Software Systems for Astronomy [Paperback]

This book covers the use and development of software for astronomy. It describes the control systems used to point the telescope and operate its cameras and spectrographs, as well as the web-based tools used to plan those observations. In addition, the book also covers the analysis and archiving of astronomical data once it has been acquired. Readers will learn about existing software tools and packages, develop their own software tools, and analyze real data sets.This book explores the development and use of software for astronomy, describing control systems for pointing the telescope and operating its cameras and spectrographs, web-based tools used to plan observations and analysis and archiving of acquired data.From the Contents: Observation  Planning Software.- Target Planning.- Instrument Planning.- Observing Software.- Observation Sequencing.- Quick Look Analysis.- Data Reduction Software.- Techinques.- IRAF.- IDL.- Matlab and Others.- Data Archives.- Query Methods.- Table Queries.- Level-one Data Products.- Control Systems.- Instrument Control Systems.- Telescope Control Systems.- Systems For Real Time Interprocess Communication.- User Interface Design.- Software Engineering Process.- Requirments Definition.- Design Methodologies.- Life Cycle Cost.- Configuration Management.This work is very important for the interested people because it is able to give a complete and professional overview, together with all the correct references which will provide the more in-depth knowledge of each single topic. & It plays the role of the expert which can give to the beginner the fundamental concepts and the right hints to pursue its career and education, something that everybody would have wished to have at the beginning of his or her studies. (Gabriella Bernardi, Astrocom et al., astrocometal.blogspot.de, December, 2016)

As both an astronomer and a software developer, Dr. Albert Conrad has developed and used software systemslS