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Submitting Spectra Into AVSpec

S. Donnell

AAVSO Spectroscopy Section Lead

Astronomical Spectroscopy

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Overview of Steps - 1st Time Users

  1. Get an AAVSO observer code (Obscode)
    1. https://www.aavso.org/apps/member/
  2. Register your observing site and equipment information
  3. Acquire a spectrum from one of the standard stars from the list
  4. Process your spectrum to produce a calibrated and scaled 1D profile
  5. Submit the 1D profile into AVSpec
  6. Moderator reviews submitted profile and approves or rejects with comments

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Step 1 - Get an AAVSO Observer Code

  1. Create an account with AAVSO
  2. On the Profile tab, click the “Request Obscode” button
  3. Your observer code will be automatically generated

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Step 2 - Register User Information - Sites

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Add

Step 2 - Register User Information - Sites

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  1. Select “Add New Site” from the dropdown menu
  2. Enter required information
  3. Refer to documentation link for help
  4. Enter additional sites as desired

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Step 2 - Register User Information - Equipment

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Add

Step 2 - Register User Information - Equipment

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  1. Select “Add New” from the dropdown menu
  2. Enter required information
  3. Refer to documentation link for help
  4. Enter additional equipment configurations as desired

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Add

Step 2 - Register User Information - Equipment

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  1. Enter information for your camera
  2. Enter information for your spectrometer
  3. Add comments (optional) such as “Linearity threshold is estimated” or “R value determined at 5500 A”

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Notes on Registering Site and Equipment

  1. Ensure your Site Name and Equipment Name matches exactly the corresponding FITS keywords (e.g., BSS_SITE, BSS_INS) in your image file as determined by your image acquisition software, otherwise your submission may be rejected.
  2. Set up your spectra acquisition software so that your Obscode appears in the image FITS header with the OBSERVER keyword.

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Steps 4 and 5 - Process your spectrum to produce a calibrated and scaled 1D profile; Submit Into AVSpec

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  1. Process and submit your calibrated 1D profile into AVSpec
  2. Moderator reviews submitted profile and approves or rejects with comments
  3. Once approved, you can submit subsequent spectra into AVSpec (subject to review)

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Prior to Submitting Profiles into AVSpec

  1. Verify your acquired spectrum has the expected profile (i.e., are you observing the right star)?
  2. Verify the spectrum is not over-exposed.
  3. Verify your spectrum shows good signal to noise.
  4. Verify your wavelength calibration is good.
  5. Is your spectrum normalized (i.e., the continuum value on the vertical axis is around 1)?

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If you submit a profile into AVSpec and find any of these errors you can delete your submission and try again

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Step 6 - Submitting Profiles into AVSpec

  1. Submit the 1D profile as a .fits file. This provides the information AVSpec needs in the FITS header.
  2. If there is a problem, check the generated log and correct any errors. Do not submit additional standard star or other spectra until the errors have been corrected.
  3. Submitted profiles will be in a “Pending Validation” state while being reviewed by the AVSpec moderator. Once the moderator has reviewed and approved, the submitted profile will be available for others to view and download from AVSpec.

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Final Notes

  1. Spectra submitted into AVSpec should be for variable stars only. No planetary nebula or other objects not listed in the AAVSO Variable Star Index (VSX)
  2. AVSpec is accessible though:
    1. Link in Spectroscopy Observing Section
    2. Link in Submit and Access Data section of AAVSO home page
  3. Additional information available in Spectroscopy Observing Section:
    • Help file for submitting spectra
    • Quick Guide for submitting spectra into AVSpec

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