A simple user interface provides access to the processed PanSTARRS images. Both warp (single epoch) and stack (combined) images are available for the grizy filters in the 3PI survey. The stack images are also combined to create color images. Images may be extracted using an RA+Dec position or using an object name. The resulting cutout images (postage stamps) are available as JPEG images within the web browser or as FITS images. The interface also provides access to download skycell images covering larger sky regions, along with an interactive display for browsing larger sky regions. Finally, there are web services that can be used for access to the images via scripts.
The web interface
The PS1 images are accessible through http://plpsipp1v.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/ps1cutouts. (This is a temporary URL that will change in the near future.) The interface has a text box to enter a position or object name plus a few other options:
Type an object name or position into the box and click Submit:
The search string can be a name that is recognized by NED or SIMBAD (e.g., "ring nebula" as above) or a position in various formats (RA and Dec in degrees, hh mm ss +dd mm ss, h:m:s d:m:s, etc.). A PanSTARRS name (e.g., skycell.2069.026) is also accepted and is translated to the central position of that image.
Changing the parameters
The default parameters for the search return a 240x240 pixel cutout image (= 1x1 arcmin for the PS1 scale of 0.25 arcsec/pixel) with a color image plus all five filters, grizy. The filters used for the color image are the reddest (y), the bluest (g), and the middle image (i).
The parameters allow changing the defaults:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Filters | Select a subset of the filters using check boxes |
| File types | Include the warp (single epoch) images in addition to or instead of the stack images |
| Cutout size | Specify the extracted image size in pixels. The conversion to arcsec is given. |
| Output size | Select a fixed size for the display images. This can be used to shrink the images when the cutout size is large or to expand the image for a small cutout size. |
As an example, here are images for the Ring Nebula with the cutout size increased to 512 pixels (128 arcsec), the display size set to 256 pixels (so the JPEG scale is 0.5 arcsec/pixel), and the gri filters selected (which changes the color image as well):
Warp (single epoch) images
Access to FITS images and interactive image display
Scripted extraction of cutouts
Color 256x256 arcsec image of M8 using the PS1 gri filters created using the image cutout interface.
