08 Jan. 2009
Update 2: there is also a new package that I have not tested, but that seems to be good: APLpy
Update 3: and now there is also: pywcsgrid2
You might want to look at the following site for more up to date information: astropython
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Python, Astronomy and Maps
Update: the solution is here: KapteynUpdate 2: there is also a new package that I have not tested, but that seems to be good: APLpy
Update 3: and now there is also: pywcsgrid2
You might want to look at the following site for more up to date information: astropython
Python is a good language for scientists. It basically replaces proprietary software like IDL, Matlab or SAS. What it lacks at the moment is an easy way to display astronomical data saved as fits files containing WCS information.
WCS information standardizes the transformation between pixel coordinates and world coordinates (e.g. position in the sky). There is a good library, pywcs, that deals with this information.
Matplotlib, a good choice for plotting data with python, includes Basemap, a toolkit to display maps (of the earth) in various projections. What is missing is a link between these two!
| Basemap name | FITS Code [WCS] | Names |
|---|---|---|
| AZP | Zenithal perspective | |
| SZP | Slant zenithal perspective | |
| Gnomonic Projection | TAN | Gnomonic |
| Stereographic Projection | STG | Stereographic |
| SIN | Slant orthographic | |
| ARC | Zenithal equidistant | |
| ZPN | Zenithal polynomial | |
| Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Projection | ZEA | Zenithal equal area |
| AIR | Airy | |
| CYP | Cylindrical perspective | |
| CEA | Cylindrical equal area | |
| Cassini Projection | CAR transverse case | |
| CAR | Plate carree | |
| Miller Cylindrical Projection | CAR with unequal scaling | |
| Mercator Projection | MER | Mercator |
| Transverse Mercator Projection | MER transverse case | |
| Oblique Mercator Projection | ||
| Equidistant Cylindrical Projection | ||
| Sinusoidal Projection | SFL | Sanson-Flamsteed |
| PAR | Parabolic | |
| Mollweide Projection | MOL | Mollweide |
| AIT | Hammer-Aitoff | |
| COP | Conic perspective | |
| Albers Equal Area Projection | COE | Conic equal-area |
| Equidistant Conic Projection | COD | Conic equidistant |
| COO | Comic orthomorphic | |
| Lambert Conformal Projection for sperical earth = COO | ||
| BON | Bonne's equal area | |
| Polyconic Projection | PCO | Polyconic |
| TSC | Tangential Sperical Cube | |
| CSC | COBE Quadrilateralized Spherical Cube | |
| QSC | Quadrilateralized Spherical Cube | |
| Azimuthal Equidistant Projection | ||
| Orthographic Projection | ||
| Geostationary Projection | ||
| Robinson Projection | ||
| Gall Stereographic Projection | ||
| Polar Stereographic Projection | ||
| Polar Lambert Azimuthal Projection | ||
| Polar Azimuthal Equidistant Projection | ||
| McBryde-Thomas Flat Polar Quartic | ||
| van der Grinten Projection |