color-index Extract data (Photometry wizard) Make observation *.obs files View transforms plot Comparison stars plot bad? yes no Reduce - Reference -Transforms -Color index Reduce - Reference Transforms Color index Deselect outliers View errors plot Transform error plot bad? yes no Continue – To set rough extinction Reduce - Reference Errors Deselect outliers Set transform coefficients

9. Extract reference field data - reduce rough extinction coefficients PhotoRed Acquire field images - Reference - Color index - Extinction Extract target magnitudes Calibrate images Reference Field image low-high in V,R and C Reference field image high-low extinction Extract data (Photometry wizard) Make observation *.obs files View extinction plot Extinction plot bad? yes Continue – To set target extinction Reduce - Reference -Transforms -Color index Reduce - Reference Extinction “First Order – All Sky” Deselect outliers Set rough extinction coefficients no

10. PhotoRedMPO Canopus Reduce target field – fine-tune extinction (modified Hardie) Reduce - Target -Color index -Extinction Extract target magnitudes Import target field data from MPO Canopus import Make observation *.obs file Make special single group table Store special observation *.obs file Reimport original target field data from MPO Canopus View extinction plot Extinction plot bad? yes no Reduce – Target Extinction “First-Order Comps” Deselect outliers Continue – To set target color index coefficients Set target fine extinction coefficients Note on best comp star in target field Use only 1 - best of 5 possible comp stars

11. PhotoRedMPO Canopus Reduce target field – set color index coefficients Reduce - Target -Color index -Extinction Extract target magnitudes import View color index plot Color index plot bad? yes no Reduce – Target color index “Color-index (Comps/Target)” Deselect outliers Continue – To set standard magnitudes Set target color index coefficients Original target field data from MPO Canopus

12. PhotoRed Reduce target field – standard magnitudes of comparison stars Reduce - Target -Color index -Extinction Reduce - Reference -Transforms -Color index -Extinction Convert target field to standard magnitudes Coefficients in Reductions dialogue Target field - stored special observation *.obs file Convert target comp stars to standard magnitudes “Comps Standard Mags” Coefficients in Reductions dialogue Target field - original observation *.obs file Convert target to standard magnitudes “Target Standard Mags” Make standard mag *.FF2 archive file Continue – To plot lightcurve Save the Reductions tab coefficients

13. PhotoRed MPO Canopus Plot lightcurve Convert target field to standard magnitudes Plot target lightcurve with standard magnitudes import Standard mag *.FF2 File from PhotoRed Import standard mag target field data from PhotoRed to MPO Session Plot raw target magnitudes (Julian Day scale) Plot refined target magnitudes with aligned phases (phase scale) Multiple session data Extract choose sessions to plot Print/save aligned lightcurve plot Estimate period Best period estimate? yes no

14. MPO Canopus Acquire more images until lightcurve phase is filled-out Acquire field images - Target - Comparisons - Object Plot target lightcurve with standard magnitudes End Entire lightcurve phase obtained ? yes no Gather more lightcurve phase data to fill-out the curve’s entire phase Print/save aligned lightcurve plot Find next opportunity to Image missing phase segment with time-of-minimum calculator Identify missing phase portions Data for entire phase plotted? yes no End To start – acquire more images Get Julian Date of minimum point