Telescope Tools for Observing

There are a number of generally useful tools which can be used with most Keck facility instruments. In alphabetical order:

• Compass roses

  Show the directions on the guider and/or the instrument.

• Sky PA Calculator

  A handy widget for determining, after the fact, which way was North on your data, using just three header keywords.

• FACSUM

  The screen showing telescope position, LST, UT, and much, much more.

• Guider eavesdrop

  How to get and use a copy of the OA's guider display.

• Simbad/AO tool

  A tool that retrieves magnitude and color information on the current target via the on-line Simbad database.

• SKY

  Can serve as a finding chart as well as preview the telescope position on a given target.

• Starlists

  A text list of your observing targets, which ideally should be prepared in advance. This link will explain how.

• Xshow

  A simple interface for displaying the the values of either instrument or telescope keywords.