Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, received a report submitted by Dr. Gad Al-Qadi, President of the National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research, on the discovery of a new variable star by a research team affiliated with the stellar astronomy lab at the Institute’s Department of Astronomy.
The report stated that the discovery was based on photometric observations from the telescope of the Kattameya Astronomical Observatory, which has a mirror diameter of 1.8 meters, and is the largest telescope in the Middle East and North Africa, which began in 1954.
The report indicated that the research team was able to analyze the photometric observations and discover the star’s change through the observations of the Kattameya Observatory and support it with other data. With it, it was found that it is a double system of the type Algol, which is composed of two stars, each revolving around their common center of gravity, in addition to calculating its cycle, which amounted to about 4 days and 6 hours, which is the first precedent for Egyptian researchers to record such type of binary systems, and it has been Register the discovery on the international website of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), which is the international body entrusted with the registration and approval of scientific discoveries of variable stars.
Egypt discovers 11 new stars
The report added that with this discovery, the number of newly discovered stars registered in the name of Egypt and the Kattameya Astronomical Observatory increases to eleven stars, all of which start with the name KAO-EGYPT, which enhances Egypt’s international position in space research and exploration, as this discovery contributes to adding new values and data to international databases. .
The importance of discovering stars
The report explained that the importance of discovering and studying such stars is that they represent more than 80% of the stars in the universe, and that they play an important role in the field of astrophysics because they give a unique and unprecedented opportunity to calibrate individual stars in terms of mass, size and chemical properties.
It also represents a stage of star development, which allows understanding and studying the evolution of the universe in general and our solar system in particular, and is of interest to researchers in the field of astrophysics and space exploration all over the world.
This dual system will be added to the existing list and will therefore be studied in detail to assign the orbital elements as well as to determine their physical and chemical properties by the research team.
It is worth mentioning that the research team consists of Dr. Muhammad Saeed Darwish, Dr. Somaya Saad, Dr. Muhammad Abdel-Sabour, Dr. Ahmed Shukri, Dr. Ibrahim Zaid, and assistant researcher Muhammad Al-Dibsi.
You can view the discovery and find out more details here
On the other hand, the Institute is also completing the procedures for the establishment of the Great Egyptian Astronomical Observatory, in which one of the mountains of South Sinai was chosen as its headquarters, and as its nucleus for the Egyptian astronomical city.