Metadata and Data Management for the Keck Observatory Archive

TL;DR

This paper discusses the development of methodologies and tools to enhance metadata in FITS headers, enabling effective archiving of heterogeneous and legacy data from the Keck Observatory's diverse instruments.

Contribution

It introduces new techniques for retrofitting and enriching metadata in FITS headers to facilitate archiving of complex, heterogeneous observational data.

Findings

Successfully archived data from all eight active instruments at WMKO.

Developed lessons learned for handling diverse and legacy metadata.

Improved data ingestion process for current and future instruments.

Abstract

A collaboration between the W. M. Keck Observatory (WMKO) in Hawaii and the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) in California, the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA) was commissioned in 2004 to archive observing data from WMKO, which operates two classically scheduled 10 m ground-based telescopes. The observing data from Keck is not suitable for direct ingestion into the archive since the metadata contained in the original FITS headers lack the information necessary for proper archiving. Coupled with different standards among instrument builders and the heterogeneous nature of the data inherent in classical observing, in which observers have complete control of the instruments and their observations, the data pose a number of technical challenges for KOA. We describe the methodologies and tools that we have developed to successfully address these difficulties, adding content to the FITS headers and "retrofitting" the metadata in order to support archiving Keck data, especially those obtained before the archive was designed. With the expertise gained from having successfully archived observations taken with all eight currently active instruments at WMKO, we have developed lessons learned from handling this complex array of heterogeneous metadata that help ensure a smooth ingestion of data not only for current but also future instruments, as well as a better experience for the archive user.