A method for digitization of archival astroplates of the Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute

Abstract

The paper presents work on the analysis of archival data on different media, checking the preservation, quality of archival data, and their sorting. Based on the analysis of the archival data of the Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute, the “Digital Archive Data Log” was developed. At the moment, the digital log contains information on ∼10000 archived images. These are mainly spectra of planetary nebulae, Seyfert galaxies, and photometric images of comets. For the digitization of astroplates and frames, we have used two Epson Perfection V850 Pro scanners with additional SilverFast8 software which allows choosing the right parameters for each astroplate individually to get a reliable result. Test scans of Astronegative samples and selection of necessary parameters for scanning the entire data volume were performed. The test scanning showed that the model with a spatial resolution of 1200 dpi is the most optimal digitizing option. We have written program code in the Python programming language to automate the header of each frame. The data from the catalogs chosen to find the astrometric solutions are given in the article. The paper shows that for the digitized data the astrometric reduction can be correctly performed through astrometry.net and in the APEX II systems.