The Archive

The Gaia-ESO archive is operated by the Cambridge Astronomy Survey Unit at the IoA. For issues or advice please contact eglez@ast.cam.ac.uk.

Data formats

There are two different data formats: singlespec and manyspec. They are described in the (internal) data format description. In a nutshell the singlespec files contain on spectrum per target, stacked across all observations of that object. There is one unique singlespec file for each object (except standards).

Manyspec files contain multiple spectra organized by telescope pointing (i.e. by target). There are single manyspec which contain all spectra for every pointing, stacked manyspec which containts all spectra for each pointing stacked per night and final manyspec which contain all spectra for a pointing stacked across all night. The latter contain all the information as in the singlespec files but in one single file.

Note that requesting final manyspec files also retrieves the singlespec files so if all singlespec for a set of targets is required it is more efficient to query the manyspec files.

All files are Multiextension Fits Files (MEF).

Searching data

Spectra are queried by typing the constrains in the search box. Constrains are separated by a comma, so e.g. "nightobs:20120101, is_uves:1" means all files observed on the night of 20120101 AND from UVES.

  1. ManySpec

    SearchQuery syntax
    All files for the night of 20120101 20120101 nofinal
    Only UVES for the night of 20120101 20120101, is_uves:1, nofinal
    Only Giraffe GES_MW targets for the night of 20120101 20120101, GES_MW, is_giraffe:1
    Only Giraffe GES_MW targets for the night of 20120101 observed with the grating HR10 20120101, GES_MW, HR10, is_giraffe:1
    Only Giraffe GES_MW targets for the night of 20120101 observed with the grating HR/548.8 20120101, GES_MW, gratwlen:548.8, is_giraffe:1
    Archival data for M15 M15, gestype: AR_SD_GC
    All Corot data gestype: GE_SD_CR
    All final manyspec files for the nights between 20120101 and 20120103 20120101 .. 20120103
    Final manyspec corresponding to file C20120102_00004 C20120102_00004
    All manyspec around position (1 degree search) 17:25:18.0 -55:31:47
    All manyspec around position (2 degree search) 17:25:18.0 -55:31:47 2
    Particular GES Type and processing version gestype:GE_SD_CR,version:5.0

  2. SingleSpec

    SearchQuery syntax
    All files observed for Cha_I in UVES with the grating 580 Cha_I, is_uves:1, gratwlen:580.0
    All files in UVES with the grating 860 is_uves:1, gratwlen:860.0
    All standards observed with Giraffe with the grating 665.0 GES_SD, is_giraffe:1, gratwlen:665
    All files for particular cname 10555973-7724399
    Particular filename uvu_12394475-6038339_580.0
    All spectra around position (1 degree search) 17:25:18.0 -55:31:47
    Particular GES Type and processing version gestype:GE_SD_CR,version:5.0

Requesting data

The query results page contains a list of manyspec or singlespec which satisfy the query. There are links to visualize the FITS header (H), more information (M) containing QC information or plot of the singlespec and direct access to data on spectra parameters (D), only in case of manyspec.

Data can be requested by clicking on the "Request processed files" link in the query results page. An email will be sent with instructions when the requested is completed.

Visualizing data

There are several packages available to read FITS tables.

  1. TOPCAT

    Available from here TOPCAT is a java graphical viewer and editor for tabular data (not only FITS). It can read FITS table, produce plots, write tables to ascii and much more.

    Note that when displaying a FITS file in TOPCAT only the table extensions will be shown.

  2. STILTS

    Available from here STILTS is a java command line tool to perform operations in tables.

    For example to extract the extension number 39 (photometry table) from a single UVES spectrum to a CSV table: 

    stilts tcopy ifmt=fits ofmt=csv uvu_11504232+0145496_580.0.fits#39 photom.csv