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IUE: International Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite
General characteristics
- Table name: IUE
- Version: 1992
- Records: 92888
- Spectral Band: UVband
- Kind of Object: Log
- Mode: Spectroscopy
- PreView: ULDASpectra
- Coordinates: J2000
- Description:
VILSPA International Ultraviolet Explorer Observation Log until Dec 311992
Field descriptions
ra_ori
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Right ascension (1950.0)
dec_ori
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Declination (1950.0)
ra
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Right ascension (2000.0)
dec
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Declination (2000.0)
lii
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Galactic longitude (2000.0)
bii
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Galactic latitude (2000.0)
object
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Object identifier (no homogeneity guaranteed!).
pgmid
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Alphanumeric code identifying observing program.
vmag
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Magnitude: from Jan 18, 1983 the magnitude for VILSPA
images is estimated from FES counts and FES tracking mode
(see ESA IUE Newsletter n.5, pg. 30, 1980).
class
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Object class: a number of classification system (explained
in the class subtopic).
date_obs
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Observation date and time (DD/MM/YY hh/mm (U.T.)).
date_pro
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Processing date.
disp
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Dispersion.Could be one of the following:
- L - Low dispersion;
- H - High dispersion;
for FES images:
- D - Default (10 arcmin square);
- E - Extended (16 arcmin square);
- F - Full (18 arcmin square);
- P - Postage stamp (usually 1 arcmin square);
- S - Special (optional).
camera
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
LWPLong wavelength prime camera (Cam No 1)
LWRLong wavelength redundant cam (Cam No 2)
SWPShort wavelength prime camera (Cam No 3)
SWRShort wavelength redundant cam (Cam No 4)
FESFine error sensor star field images(Cam No 9).
image
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Image sequence number: camera used plus a sequential image number.
aperture
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Aperture used:
- L for the 10 by 20 arcsec large oval aperture;
- S for the 3 arcsec small circular aperture;
for FES images:
- 1 - FES unit 1;
- 2 - FES unit 2 (normal operational use).
fesmode
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Target brightness as measured by the FES in primary mode at the time of
target acquisition. Possible modes are:
- FU - Fast track/Underlap;
- FO - Fast track/Overlap;
- SO - Slow track/Overlap.
fescount
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Photon counts averaged over an integration time
dependant on the needs of target acquisition;
the FES detector saturates at a count of 28673!
exp_mode
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Begun March 12 ,1982 for GSFC and Oct 1982 for VILSPA:
- T - trailed images;
- M - multiple exposures.
lapstat
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Status of LARGE aperture (O for open, C for closed).
exptime
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Duration of exposure in seconds (=0 if image was exposed
for less than 1 second).
station
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Ground station (V = VILSPA, G = Goddard SFC).
expcc
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Exposure classification code of Vilspa (CED) (See any ESA
IUE Newsletter for an explanation).
comments
- Screen format:
- Db field name:
- Db format:
- Description:
Comments as provided by the Resident Astronomer.
For GSFC and VILSPA images taken before March 13, 1982
widened spectra obtained by trailing the star along the
major axis of the large aperture is so indicated. As of
that date, GFSC trailed images are identified only in the
aperture field, while VILSPA trailed continue to be noted
as such in the comments. For GSFC images taken after April
21, 1979 the following information is given:
- E - gross exposure level in DN for strongest emmision lines in spectrum;
- C - gross DN value for the most highly exposed region of the continuum;
- B - average DN value for the background;
- N - peak DN value for the microphonic noise.
CLASS
Classification of objects in the joint ESA/SERC LOG of IUE observations. The
classification is supplied by D. Stickland for use only within the project.
00 Sun 51 Long Period Variable
Stars
01 Earth 52 Irregular Variables
02 Moon 53 Regular Variables
03 Planet 54 Dwarf Novae
04 Planetary satellite 55 Classical Novae
05 Minor Planet 56 Supernovae
06 Comet 57 Symbiotic Stars
07 Interplanetary medium 58 T Tauri
08 Giant Red Spot 59 X-Ray
10 W C 60 Shell Star
11 W N 61 Eta Carinae
12 Main Sequence O 62 Pulsar
13 Supergiant O 63 Nova-like
14 OE 64 Stellar Object not
included above
15 OF 65 Misidentified targets
16 SD O 66 Interacting Binaries
17 WD O 70 Planetary Nebular +
Central Star
19 UV-strong 71 Planetary Nebular -
Central Star
20 B0-B2 V-IV 72 H II Region
21 B3-B5 V-IV 73 Reflection Nebula
22 B6-B9,5 V-IV 74 Dark Cloud
(absorption spectrum)
23 B0-B2 III-I 75 Supernova Remnant
24 B3-B5 III-I 76 Ring Nebula
(shock-ionised)
25 B6-B9.5 III-I 80 Spiral Galaxy
26 BE 81 Elliptical Galaxy
27 Bp 82 Irregular Galaxy
28 SDB 83 Globular Cluster
29 WDB 84 Seyfert Galaxy
30 A0-A3 V-IV 85 Quasar
31 A4-A9 V-IV 86 Radio Galaxy
32 A0-A3 III-I 87 BL Lacertae object
33 A4-A9 III-I 88 Emission Line Galaxy
(non-Seyfert)
34 AE 90 Intergalactic Medium
35 AM 98 Wavelength
Calibration (NASA
Log)
36 AP 99 Nulls and Flat Fields
(NASA Log)
37 WDA
38 Horizontal Branch
39 Composite
40 F0-F2
41 F3-F9
42 FP
43 Late Type Degenerate Stars
44 G (to 1Feb79); G IV-VI (from
45 G I-II (from 1Feb79)
46 K (to 1Feb79); K IV-VI (from
47 K I-III (from 1Feb79)
48 M (to 1Feb79); M Dwarfs (from
49 M I-III (from 1Feb79)
50 R, N or S types
EXPCODES
(The expcc field). Exposure classification codes for VILSPA images. The
exposure levels of VILSPA images are described by a 3-digit number.
- Digit 1: Exposure level of continuum
- Digit 2: Exposure level of emission lines
- Digit 3: Background level
The background is classified in terms of a standard region of each camera
outside the area affected by the high resolution orders. The value used is
the mean dn given by a subset histogram approximately 10 pixels in width.
00 lt dn lt 20
121 lt dn lt 30
231 lt dn lt 40
341 lt dn lt 50
451 lt dn lt 60
561 lt dn lt 70
671 lt dn lt 80
781 lt dn lt 90
891 lt dn lt 110
9101 lt dn lt ...
Xsaturated
The continuum and emission are both classified as follows:
(0 = not applicable).
- No spectrum visible
- Faint spectrum: max dn < 20 above local background
- Underexposed: Max dn < 100 above local background
- Weak: 100 < max dn < 150 above local background
- Good: no saturation, but max dn > 150 above local background
- a bit strong: a few pixels are saturated
- saturated for less than half the spectrum
- mostly saturated but some parts usable
- completely saturated
NOTES
- No exposure classification code was assigned to VILSPA images before
1 August 1978.
- Prior to 1 September 1979, the background digit was not included and
the ECC occupied the first two places in the comment line.
- The Goddard images are described in the comments by the gross DN of
the Continuum (C), Emission lines (E) and Background (B).