Data Analysis - New Users

New Users

You have received an email from the Spitzer Helpdesk telling you that your data have been archived, so what do you do now?

• Download and install Leopard, the software that you will use to get your data from the Spitzer archive. Leopard has the same look and feel as Spot, which you used to plan your observations, so it should feel fairly familiar. See the Data Archive page for more information on how the archive works and how to use Leopard and set up your archive username and password.


• Download your data from the archive using Leopard. You will be given a choice of data products to download. In most cases you should download the Basic Calibrated Data (BCD) products, but the Post-BCD (PBCD) products are useful for quick-look images/spectra. Users are not advised to use Post-BCD products for science purposes.


• Download the data reduction software. The software available on these pages is split into two 'flavors' - Supported Software and Contributed Software. Supported Software (Imaging/SED: MOPEX, APEX, Bandmerge, The GeRT; Spectroscopy: SPICE, IRSCLEAN_MASK, IRSFRINGE and CUBISM) is supported, and in most cases developed and maintained, by the Spitzer Science Center. Contributed Software (e.g. SMART) has been developed by the wider Spitzer User Community and is not supported by the SSC.


• Go to the relevant Data Analysis page. The information required to reduce your data is organised by instrument, accessible via the links here on the left-hand navigation bar or from the Post-BCD Welcome Page. There you will find User's Guides, Cookbooks, calibration files and warnings associated with each instrument. Please read the Important Notes and Common Pitfalls listed on the pages - they are important and are frequently updated to provide you with the most recent advice on data reduction.


• You can find a MOPEX GUI walk-through for beginners for reducing the sample data provided by the SSC on the Running MOPEX page.


• If you get stuck then you should start by checking out the documentation for the instrument or software. If you don't find the answer there then try taking a look at the Data Analysis FAQ. If you still can't find the help you need then you have one of two options, depending on the problem. For help with general data reduction questions or problems with Supported Software you can email us at the Spitzer HelpDesk and we'll be more than happy to help. For assistance with Contributed Software issues, please contact the appropriate developers (listed on the Contributed Software page).