Astronomical Data Science with Python

The Netherlands eScience Center and the NWO-I Digital Competence Center are organizing an Astronomical Data Science with Python workshop on 29 and 30 March, 2023. This workshop will be in person and take place at ASTRON in Dwingeloo. The workshop is free and open to all researchers in the Netherlands (costs for accommodation are at their own expense).

Please note that lunch and drinks at the end of the workshop are included.

Astronomical Data Science with Python covers a range of core concepts necessary to efficiently study the ever-growing datasets developed in modern astronomy. In particular, this workshop teaches learners to perform database operations (SQL queries, joins, filtering) and to create publication-quality data visualizations. Learners will use software packages common to the general and astronomy-specific data science communities (Pandas, Astropy, Astroquery) combined with two astronomical datasets: the large, all-sky, multi-dimensional dataset from the Gaia satellite, which measures the positions, motions and distances of approximately a billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy with unprecedented accuracy and precision; and the Pan-STARRS photometric survey, which precisely measures light output and distribution from many stars. Together, the software and datasets are used to reproduce part of the analysis from the article “Off the beaten path: Gaia reveals GD-1 stars outside of the main stream” by Drs. Adrian M. Price-Whelan and Ana Bonaca. This lesson shows how to identify and visualize the GD-1 stellar stream, which is a globular cluster that has been tidally stretched by the Milky Way.

The workshop is based on the teaching style of the Carpentries, and learners will follow along while the instructors write the code on screen. More information can be found on the workshop website.

Who: The workshop is open and free to all researchers in the Netherlands at PhD candidate level and higher. We do not accept registrations by Master students. The workshop is aimed at PhD candidates and other researchers or research software engineers.

Prerequisites: The participant should:

• have working knowledge of Python
• have had exposure to the Bash shell

A detailed list of functions that participants should know can be found here.

Syllabus:

• Incremental creation of complex ADQL and SQL queries.
• Using Astroquery to query a remote server in Python.
• Transforming coordinates between common coordinate systems using Astropy units and coordinates.
• Working with common astronomical file formats, including FITS, HDF5, and CSV.
• Managing your data with Pandas DataFrames and Astropy Tables.
• Writing functions to make your work less error-prone and more reproducible.
• Creating a reproducible workflow that brings the computation to the data.
• Customising all elements of a plot and creating complex, multi-panel, publication-quality graphics.

Where: This training will take place in-person at Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, 7991 PD Dwingeloo.

Hotel reservation:

Hotel in Drenthe – Fletcher Landhotel De Borken

A block booking has been made at Hotel de Borken, price €79,00 incl breakfast. Please send an email to the hotel and include the code “ADSW2023” to book a room. The deadline for booking a hotel room is 12 March.

Logistics:

Daily shuttle service Hoogeveen-Dwingeloo 09:20 am, Dwingeloo-Hoogeveen 17:10, price €5,00 one way. Book a ticket via

Taxi Hoogeveen-Dwingeloo one way €41,18. ASTRON has a special agreement with the taxi service, so please book via

Public transport from the south:

Train to Meppel

Take bus 28 direction Beilen and get off the bus at busstop N855 (Lhee)

Last option is 19:12 (ride takes approx. 38 min)

Public transport from Groningen:

Train to Beilen

Take bus 28 direction Meppel and get off the bus at busstop N855 (Lhee)

Last option is 19:19 (ride takes approx. 16 min)

Dinner options:

De Bospub

Hotel Grand Café de Brink | Dwingeloo | Officiële Website (grandcafedebrink.nl)

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