Using the Contributed C-Shell Scripts

About the Scripts

These scripts take parameters from the command line and then run a set of Montage modules to make mosaics and a full-color JPEG of a region of the sky using images from 2MASS, DSS and SDSS. The scripts will prompt the user to provide any necessary parameters that are not initially provided. These scripts have been used successfully with Montage 3.0, as well as Montage 3.2 beta6.

Downloading the Scripts

There are two scripts each for the 2MASS, DSS and SDSS data sets. The *mos scripts produce a mosaic and a JPEG; the
*newjpg script only creates a JPEG, which is useful for refining the stretch on a JPEG image.

Click the script name to download:

Data Set and Bands	Mosaic Creator	JPEG Creator
2MASS (J, H and K)	2massmos.csh	2massnewjpg.csh
DSS (B, R and IR)	dss2mos.csh	dss2newjpg.csh
SDSS (gr, i and z)	sdssmos.csh	sdssnewjpg.csh

Running the Scripts

Each *mos script runs the mHdr, mExec (for each band), and mJPEG modules to generate the final JPEG. Note that the Montage software and the scripts must be in your PATH.

For example, the 2MASS script (2massmos) takes the following arguments:

2massmos [ra] [dec] [region_size] [outfile] [stretch_min] [stretch_max]

In the above example, ra and dec are the sky coordinates of the center of the image, region_size is the width and height of the image in degrees, outfile is a "base" name for the output image fit FITS files, and the stretch_min and stretch_max parameters apply to the "sigma" range for the JPEG image generation.

To run with or without command line arguments:

% 2massmos 20h51m26s 44d05m23s 0.5 test3 -5 20

or

% 2massmos
Enter J2000 RA in format HHhMMmSSs:
% 20h20m20s
Enter J2000 Dec in format DDdMMmSSs:
% 10d10m10s
Enter region size (in degrees) for fits image: 
% 0.4
Enter name for output fits image:
% test3

The script creates directories called:

test3-2MASS-J
test3-2MASS-H
test3-2MASS-K

with the results in them.

The same format applies to the DSS2 script:

% dss2mos 0h51m26s 44d05m23s 0.5 test3

or

% dss2mos
Enter J2000 RA in format HHhMMmSSs:
% 20h20m20s
Enter J2000 Dec in format DDdMMmSSs:
% 10d10m10s
Enter region size (in degrees) for fits image:
% 0.4
Enter name for output fits image:
% test3

The above instructions create directories called:

test3-DSS2B
test3-DSS2R
test3-DSS2IR

Then, to re-generate the JPEG with a different stretch:

2massnewjpeg.csh test3 -5 20

Please note that while the script simplifies JPEG re-generation, some flexibility in refining parameters is lost. To retain full control over defining JPEG parameters, we recommend using mJPEG.