WCSTools This suite of programs takes advantage of world coordinate system (WCS) information in astronomical image files and catalogs of astronomical sources, and provides a number of useful image, image header, coordinate, and file manipulation utilities.

[Images and WCS] [Catalogs and Image WCS] [Image Utilities] [Catalog Utilities] [Other Utilities] [Framed]

Images and World Coordinate System

delWCS Delete the WCS keywords from an image. If both EPOCH and EQUINOX are present, EQUINOX is also deleted.
imsize Print a one-line description of the center and size of a FITS or IRAF image to standard output.
imWCS Automatically find stars in a FITS or IRAF image, match them to stars in a reference catalog, compute the relation between sky coordinates and image coordinates, and write the resulting world coordinate system keywords into the header of a copy of the original image.
remap Move the pixels in a FITS or IRAF image with one world coordinate system (WCS) to another image of the same type with a different WCS. (New in WCSTools 2.6.6)
sky2xy Print image pixel coordinates for given sky coordinates on the command line or in a list file.
xy2sky Print sky coordinates for given image pixel coordinates on the command line or in a list file.
SAOimage Display FITS or IRAF image, tracking cursor in sky coordinates if there is WCS information in the image header. It is distributed separately.

Source Catalogs and Images with World Coordinate Systems

imcat If there is WCS information in the image header, find and list catalog stars in an IRAF or FITS image, with their pixel coordinates.
immatch If there is WCS information in the image header, match catalog stars to stars in an image.
imstar Find and list the n brightest stars in an IRAF or FITS image with image coordinates, and, if there is WCS information in the image header, their sky coordinates.
imgsc2 If there is WCS information in the image header, find and list the GSC II Catalog stars in an IRAF or FITS image with their pixel coordinates.
imua2 If there is WCS information in the image header, find and list the USNO-A2.0 Catalog stars in an IRAF or FITS image with their pixel coordinates
imub1 If there is WCS information in the image header, find and list the USNO-B1.0 Catalog stars in an IRAF or FITS image with their pixel coordinates
imusa2 Find and list the USNO-SA2.0 Catalog stars in an IRAF or FITS image, with their pixel coordinates, if there is WCS information in the image header.
imgsc If there is WCS information in the image header, find and list the HST Guide Stars in an IRAF or FITS image with their pixel coordinates.
imty2 Find and list the Tycho-2 Catalog Stars in an IRAF or FITS image, with their pixel coordinates if there is WCS information in the image header.
[Top] [Setting an Image WCS] [Using an Image WCS] [Image Utilities] [Catalog Utilities] [Other Utilities]

Image Header Utility Programs

cphead Copy keyword values between the headers of FITS or IRAF image files.
delhead Delete keyword entries from the headers of FITS or IRAF image files.
edhead Edit the headers of FITS or IRAF image files.
gethead List keyword values from the headers of FITS or IRAF image files.
imhead Print the contents of a FITS or IRAF image header to standard output.
keyhead Change keyword names in FITS or IRAF images.
sethead Set header parameters in FITS or IRAF images.

Image Utility Programs

addpix Add constant(s) from pixel(s) in a FITS or IRAF image.
conpix Operate on all of the pixels of an image
fixpix Replace regions of pixels with interpolated values (like IRAF fixpix).
getfits Extract section of a FITS or IRAF image.
getpix Get pixel value(s) from a FITS or IRAF image.
i2f Read two-dimensional IRAF image file and write FITS image file.
imrot Rotate and/or reflect FITS or IRAF image files.
newfits Create new dataless FITS file with proper header.
remap Rebin an image from its current WCS to a new one
setpix Set pixel(s) to constant(s) in a FITS or IRAF image.
subpix Subtract constant(s) from pixel(s) in a FITS or IRAF image.
sumpix Compute total flux in a portion of a FITS or IRAF image.
[Top] [Setting an Image WCS] [Using an Image WCS] [Image Utilities] [Catalog Utilities] [Other Utilities]

Catalog Utility Programs

scat Search a source catalog
sgsc Search the Hubble Space Telescope Guide Star Catalog (GSC).
sgsca Search the GSC-ACT (ACT-based HST GSC) (GSCA).
sgsc2 Search the GSC II Star Catalog (GSC2).
siras Search the IRAS Point Source Catalog (IRAS).
sppm Search the PPM Catalog (PPM).
ssao Search the SAO Catalog (SAO).
stmc Search the 2MASS Point Source Catalog (TMC).
sty2 Search the Tycho-2 Catalog.
sua2 Search the U.S. Naval Observatory-A2.0 Catalog (UA2).
sub1 Search the U.S. Naval Observatory-B1.0 Catalog (UB1).
sucac2 Search the U.S. Naval Observatory UCAC2 Catalog (UCAC2).
susa2 Search the U.S. Naval Observatory-SA2.0 Catalog (USA2).
sujc Search the U.S. Naval Observatory UJ Catalog (UJC).
[Top] [Setting an Image WCS] [Using an Image WCS] [Image Utilities] [Catalog Utilities] [Other Utilities]

Utility Programs

getcol Extract specified fields from an space-separated ASCII table file
getdate Convert between two date formats
gettab Extract values from tab table data base files
isnum Return code telling whether the input string is numerical
nedpos Return RA and Dec for object name using NED
simpos Return RA and Dec for object name using SIMBAD
skycoor Convert coordinates between systems or formats

Last updated 06 November 2015 by Jessica Mink

Telescope Data Center