Plan Module

The plan module in SHERLOCK provides tools for planning follow-up observations of exoplanet candidates. This module helps astronomers determine optimal observation windows and configurations for confirming candidate planets.

Overview

The plan module offers capabilities for:

  • Transit event prediction for follow-up observations

  • Visibility calculations for specific observatories

  • Weather and seeing condition integration

  • Prioritization of targets based on scientific criteria

  • Generation of observation plans and schedules

Usage

The observation plan module can be run directly from the command line (within the target directory):

# Basic usage for planning observations of a specific candidate
# Note: Must specify either observatories file OR coordinates
python3 -m sherlockpipe.plan --candidate 1 --observatories observatories.csv

# Alternative: specify observatory coordinates directly
python3 -m sherlockpipe.plan --candidate 1 --lat 28.3 --lon -16.5 --alt 2400

# For example configuration format, see examples/properties/plan.yaml
# `<https://github.com/franpoz/SHERLOCK/blob/master/examples/properties/plan.yaml>`_
# Note: This module requires Bayesian fit results to be present in the target directory

# Example observatories.csv file format:
# `<https://github.com/franpoz/SHERLOCK/blob/master/examples/observatories.csv>`_

The input configuration file typically includes:

  • Target information (coordinates, magnitudes)

  • Observatory details (location, capabilities)

  • Observation constraints (airmass, moon separation)

  • Time period for planning

API Reference

sherlockpipe.observation_plan

Contains code to run the observation plans for candidates

sherlockpipe.plan

Integration with External Packages

The plan module integrates with astronomical packages for:

  • Ephemeris calculations

  • Observatory visibility computations

  • Atmospheric condition predictions

  • Telescope scheduling optimization