Kanzelhohe Observatory: Instruments, Data Processing and Data Products

Kanzelhohe Observatory for Solar and Environmental Research (KSO) of the University of Graz (Austria) is in continuous operation since its foundation in 1943. Since the beginning, its main task was the regular observation of the Sun in full disc. In this long time span covering almost seven solar cycles, a substantial amount of data was collected, which is made available online. In this article we describe the separate processing steps from data acquisition to high level products for different observing wavelengths. First of all we present in detail the quality classification, which is important for further processing of the raw images. We show how we construct centre-to-limb variation (CLV) profiles and how we remove large scale intensity variations produced by the telescope optics in order to get images with uniform intensity and contrast. Another important point is an overview of the different data products from raw images to high contrast images with heliographic grids overlaid. As the data products are accessible via different sources, we also present how to get information about the availability and how to obtain these data. Finally, in an appendix, we describe in detail the information in the FITS headers, the file naming and the data hierarchy.

Automated summary

The Kanzelhohe Observatory for Solar and Environmental Research (KSO) has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1943, focusing on regular observation of the Sun and collecting a significant amount of data. This article describes the separate processing steps from data acquisition to high level products, including quality classification, CLV profile construction, and an overview of data products. Access to data products and detailed information about FITS headers, file naming, and data hierarchy is also provided.