Programs and Scripts for Astronomy Operations and VLBI


The following is a hyper-text link list of programs and shell scripts available to users of the 37-meter telescope at Haystack Observatory. Simply click on each link for a description of the script or program and some examples on its use.

  • WatchThis

    Is the main antenna status window that gives the user a quick view of the status of several antenna systems during observations. The window consists of a set of ten red-yellow-green "traffic lights". Green means that the systems is functioning normally, yellow means the system is busy or waiting and red means the user needs to investigate the particular subsystem status

  • UpNow

    Allows the observer to print a graphical rise-transit-set chart of either solarsystem objects (Sun, Moon and Planets) or a user defined sourcelist. The upnow script will read a user sourcelist (or a selected portion of a list) and print a graphical chart listing the source name, UT, LST and Local time.

  • Xtterm

    Xtterm is used to produce an on-screen graphical DSS plot or real-time plots of raw spectra.

  • Dop and UPoint

    A brief description of the two main antenna operation programs working under Umbrella.

  • EfCal

    A useful script to calculate Aperture Efficiency and to calibrate spectral-line antenna temperatures (Y-axis of the spectral-line plots) by using the antenna temperature measurements of planets.

  • Index

    Script will list the spectra produced for the selected day. List reports the username, frequency, system temperature, observing bandwidth, UT of the observation and the spectral-line file number.

  • GetCLASS

    Used to convert raw spectra files to FITS-format file that is readable by the Class (Continuum and Line Analysis Single-dish Software) data reduction program.

  • AutoCLASS

    Similar script as GetCLASS but designed to run and format spectra as they are produced.