Data Crunching

This week was very important for me, mainly because I was able to start to actually begin collecting data. This process had a few steps, and they were all important for me to keep progressing.

Originally, I had wanted to use a Java program to go through the white dwarf catalog and collect the data for me. However, after I had made a plan for the entire code and done so much research, I realized that the catalog was in a different coding language and format that made it much more difficult to create a program. I haven't completely ruled out using a program yet, but as of now, I have begun resorting to manual data collection. This means I'm going star to star and finding those that have all the data I need, and then I'm recording the star and its relative information on a table. Although this method does take much more manpower and time, it's surprisingly easy, and in a short amount of time I was able to collect many more stars' data than expected.

For the upcoming, I want to consult with my dad on the best way to approach my programming issue since he's very knowledgeable on this topic. If I still can't find a solution, then I'll keep manually working and make steady progress that way.