Flarestar Observatory, situated on the island of Malta, proudly holds the International Astronomical Union/Minor Planet Center (IAU/MPC) Observatory Code: 171. This private astronomical facility is dedicated to the acquisition of high-precision photometric data on variable stars and asteroids, with a commitment to sharing these findings with pertinent academic institutions and through scientific publications. The observatory's research endeavors predominantly encompass photometric studies of minor planets, cataclysmic variable stars, microlensing events, and exoplanets. This work is conducted in synergy with a global network comprising both professional and independent researchers. Flarestar Observatory is managed and directed byIStephenIM.IBrincatI. 
​
Flarestar Observatory saw first light in 1986 where equipment was installed in a small structure. Since then, several upgrades in instrumentation have been installed to enhance the capability of the observatory. In the year 2000, Flarestar  achieved a notable accomplishment by initiating the first international asteroid photometric collaboration with another observatory in the United States (MPC Code: 713) to overcome the 24-hour commensurability of the Earth’s rotation. This photometric collaboration established a precedent for professional and amateur observatories worldwide. Other notable accomplishments include the authorship and co-authorship of several research papers and discoveries of new variable stars. 

​The observatory's primary instrument is a robotic 0.25-meter aperture f/6.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT), housed within an automated run-off roof observatory. This telescope is adeptly configured to provide optimal photometric observations. For more detailed information regarding the observatory's equipment and capabilities, please refer to the Observatory Page.

Flarestar's Targets of Interest & Activities

  • Variable Stars
  • Asteroids
  • Micro-Lensing
  • Binary Stars
  • Exoplanets
  • Astrometry
<
>
Variable stars, which are stars whose brightness varies over time, account for a significant portion of the telescope time at Flarestar. The causes of these variations can be intrinsic, such as pulsations or explosions, or extrinsic, such as eclipses or dust clouds. Different types of variable stars are distinguished by their light curves, which are graphs that plot their brightness against time. Some examples of variable stars are Cepheid variables, which are pulsating stars that serve as cosmic distance indicators; eclipsing binaries, which are pairs of stars that obscure each other periodically; and novae and supernovae, which for the latter are violent explosions that can briefly outshine entire galaxies.​
A light curve (graph depicting brightness against time) of the flare star EV Lac  as acquired from Flarestar  Observatory over a period. of around 9 hours. of monitoring.
Asteroids are remnants of the early solar system that orbit the Sun, mostly in the region between Mars and Jupiter. They are small, rocky bodies that can reveal insights into the formation and evolution of the solar system. As they rotate around their own axis, their brightness varies over time. Their rotational periods can inform us about their shape, density, composition, orientation, pole, and spin state, which are important for understanding their physical and dynamical properties, their origin and evolution. The observation of these objects occupies a significant part of the observational program at Flarestar Observatory. In this field, collaborational work has been conducted with several professional and amateur observatories across the globe.  The graph displayed here is a light curve that plots the brightness of an asteroid against time, as it rotates around its own axis. The analysis of the data of such light curves allow us to determine the asteroids' rotational period.
Flarestar light curve of the main-belt asteroid Palisana depicting brightness variations as it rotates on its axis. 
Micro-lensing events, characterized as rare and transient phenomena, occur when a massive foreground object, like a star or a planet, functions as a gravitational lens for a more distant background light source, such as another star or potentially an exoplanet. The gravitational influence of the foreground object bends and intensifies the light from the background source, leading to a noticeable increase in brightness observable from Earth. These events are pivotal in revealing the existence and properties of typically invisible or faint objects, including exoplanets, brown dwarfs, and black holes.
In this realm of study, Flarestar Observatory collaborates with Dr. Lukasz Wyrzykowski from the University of Warsaw. The observatory is a recognized body that forwards its observations of micro-lensing events to the Gaia Satellite Working Group GW-10. This group comprises astronomers who utilize data from the Gaia satellite to delve into micro-lensing events and their broader astrophysical implications.
Image Source; NASA/ JPL-Caltech; /Warsaw University Observatory
Binary stars are systems of two stars that orbit around a common center of gravity. They are very common in the Milky Way Galaxy, and they can help us learn about the formation and evolution of stars and the universe. Binary stars vary in brightness because of their orbital motion and their interactions with each other. Depending on the orientation of their orbits, some binary stars can eclipse or transit each other, causing periodic changes in their apparent brightness. These are called eclipsing binaries or photometric binaries. Other binary stars can exchange mass or energy, causing changes in their size, temperature, or luminosity. These are called interacting binaries or cataclysmic variables. Flarestar has discovered several new variable stars where a number of these are binary star systems.
Light curve of a variable star discovered from Flarestar Observatory
Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars other than the Sun. They are also called extrasolar planets. Exoplanets can have different sizes, shapes, compositions, temperatures, and orbits. Some exoplanets may be similar to Earth and potentially habitable, while others may be very different and hostile to life. 
The transit method is one of the most common and successful ways of finding exoplanets. The transit method works by observing the brightness of a star over time. When an exoplanet passes in front of the star, it blocks some of the star’s light, causing a small dip in the brightness. This is called a transit. By measuring the amount and duration of the dip, astronomers can estimate the size and orbital period of the exoplanet. A number of exoplanet transits have been observed from Flarestar Observatory and reported to the ExoClock Project where this transit data will be used for the upcoming Ariel Satellite Mission.
Light curve of a transit event of exoplanet TRes-3b as observed from Flarestar Observatory.
​Astrometry is the branch of astronomy that measures the positions and motions of celestial objects such as stars, asteroids, and comets. Astrometry is important for asteroids and newly discovered variable stars because it can help to determine their position in the sky, their orbits if applicable, and distances. By tracking the movements of asteroids, astrometry can help to determine their orbits with very good accuracy. Flarestar Observatory has been conducting astrometric observations for well over two decades and has been doing this through the IAU/Minor Planet Centre code: 171.
    





