Tools for High Precision Photometry from Wide-Field Color Images

TL;DR

AstroWISP is a set of image processing tools designed to enable high-precision photometry using wide-field color images from consumer DSLR cameras with Bayer masks, making advanced astronomical measurements more accessible.

Contribution

The paper introduces AstroWISP, a novel collection of tools tailored for Bayer mask detectors, facilitating precision photometry with consumer-grade cameras, which was previously challenging.

Findings

Achieved high-precision photometry with DSLR cameras.

Enabled detection of exoplanet transits using consumer devices.

Tools are accessible across major operating systems.

Abstract

We present AstroWISP: a collection of image processing tools for source extraction, background determination, point spread function/pixel response function fitting, and aperture photometry. AstroWISP is particularly well-suited for working with detectors featuring a Bayer mask (an array of microfilters applied to each detector pixel to allow color photography), such as consumer DSLR cameras. Such detectors pose significant challenges for existing tools while offering a much cheaper alternative to specialized devices. As a result, consumer DSLR cameras with Bayer masks are often underutilized for precision photometry. \astrowisp{} addresses this limitation in an effort to democratize precision photometry and support broader community participation in research. We demonstrate that our tools produce high-precision photometry from such images, enabling the use of such devices for detecting exoplanet transits. We package our tools for all major operating systems to ensure accessibility for amateur astronomers.