[Aavso-photometry] IRAF photcal -- worth it?

[Greg Crawford]

If all this is too terrifying, save yourself the angst and try an easy
Windows-based solution. "Canopus" from MPO Software is a Windows based
application which will calculate transformation and extinction coefficients and
is relatively cheap compared to other software on offering. It works well for
both variable stars and asteroids. A new edition will be out soon.

See: http://www.minorplanetobserver.com/htms/mpocanopus.htm


Greg Crawford


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Bagnall Beach Observatory

http://www.nelsonbay.com/~gc/observatory.htm
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: aavso-photometry-bounces at mira.aavso.org [mailto:aavso-photometry-
> bounces at mira.aavso.org] On Behalf Of Michael Koppelman
> Sent: Monday, 7 February 2005 3:53 AM
> To: 'aavso-photometry at mira.aavso.org' list)
> Subject: [Aavso-photometry] IRAF photcal -- worth it?
> 
> Since I am pretty comfortable with IRAF I thought maybe I'd start using
> photcal to do my transformation coefficients. Chuck P. has mentioned
> this in the past. A quick look at the help terrified me:
> 
> --> help photcal
> digiphot.photcal:
>         mkapfile - Prepare  aperture corrections file from
> apphot/daophot output
>        mkcatalog - Type in a standard star catalog or observations file
>         mkimsets - Prepare an image set file for input to (mk)(n)obsfile
>     mk(n)obsfile - Prepare an oservations file from apphot/daophot output
>       mkphotcors - Prepare the photometric corrections files
>           apfile - Prepare an aperture corrections file from a text file
>          obsfile - Prepare an observations file from a text file
> 
>         mkconfig - Prepare a configuration file
>        chkconfig - Check the configuration file for grammar and syntax
> errors
>        fitparams - Compute the parameters of the transformation equations
>          evalfit - Compute the standard indices by evaluating the fit
>        invertfit - Compute the standard indices by inverting the fit
> 
> This looks nightmarishly complex. Currently I use IRAF to do the ccd
> reductions and photometry and then just use perl and Excel to compute
> my coefficients and do transformations on observations.
> 
> Do I really want to go through the pain of learning photcal? I reread
> Chuck's Zen of IRAF on the subject and it seems doable but...
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Cheers,
> Michael Koppelman
> http://www.lolife.com/astronomy/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Aavso-photometry mailing list
> Aavso-photometry at mira.aavso.org
> http://www.aavso.org/mailman/listinfo/aavso-photometry

Greg Crawford


                       *

                   *       *
                         *


                      *

  .    _          
    .' \\`.    
 .  |__''_| 
    |     | 
    | 433 |    
  _.'-----'-._     
/             \__

Bagnall Beach Observatory

http://www.nelsonbay.com/~gc/observatory.htm
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: aavso-photometry-bounces at mira.aavso.org [mailto:aavso-photometry-
> bounces at mira.aavso.org] On Behalf Of Michael Koppelman
> Sent: Monday, 7 February 2005 3:53 AM
> To: 'aavso-photometry at mira.aavso.org' list)
> Subject: [Aavso-photometry] IRAF photcal -- worth it?
> 
> Since I am pretty comfortable with IRAF I thought maybe I'd start using
> photcal to do my transformation coefficients. Chuck P. has mentioned
> this in the past. A quick look at the help terrified me:
> 
> --> help photcal
> digiphot.photcal:
>         mkapfile - Prepare  aperture corrections file from
> apphot/daophot output
>        mkcatalog - Type in a standard star catalog or observations file
>         mkimsets - Prepare an image set file for input to (mk)(n)obsfile
>     mk(n)obsfile - Prepare an oservations file from apphot/daophot output
>       mkphotcors - Prepare the photometric corrections files
>           apfile - Prepare an aperture corrections file from a text file
>          obsfile - Prepare an observations file from a text file
> 
>         mkconfig - Prepare a configuration file
>        chkconfig - Check the configuration file for grammar and syntax
> errors
>        fitparams - Compute the parameters of the transformation equations
>          evalfit - Compute the standard indices by evaluating the fit
>        invertfit - Compute the standard indices by inverting the fit
> 
> This looks nightmarishly complex. Currently I use IRAF to do the ccd
> reductions and photometry and then just use perl and Excel to compute
> my coefficients and do transformations on observations.
> 
> Do I really want to go through the pain of learning photcal? I reread
> Chuck's Zen of IRAF on the subject and it seems doable but...
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Cheers,
> Michael Koppelman
> http://www.lolife.com/astronomy/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Aavso-photometry mailing list
> Aavso-photometry at mira.aavso.org
> http://www.aavso.org/mailman/listinfo/aavso-photometry