SpectraPy: a Python library for spectroscopic data reduction

TL;DR

SpectraPy is a Python library that streamlines the reduction of astronomical spectroscopic data, integrating Astropy and SAOImageDS9 features for calibration and extraction from raw frames.

Contribution

It introduces a flexible, spectrograph-independent Python toolkit for spectroscopic data reduction, filling a gap in existing Astropy-based libraries.

Findings

Supports multiple spectrographs including LBT-LUCI and LBT-MODS

Automates spectral extraction and calibration from raw data

Designed for both longslit and multi-object spectrographs

Abstract

SpectraPy is an Astropy affiliated package for spectroscopic data reduction. It collects algorithms and methods for data reduction of astronomical spectra obtained by through-slits spectrographs. It has been created to fill the gap in Astropy between the already existing data handling libraries and those for spectra analysis. SpectraPy combines Astropy facilities with SAOImageDS9 features, providing a set of tools for spectra calibration and 2D extraction. It starts from raw frames, and using configuration files which describe the optical setup of the instrument, it automatically locates and extracts 2D spectra that have been wavelength calibrated and corrected by distortions. The library is designed to be spectrograph-independent and can be used on both longslit and multi object spectrograph data. It comes with a set of ready-to-use configuration files for the LBT-LUCI and LBT-MODS spectrographs, but it can be configured for data reduction of other through-slits spectrographs. In the future I plan to extend SpectraPy to achieve a full data reduction for both through-slit and fiber fed spectrographs.