[Aavso-photometry] Zen of IRAF

[Walt Cooney]

Thanks Chuck.  I had previously downloaded your Zen of IRAF.  I had done some
reading but haven't gotten very far.  I'd like to set up a Linux box and use
IRAF but am very much afraid of the time investment up front.  Time is my least
available commodity.  What I should probably do is cease all data gathering and
reduction and invest my time budget in learning IRAF now.  I just can't very
easily bear wasting clear nights. And I have a small mountain of data built up
that needs to be polished and published.

I have been pointed off-list to Brian Warner's PhotoRed as well.  I'm sure the
start-up time there would be much much less.  Clearly I need to quit my day job.

-Walt

-----Original Message-----
From: aavso-photometry-bounces at mira.aavso.org
[mailto:aavso-photometry-bounces at mira.aavso.org]On Behalf Of Chuck
Pullen
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 5:25 PM
To: aavso-photometry at mira.aavso.org
Subject: [Aavso-photometry] Zen of IRAF


At 16:20 12/29/04 -0600, Walt Cooney wrote:

>Wow.  There is really a routine that does that automatically?  Can you tell us
>any more about that routine Chuck?
>
>
>Clearest skies,
>Walt

Yes indeed, Walt.  IRAF has something for everyone.  You basically input
your catalog of standard stars (or use the onboard Landolt '92 catalog),
set up your image headers right, including airmass, identify which images
contain which standard stars, and their coordinates (pixel XY or WCS) and
IRAF will calculate your extinction, transformation coefficients, and your
standard system photometry of your unknown fields in the same night
including an error analysis.  Sounds like mana from heaven, doesn't it?

The problem is, of course, you are dealing with IRAF!  It is UNIX (or
LINUX) based, so you have to have that operating system and know how to use
it.  It is not easy to install.  It is complected to use (all command line)
and it will frustrate the crap out of you.  I wrote a tome on how to use it
for standardizing unknown fields for a school project, which you are
welcome to download and read
from:  http://www.aavso.org/observing/programs/ccd/zen_of_iraf.pdf.  It's
written in the vein of Zen and the Art of Motorcycles, as learning to use
IRAF is a process of inner transformation via adversity.  That said, it is
wonderful once you get it figured out.  And the price is right, it's
free.  But there are prices, then there are Prices.  You can read more
about IRAF at http://iraf.noao.edu/.  Note that I think there is a GUI
either done or still in development, but I've not played with that at all.

Chuck Pullen


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