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Advanced Observational Astrophysics
Provider: Science

Activity no.: 5924-25-11-31
Enrollment deadline: 28/07/2025
PlaceNiels Bohr Institute
Date and time28.07.2025, at: 00:00 - 17.08.2025, at: 16:00
Regular seats20
ECTS credits7.50
Contact personStine Stenfatt West    E-mail address: west@nbi.ku.dk
Enrolment Handling/Course OrganiserJohan Fynbo    E-mail address: jfynbo@dark-cosmology.dk
Aim and content
The objective of the course is to give the students an introduction to the central elements in preparation, execution and data reduction relating observations at a modern astrophysical observatory.
Content:
- phase 1: application for observing time, astronomical instruments, preparation of observing runs (target visibility, finding charts, signal-to-noise considerations).
- phase 2: execution of astrophysical observations at the Nordic Optical Telescope. When possible, we will also visit other telescopes on Roque del los Muchachos (e.g., the Swedish solar telescope, the Isaac Newton Group telescopes or the Spanish GTC).
- phase 3: reduction and presentation of data.

Formal requirements
Participants are expected to have a strong background in astrophysics

Learning outcome
Knowledge:
This course is designed to give the students a deep understanding of astronomical data types across near-UV to near-IR wavelengths and both imaging, low-resolution, and high-resolution spectroscopy. The students will also get to know the essentials of planning of observing nights including visibility and how to determine exposure times needed to reach desired signal-to-noise ratios.

Skills and competences:
The student will after having passed the course be able to:
- Apply for observing time (although there is no guarantee that time will be granted)
- Prepare an observing run. This includes determining when a given target can be observed during the year and on a given night, how long the target should be observed to reach a specified signal-to-noise ratio, establishing which calibration data are needed, and interact with the observatory staff about which instrumental setup is needed for the run.
- Carry out astrophysical observations in an efficient and careful manner
- Extract the astrophysically relevant information from a dataset and write up a report presenting the conclusions in a clear and comprehensive manner

Target group
Interested Ph.D. students in Astrophysics

Teaching and learning methods
The intro-week will consist of a mixture of lectures and exercises.

The 2nd week of the course is directly hands-on observations at the telescope.
The final element is dissemination, write-up of results.

Workload
Preparation: 110
Lectures: 6
Class Instruction: 30
Laboratory: 60

Dates are prelimiary, final dates will be announced later. The course is three weeks during July/August.
Sign up will open later through IDA, please do not sign up here.

Please note that if you are a PhD student from outside Denmark, you cannot automatically sign up for this course. Please write to the course contact person for more information.

Information about pricing for PhD courses:
Pricing – PhD Courses at SCIENCE 2024

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