MACHO Project: Lightcurve Query Help

Index

1.0 Lightcurve Retrieval
2.0 Navigation
3.1 Startup
3.2 Help
2.3 Templates
2.4 Submit
2.5 Reset
3.0 Input Fields
3.1 Units
3.2 Equinox Index
3.3 RA
3.4 Dec
3.5 Radius
3.6 Display Stars
4.0 Error Recovery
4.1 Syntax Error Report
4.2 Processing Error Report

1.0 Lightcurve Retrieval

The Lightcurve Retrieval interface returns summaries of stars within the user-defined region. The summaries provide hot-click access to a web lightcurve browser and hot-click selection for later ftp download of lightcurve datasets.

2.0 Navigation

2.1 Startup

Startup displays information useful for the first-time user.

2.2 Help

Help displays this document.

2.3 Templates

Templates displays the RA/Dec coordinates defining the Macho Project's observation coverage. In particular, the user-specified bounded region must overlap at least one Macho Project Field.

2.4 Submit

Submit initiates input field validation and lightcurve extraction based on the bounded region defined.

2.5 Reset

Reset returns the form to default values.

3.0 Input Fields

The input fields are:

3.1 Units

Units in which the RA, Dec and Search Radius will be entered.

  • Choose HMS/DMS/arcsec to select hours:minutes:seconds as units for RA, degrees:minutes:seconds for Dec, and arcseconds for the bounding box radius.
  • Choose radians to select radians as units for RA, Dec, and radius.
  • Choose degrees to select degrees as units for RA, Dec, and radius.

    3.2 Equinox

    Select the equinox in which the RA/Dec are expressed.

  • Options are: J2000, B1950

    3.3 RA

    Right Ascension of the center point in bounding box defined by the RA/Dec/radius parameters. Format varies according to the units selected.

  • For HMS/DMS/arcseconds, it is upto 8 characters: HH:MM:SS . Subfields may not be empty.
  • For radians, it is a positive decimal number.
  • For degrees, it is a positive decimal number.
  • Example: 5:1:15.2 (HMS)
  • Example: 1.31447 (radians)
  • Example: 75.313 (degrees)

    3.4 Dec

    Declination of the center point in bounding box defined by the RA/Dec/radius parameters. Format varies according to the units selected.

  • For HMS/DMS/arcseconds, it is upto 9 characters: [-]DD:MM:SS . Subfields may not be empty.
  • For radians, it is a decimal number.
  • For degrees, it is a decimal number.
  • Example: 69:25:59.5 (DMS)
  • Example: -69:25:59.5 (DMS)
  • Example: -1.21183 (radians)
  • Example: -69.433 (degrees)

    3.5 Search Radius

    Radius of the bounding box defined by the RA/Dec/radius parameters.

  • Format is numeric. Maximum is 300 arcseconds or the equivalent in the units chosen.
  • Example: 10 (arcseconds)
  • Example: .0003 (radians)
  • Example: .0167 (degrees)

    3.6 Display Stars

    Maximum number of stars to display. The list is ordered by proximity to the centerpoint of the bounded region.

    4.0 Error Recovery

    4.1 Syntax Error Report

    Syntax errors relating to RA specification.

  • "RA not specified."
  • "Invalid characters in RA."
  • "Invalid value for RA."

    Syntax errors relating to Dec specification

  • "Dec not specified."
  • "Invalid characters in Dec."
  • "Invalid value for Dec."

    Syntax errors relating to Radius specification

  • "Radius not specified."
  • "Radius too small."
  • "Radius too large (5 arcminute max)."

    Syntax error relating to Number of Stars to display

  • "Number of stars to display less than 1!"

    Internal errors requiring MACHO Web Support assistance.

    Send email to MACHO.

  • "Internal error: Unknown UNITS for RA."
  • "Internal error: Unknown UNITS for Dec."
  • "Internal error: Unknown UNITS for radius."

    4.2 Processing Error Report

    Internal errors requiring MACHO Web Support assistance

    Send email to MACHO.

  • "Internal error: Domain DB corrupted."
  • "Internal error: Failed to find known units."
  • "Internal error: Failed acquiring token for transient filename."

    Errors resulting from invalid region specification.

  • "No MACHO Field overlaps user's star. No data possible."
    Ensure that the user specified region overlaps at least one Macho Field as specified in Valid Regions .
  • "Too many archive Tiles being accessed."
    Reduce search radius and try again.
  • "No MACHO Field/Tile overlaps user's region. No data possible."
    Ensure that the user specified region overlaps at least one Macho Field as specified in Valid Regions .

    Acknowledgement to use when referencing MACHO Project data

    "This paper utilizes public domain data originally obtained by the MACHO Project, whose work was performed under the joint auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48, the National Science Foundation through the Center for Particle Astrophysics of the University of California under cooperative agreement AST-8809616, and the Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatory, part of the Australian National University."

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