HST Data Handbook

Table of Contents

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Preface

Chapter 1: Obtaining HST Data

1.1 Archive Overview

1.1.1 Archive Processing

1.1.2 Archive Registration

1.1.3 Archive Documentation and Help

1.2 Obtaining Data via the MAST Web

1.2.1 MAST Overview

1.2.2 Hubble Legacy Archive

1.2.3 High-Level Science Products

1.3 Obtaining Data with StarView

Chapter 2: HST File Formats

2.1 HST Data Files

2.2 Multi-Extension FITS File Format

2.2.1 Working with Multi-Extension FITS Images in IRAF

2.2.2 Working with FITS Table Extensions

2.3 GEIS File Format

2.3.1 Converting Waiver FITS to GEIS

2.3.2 GEIS Data Groups

2.3.3 Working with GEIS Files

2.3.4 The waiver FITS Format

Chapter 3: Analyzing HST Data

3.1 Analysis Options for HST Data

3.1.1 IRAF/STSDAS

3.1.2 PyRAF

3.1.3 Python

3.1.4 Interactive Data Language (IDL)

3.1.5 Fortran and C

3.1.6 Java

3.2 Navigating STSDAS

3.2.1 STSDAS Structure

3.2.2 Packages of General Interest

3.3 Displaying HST Images

3.3.1 The Display Task

3.3.2 Working with Image Sections

3.4 Analyzing HST Images

3.4.1 Basic Astrometry

3.4.2 Examining and Manipulating Image Data

3.4.3 Working with FITS Imsets

3.4.4 Photometry

3.4.5 Combining Dithered HST Datasets with MultiDrizzle

3.5 Displaying HST Spectra

3.5.1 Specview

3.5.2 COS and STIS Spectra

3.5.3 FOS and GHRS Spectra

3.5.4 Producing Hardcopy

3.6 Analyzing HST Spectra

3.6.1 Preparing COS and STIS Spectra for Analysis in IRAF or PyRAF and STSDAS

3.6.2 Preparing FOS and GHRS Data

3.6.3 Photometry

3.6.4 General Tasks for Spectra

3.6.5 STSDAS Fitting Package

3.6.6 Specfit

3.7 References

3.7.1 Available from STScI

3.7.2 Available from NOAO

3.7.3 Other References Cited in This Chapter

Appendix A: IRAF Primer

A.1 IRAF Overview

A.2 Initiating IRAF

A.2.1 Setting Up IRAF in Unix/Linux

A.2.2 Starting and Stopping an IRAF Session

A.3 IRAF Basics

A.3.1 Loading Packages

A.3.2 Running Tasks

A.3.3 Getting Help

A.3.4 Setting Parameters

A.3.5 Setting Environment Variables

A.3.6 File Management

A.3.7 Troubleshooting

A.4 PyRAF Capabilities

A.5 Accessing IRAF, PyRAF, and STSDAS Software

A.5.1 Accessing the Synphot Data Set

Appendix B: HST File Names

B.1 File Name Format

B.2 Rootnames

B.3 Suffixes of Files Common to All Instruments

B.3.1 Historical File Structures

B.4 Associations

Appendix C: Observation Logs

C.1 Observation Log Files

C.1.1 Jitter File Contents

C.1.2 Observation Log File Contents

C.1.3 Observation Log File Contents (February 1997 version)

C.1.4 Jitter File Contents (February 2003 Version)

C.2 Retrieving Observation Logs

C.3 Using Observation Logs

C.3.1 Guiding Mode

C.3.2 Guide Star Acquisition Failure

C.3.3 Moving Targets and Spatial Scans

C.3.4 High Jitter

Acronym List

Index