Astrometry Query

Run images through Astrometry.net to obtain the following information:

• Attitude (ra and dec)
• Centroid location (pixels)
• Centroid pixel brightness
• Star name
• Star magnitude

Queries simbad database to then resolve star name obtained from Astrometry.net to BSC number.

Outputs the data into results.json.

Usage

Clone the repo. You may need to install astropy: pip install astropy.

1. Get an API key from Astrometry.net. Create a file called profile.py, which will simply contain a variable holding your API key (API_KEY = "*************")
2. Create a directory called raw_data. Place the images you wish analyzed in here. Image names should not contain spaces.
3. Run script: python3 run.py

Dev Notes

Possible improvements:

• Getting webpage from simbad for every star is kinda slow... and regex capture for the HR ### is kind of sus
• Have more stages to running the script so that the time-consuming portions don't have to be redone if connection fails/something goes wrong

Copyright

Uses a modified file from the Astrometry.net code suite (client.py). This file was licensed under a 3-clause BSD style license, which states:

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

• Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

• Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

• Neither the name of the Astrometry.net Team nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.