​
Visitors by Country

Flarestar's Active Partners

Authored and co-authored Publications, & Discoveries from Flarestar (Brincat S.M.)

- Paper [Astronomy & Astrophysics]: Caught in the Act: Observations of the Double-mode RR Lyrae V338 Boo during the Disappearance of a Pulsation Mode [2024]
- Paper [Minor Planet Bulletin]: Photometric Observations and Analysis of Eight Asteroids [2024]
- MPEC Circular [Minor Planet Electronic Circular No. 2024-B140] Observations and Orbits of Comets and a/ Objects [2024]
- Paper [Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan]: Optical and soft X-ray light-curve analysis during the 2022 eruption of U Scorpii: [2024]
- Paper [Astronomy & Astrophysics]: Lens mass estimate in the Galactic disk extreme parallax microlensing event Gaia 19dke [2024]
- Paper [Minor Planet Bulletin]: Lightcurves and Rotation Period Determination of Seven Main-Belt Asteroids Observed from Malta and Slovakia [2024]
- Paper [Minor Planet Bulletin]: Photometric Observations of Main-Belt Asteroids 784 Pickeringia, 1465 Autonoma, 1477 Bonsdorffia, 3057 Malaren, 5708 Melancholia, and 8548 Sumizihara [2024]
- Discovery [International Variable Star Index]: Discovery of new variable star  -  GSC 03319-01926 [2023]
- Discovery [International Variable Star Index]: Discovery of new variable star  -  TYC 1634-394-1 [2023]
​- Paper [Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan]: 2021 superoutburst of the WZ Sge-type dwarf nova V627 Pegasi lacks an early superhump phase [2023]
- Paper [Minor Planet Bulletin]: Synodic Period Determination of Seven Main-belt Asteroids from Maltese Observatories [2023]
- Paper [Minor Planet Bulletin]: Lightcurve Analysis and Rotation Period for Asteroid 5147 Maruyama [2023]
- Paper [Minor Planet Bulletin]: Lightcurve Analysis of Asteroid 2685 Masursky [2023]
- Paper[ Astronomy & Astrophysics] Lens mass estimate in the Galactic disk extreme parallax microlensing event Gaia19dke [2023] ​
  

Full list of Scientific Publications

Click on the items below to find out all about the scientific publications produced by Brincat S.M. from Flarestar Observatory
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9205-5329

Observational Campaigns

Flarestar's Light Pollution Survey​

This light pollution map that depicts the sky above Flarestar in polar projection. The zenith is located at the center of the map. The perimeter of the circle represents the sky at 20 degrees above the horizon. Each red dot represents a measurement through the SQM meter. 
​
​A light pollution survey conducted at the observatory's site shows that light pollution is significant at low elevations over the south-eastern horizon. However despite this setback, useful scientific data is being acquired to this date. [Copyright - Flarestar Observatory, 2024].