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Software Systems for Astronomy

  • Book
  • © 2014

Overview

Authors:
  1. Albert R. Conrad

    1. Kamuela, USA

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  • Provides students with the background and techniques required to obtain a job in the field of astronomy
  • Can be used as a textbook for astronomy, physics, and computer science classes
  • Will contain many problems and solutions to aid learning
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Astronomy (BRIEFSASTRON)

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
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  2. Introduction

    • Albert R. Conrad
    Pages 1-1

  3. Observation Planning Software

    • Albert R. Conrad
    Pages 3-14

  4. Choice of Languages

    • Albert R. Conrad
    Pages 15-21

  5. Data and Data Archives

    • Albert R. Conrad
    Pages 23-37

  6. Control Systems

    • Albert R. Conrad
    Pages 39-87

  7. The Future of Software Systems for Astronomy

    • Albert R. Conrad
    Pages 89-92

  8. Erratum to: Observation Planning Software

    • Albert R. Conrad
    Pages E1-E1

  9. Back Matter

    Pages 93-95
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Keywords

About this book

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.

Reviews

“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)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kamuela, USA

    Albert R. Conrad

About the author

As both an astronomer and a software developer, Dr. Albert Conrad has developed and used software systems for all phases of observing:  from planning the observation, to taking the data, to analyzing the data in preparation for publication.  Dr. Conrad’s research interests include asteroid systems and developing novel techniques to study comets, planets, and the moons of planets, in particular Jupiter’s moon Io.  His complete bibliography includes nearly 100 publications including 24 articles in refereed journals.  These range from his early software designs for the Keck Observatory to his discovery of a small moon orbiting the asteroid 41 Daphne.  He enjoys sharing the results of his research through public lectures and classroom visits.

 

Dr. Conrad received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1994.  He then worked as software engineer and support astronomer at both Lick and Keck Observatories before moving to the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy to lead the development of a next generation adaptive optics system.  He enjoys cycling, running, and outrigger canoe paddling.

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