imcat(1)

💫 imcat — bestie edition (from the WCSTools crew, imcat(1)) 💫

okay so listen. you've got FITS and IRAF image files, right? and you want to know which catalog stars are chilling inside them? that's literally what imcat(1) is for. WCSTools said "let her cook" and here we are. 🎀

🌸 NAME 🌸

imcat — list catalog stars in FITS and IRAF image files. that's it. that's the whole job. and she does it gorgeously. 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

imcat [options] FITS or IRAF file(s)

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so the vibe is: she searches a given catalog inside the area described by the world coordinate system in an image header. no cap. the header tells her where the image is pointing and she goes hunting. 🔭

and here's the cute part — she's got aliases, like a true main character. call her by a different name and she searches a different catalog:

• imuac — to search the USNO A 1.0 catalog
• imusac — to search the USNO SA 1.0 catalog
• imgsc — to search the HST Guide Star Catalog

same girl, different eras. iconic behavior honestly. 👑

💖 OPTIONS 💖

• -b [<RA> <Dec>] — output in B1950, and optionally you can drop in a new image center in B1950 (FK4) RA and Dec to replace the one sitting in the image header. glow-up for the coordinates. ✨
• -c <name> — pick your reference catalog, bestie. the options include gsc (=HST GSC), ua2 (=USNO-A2.0), TMC (=2MASS Point Source Catalog), gsc2 (=GSC II), ub1 (=USNO-B1.0), a local file, etc. so many choices, all valid. 💜
• -d — output RA,Dec positions in fractional degrees. degrees girlies rise. 📐
• -e — output in ecliptic longitude and latitude. ✨
• -g — output in galactic longitude and latitude. 🌌
• -h — print heading. else do not. simple as that. 🙈
• -i — print name instead of number in region file. names > numbers, always. 🎀
• -j [<RA> <Dec>] — output in J2000, with an optional new image center in J2000 (FK5) RA and Dec to replace the one in the image header. the modern era of coordinates fr fr. 💫
• -k <keyword> — add this keyword to output from tab table search. sprinkle it in. 🍓
• -m [<bright magnitude>] <faint magnitude> — limiting catalog magnitude(s). default is none, and if you only give the faint one, bright is -2. she fills in the blanks for you, so thoughtful. 😭
• -n <num> — number of brightest stars to print. only the top num baddies. 🌟
• -o <type> — set HST Guide Star object class to print: 0=stars, 3=nonstars, -1=all, -2=band. pick your fighter. 👀
• -p <scale> — initial plate scale in arcsec per pixel (default from file). 📏
• -q <c|d|o|s|x|v|+> — write an SAOimage region file with this shape: o=circle, s=square, d=diamond, +=cross, and x=X, with the radius scaled with magnitude unless you specified it with a -r command line entry. v will cause stellar Guide Stars to plot with a + and nonstellar Guide Stars to plot with an x. if the character is preceded by p, the size specified by the -r command is assumed to be in pixels, not arcseconds. and a p alone specifies a circle in pixels. phew. shapes are a whole personality, honestly. 🔷
• -r <radius> — write SAOimage region file with shapes (default CIRCLE) of this radius in arcseconds. SAOimage can then read this file, with will have positions and radii in pixels and plot it over an image. and if the radius is specified as zero, the output radii will scale between 5 and dim/100 over the range of magnitudes of sources found in the image area. and if the -q option is specified with a p in it, this number is assumed to be in pixels instead of arcseconds. okay so -r and -q are lowkey a duo, iykyk. 🫶
• -s d|m|n|p|r|x|y — sort by (d)eclination, (m)agnitude, (n)o sort, (p)distance from center, (r)ight ascension, image (x) or (y). she can sort it however you want, she's flexible like that. 🧚
• -t — tab table to standard output as well as file. double the delivery, double the fun. 💅
• -u num — USNO catalog single plate number to accept. 🍓
• -v — verbose listing of processing intermediate results. the behind-the-scenes commentary we all deserve. 🎬
• -w — write tab table output file imagename.cat. she saves it for you, queen behavior. 👑
• -x x y — X and Y coordinates of reference pixel (default is CRPIXn or center of image). 📍
• -y epoch — epoch of image for proper motions. time-traveling stars, we love to see it. ⭐
• -z — use AIPS classic projections instead of WCSLIB; use CD matrix or CDELT instead of polynomial solution. vintage mode activated. 🌈

🫶 SEE ALSO 🫶

• scat()

🌐 WEB PAGE 🌐

http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/software/wcstools/imcat/

💜 AUTHOR 💜

Jessica Mink, SAO (jmink@cfa.harvard.edu). the legend herself. we stan. 🎀

that's the whole page bestie, go forth and catalog. no notes. 💖

okay and for the cute sign-off: this is from the WCSTools collection, dated 30 January 2003, and yes she's still serving imcat(1) energy after all this time. ✨🦋🌸