Non-standard photometry: H and K bands

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Tue, 04/04/2023 - 09:13

Hello all from Italy.

I am studying (for UNI) a few stars in the M71 globular cluster, using Astro Image J.

The files received were a few lights (in H and K bands, near IR) and a few calibration files.

The calibrated fits files are not ideal, more data should be needed, but for the scope of the assignment it's ok.

Now, I have performed the relevant studies in AIJ, and I got my instrumental magnitudes (H and K) with their own zero points (from the observatory data).

I have been asked to create a H-K colour-magnitude diagram (with their errors), so I worked out errors in H and K bands respectively, although I am not sure about the calculation:

mag error = -2.5 Log(1 + 1/SNR)

The H-K magnitudes are calculated simply by H mag - K mag (right?).

So, if I have H-error and K-error, then the H-K error is = SQRT(H-error^2 + K-error^2) , correct?

Plus, for the colour-magnitude diagram: would you choose H vs (H-K) or K vs (H-K) ?

Many thanks in advance for your insights.

Best regards,

Mauro B.