Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Stephen Case
Project Type
Honors Program project
Scholarship Domain(s)
Scholarship of Discovery
Presentation Type
Presentation
Abstract
This project sought to design and 3D-print a filar micrometer for double star measurements that amateur astronomers could produce cost effectively.
Double stars are celestial objects that allow the mass of stars to be calculated by assessing their orbits. Stellar mass affects every current model of stellar evolution, but the most accurate double star orbits can take decades to record. As a result of the long-term nature of such observations and lack of groundbreaking research in double star studies, professional astronomers are no longer focused on making these measurements. This allows amateur astronomers to pick up where professionals have left off. However, amateurs can only take up these observations if they can obtain the requisite equipment at affordable prices. The essential piece of equipment for this work is a filar micrometer, which, when paired with a telescope, allows astronomers to take double star measurements. Unfortunately, current commercial filar micrometers are cost prohibitive for most amateur astronomers.
Creo Parametric 3.0 and a ProJet MJP 3600 Series 3D printer were used to design and print the filar micrometer. A Fowler 1-2” digital counter micrometer, 54-gauge Nichrome 80 wire, and a 6” Orion SkyQuest Dobsonian telescope were used with the printed filar micrometer to take measurements. The measurements made were of the separation between components of an artificial double star created by flashlights reflected in a bearing ball. These measurements were used to calibrate the filar micrometer and find the preliminary accuracy of the filar micrometer and operator.
Though there is no agreed-upon standard, according to multiple sources a professional-quality filar micrometer should be capable of precision to one tenth of an arcsecond. The filar micrometer produced in this project is capable (by design) of precision to two tenths of an arcsecond. This means that the filar micrometer produced in this project does not reach the accuracy of the very few manufactured micrometers still on the market. However, at a tenth of the cost of the professionally-produced version, it achieved the goal of producing an affordable amateur filar micrometer.
Permission Type
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Design and Evaluation of 3D-Printed Filar Micrometer
Fishbowl
This project sought to design and 3D-print a filar micrometer for double star measurements that amateur astronomers could produce cost effectively.
Double stars are celestial objects that allow the mass of stars to be calculated by assessing their orbits. Stellar mass affects every current model of stellar evolution, but the most accurate double star orbits can take decades to record. As a result of the long-term nature of such observations and lack of groundbreaking research in double star studies, professional astronomers are no longer focused on making these measurements. This allows amateur astronomers to pick up where professionals have left off. However, amateurs can only take up these observations if they can obtain the requisite equipment at affordable prices. The essential piece of equipment for this work is a filar micrometer, which, when paired with a telescope, allows astronomers to take double star measurements. Unfortunately, current commercial filar micrometers are cost prohibitive for most amateur astronomers.
Creo Parametric 3.0 and a ProJet MJP 3600 Series 3D printer were used to design and print the filar micrometer. A Fowler 1-2” digital counter micrometer, 54-gauge Nichrome 80 wire, and a 6” Orion SkyQuest Dobsonian telescope were used with the printed filar micrometer to take measurements. The measurements made were of the separation between components of an artificial double star created by flashlights reflected in a bearing ball. These measurements were used to calibrate the filar micrometer and find the preliminary accuracy of the filar micrometer and operator.
Though there is no agreed-upon standard, according to multiple sources a professional-quality filar micrometer should be capable of precision to one tenth of an arcsecond. The filar micrometer produced in this project is capable (by design) of precision to two tenths of an arcsecond. This means that the filar micrometer produced in this project does not reach the accuracy of the very few manufactured micrometers still on the market. However, at a tenth of the cost of the professionally-produced version, it achieved the goal of producing an affordable amateur filar micrometer.