• At top left (under Search NOAO data), there are three tabs marked Query Form, Results, and Staging Area. These let you switch back and forth between the search form, the search results, and the place where you will stage selected data for ftp retrieval.
• The Reset button resets all search form fields to their default values (usually blank).
• The Search button executes your query and takes you to the Results page.
• The Search Type box has two options in a pull-down menu:
  • Search All Data
  • Search My Data
  If you are a registered PI or an authorized co-I, you can use Search My Data to search for and retrieve data from your own NOAO observing programs. This is discussed in more detail below.

You may only retrieve and download proprietary data if you are the program PI or an authorized co-I, and have signed in with your registered NVO username!

For information on administering co-I access to proprietary data, please see the tutorial on PI/Co-I data access.

Target information

• Object name: Entering a common astronomical object name and hitting Resolve will call the Sesame name resolver, which in turn draws upon Simbad, NED and VizierR. If the object name is recognized, it will fill in the Coordinate fields with the object's RA and Dec. If you do not click Resolve, the search will match the name string to the object keyword in the archive database.

  Note: In most cases, the object name in data FITS headers was entered by observers and may not always be correct or reliable. Moreover, the string matching used to search this field (when the astronomical name resolver is not invoked) is a simple, case-insensitive substring match.

• Coordinates: Right ascension and declination, in either decimal degrees or sexagesimal (hh:mm:ss dd:mm:ss) format.

  Note: Coordinates in raw data FITS headers can sometimes be incorrect or unavailable due to errors in telescope pointing, failed communication between telescope and instrument control systems, or other issues. The coordinates in pipeline-reduced Mosaic and NEWFIRM data have been calibrated whenever possible to a standard astrometric reference system (e.g., USNO or 2MASS), and should be reliable except when such calibration has failed.

• Search box size: A coordinate search will match any archived data with RA, Dec falling within a search box width (in arcmin) that can be specified here. The default is 30 arcminutes.

Note: The search region is defined by constant RA and Dec limits that are one half the search box size away from the specified RA and Dec. This simplistic definition therefore distorts from a square box as one moves toward the celestial poles.

Observation

• Program number: The NOAO proposal identifier for data in the archive. Generally, this has a format like "2010A-9876", i.e., the observing semester and a 4-digit proposal number. The search is insensitive, and operates by substring matching, i.e., entering '2010A' will find data from all 2010A programs, while '9876' will find all programs from any year with that number. Some data are owned by the observatories, and have program numbers like 'NOAO', 'WIYN', 'SOAR' or 'SMARTS'.
• Principal Investigator: Searches by Principle Investigator (PI) use case-insensitive substring matching to the name information in the archive database.

  Note: The PI name in the archive database is generally reliable, but there may be variations in the inclusion of middle names or initials, titles, etc. A search by PI last name may be the safest approach, but of course may sometimes match more than one person. E.g., searching by 'smith' could match several different observers, as well as 'Smithson', etc.

• Observing calendar date: The calendar date (in YYYY-MM-DD format) at the start of the observing night. This may differ from the UT date of the observation. You may select operators "=", "<", and ">" to search on, before, after the specified date, or "BETWEEN" to search a range of dates (inclusive). Clicking on the box will bring up a calendar selection tool.
• Data filename: The filename originally assigned to a data set at the telescope by the observer or the data-taking system. The search is a case-insensitive substring match. Thus, a search for files named 'object' will match images with names such as 'object0123.fits' or 'Test_Object.imh'. File extensions (e.g., '.fits') need not be specified.

Note: All FITS files are renamed to a standard nomenclature when they are stored in the archive. The original filenames assigned by the user, however, are recorded in a FITS header keyword, and this filename search uses those names to help find data by those original names.

Telescope & Instrument

• Telescope and Instrument: A pull-down menu of telescope + instrument combinations for data stored in the archive. You may select multiple choices from this list (generally by using some combination of shift or control keys and mouse clicks, depending on your computer and browser). Selecting nothing will search all telescopes and instruments.

  Note: In a few cases, notably at the KPNO Mayall 4m, the instrument may be unknown, as the same data-taking computer is used for multiple instruments, and header information does not permit these to be easily distinguished.

• Exposure time: The exposure time for an observation, in seconds. You may select operators "=", "<", and ">", or "BETWEEN" to search a range of exposure times (inclusive).

  Note: In some cases the exposure information may be unreliable or unavailable, particularly for some instruments where it is recorded in the headers in non-standard keywords or formats.

• All instruments:

  • Raw: Data as taken at the telescope, with no processing.

• Pipeline-reduced data for Mosaic and NEWFIRM:
  See the NOAO Data Handbook for details about each data product type.

  • Calibrated images: Individual exposures in multi-extension FITS format, with basic instrumental signatures removed, e.g., bias or dark subtraction, flat fielding, etc. Whenever possible, a world coordinate system and approximate photometric zeropoint are recorded in the headers. These are accompanied by data quality masks.
  • Reprojected images: Individual calibrated exposures, geometrically rectified and projected onto the sky plane, combining data from all camera detectors into a single-extension FITS image. These are accompanied by data quality masks.
  • Stacked images: Coadded images constructed from a sequence of overlapping sky exposures, with masking of static and transient defects such as cosmic rays. These are accompanied by exposure maps and data quality masks.
  • Master calibration files: Combined and processed calibration images such as bias frames, darks, dome or sky flat fields, pupil images, etc. These may be accompanied by data quality masks.

• For NEWFIRM only:

  • Sky subtracted images: Individually calibrated exposures in multi-extension FITS format, with basic instrumental signatures removed (as for 'calibrated images' above) and with astrometric and photometric calibration where possible, and also with two-dimensional background subtraction. These images are accompanied by data quality masks.

• Public release date: Data in the archive may have a proprietary period. Before that period expires, the data are only available for retrieval by the registered Principal Investigator. This field lets you search for data by public release date (in YYYY-MM-DD format), using operators '<', '>', or 'BETWEEN' as desired. Clicking on the box will bring up a calendar selection tool.

Search Results and Data Selection

The leftmost column of the Results table (see left) includes checkboxes that you may use to select individual data sets.

Also you can use the "Selection" pulldown menu, located just above the Results table (see below). This provides options for selecting or de-selecting all visible rows on the current page of Results, or all rows on all pages of the Results table.

FTP Retrieval

• Unregistered users may stage non-proprietary data for retrieval by anonymous ftp.
• Registered users who have signed in will stage data to a password-controlled area.

If you have problems with staging

• Restart staging: Click here if some files fail to stage properly. A pop-up window should appear asking if you wish to re-stage all images that were not previously staged. Click 'OK' and hopefully everything will work properly this time...
• Stop staging: Click here to halt staging if necessary.
• Clear staging area: Remove all files from the staging area.