Name

imstar - Find stars in FITS and IRAF image files

Synopsis

imstar [options] [FITS or IRAF filename] or [@file of image file names]

Description

Options

<hh:mm:ss> <dd:mm:ss> [J2000, B1950]

Coordinates for center (or reference pixel if -x is used).

-a <angle>

Image rotation angle in degrees (default 0). If multiple of 90, rotate image before search and set WCS angle to zero; if not, put in WCS.

-b

Output B1950 (FK4) coordinates (default=image equinox)

-d <catalog name>

Read this DAOFIND style catalog of X, Y, and magnitude instead of searching for stars in the image. The format is simply white-space-separated numbers on a line, with # at the beginning of comment lines.

-e <num>

Number of pixels to ignore around image edge

-f

Write a simple ASCII catalog file instead of tab table or DAOFIND format (number RA DEC mag ... per line, with two lines of header info)

-h

Print heading, else do not

-i <num>

Minimum peak value for star in image (<0=-sigma) Setting this to reject all but 10-15 stars is a good way to speed up the star-finding process. If num is less than zero, the minimum peak is -num image pixel standard deviations. Setting this number rejects faint stars early in the selection process for a significant saving in computing time.

-j

Output J2000 (FK5) coordinates (default=image equinox)

-k

Print each star as it is found for debugging

-l

Reflect the image left <-> right before rotating (-a) and searching for stars.

-m <magnitude>

Magnitude offset

-n

Number of brightest stars to print

-o

Output star list in DAOFIND format. The first three numbers on each line of the output file are X, Y, and magnitude, separated by one or more blanks or a tab. Lines beginning with # are ignored.

-p <num>

Plate scale in arcsec per pixel (default 0)

-q <c|d|o|s|x|v|+>

Output region file shape for SAOimage (default o) Characters mean: c>ross, d>iamond, s>quare, o>circle, x=X, v>ary with GSC type, +>cross.

-r

Maximum radius for star in pixels

-s

Sort by RA instead of flux

-t

Output in Starbase tab table format

-v

Verbose listing of processing intermediate results

-w

Write output to a file in addition to standard out. If DAO format (-o), create the name by adding .dao to the image file name. If Starbase format (-t), create the name by adding .tab to the image file name. If ASCII format (-f), create the name by adding .stars to the image file name.

-x <X> <Y>

X and Y coordinates of reference pixel (if not in header or image center)

-z

Use AIPS classic projection code (for "-SIN", "-TAN", "-ARC", "-NCP", "-GLS", "-MER", "-AIT" and "-STG" only) instead of WCSLIB proposed standard projection code.

Web Page

http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/software/wcstools/imstar/

Author

Jessica Mink, SAO (jmink@cfa.harvard.edu)