GALFITools: a library for GALFIT

[canorve]

Submitting Author: Christopher Añorve (@canorve)
Package Name: GALFITools
One-Line Description of Package: A library for efficient data processing customized for the GALFIT package
Repository Link (if existing): https://github.com/canorve/GALFITools
EiC: TBD

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• I agree to abide by pyOpenSci's Code of Conduct during the review process and in maintaining my package after should it be accepted.
• I have read and will commit to package maintenance after the review as per the pyOpenSci Policies Guidelines.

Description

• Include a brief paragraph describing what your package does:

GALFIT, a well-established two-dimensional image fitting algorithm (Peng et al. 2002, AJ, 124, 266), is integral to precise modeling of galaxy surface brightness in astronomical images. To optimize GALFIT's utility, GALFITools provides a suite of Python routines that streamline input and output parsing for enhanced efficiency and usability.

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existing community please check below:

• Astropy: My package adheres to Astropy community standards
• Pangeo: My package adheres to the Pangeo standards listed in the pyOpenSci peer review guidebook

Scope

• Please indicate which category or categories this package falls under:

  • Data retrieval
  • Data extraction
  • Data processing/munging
  • Data deposition
  • Data validation and testing
  • Data visualization
  • Workflow automation
  • Citation management and bibliometrics
  • Scientific Software wrappers
  • Database interoperability

Domain Specific

• Geospatial
• Education

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• Explain how and why the package falls under these categories (briefly, 1-2 sentences). For community partnerships, check also their specific guidelines as documented in the links above. Please note any areas you are unsure of:

GALFITools enhances functionality with a range of features, including mask creation, PSF generation, initial parameter estimation, galaxy image model visualizaton, multigaussian expansion (MGE) fitting, and calculation of sky background along with other key photometric parameters.

• Who is the target audience and what are the scientific applications of this package?
  This a tool for astronomers to streamline image data processing and enhance interpretation of GALFIT outputs

• Are there other Python packages that accomplish similar things? If so, how does yours differ?
  No, similar tools act as GALFIT wrappers but focus on different objectives, such as automating GALFIT for large galaxy samples.

• Any other questions or issues we should be aware of:
  Even though this is a library for GALFIT, this is not a scientific software wrapper.

P.S. Have feedback/comments about our review process? Leave a comment here

[SimonMolinsky]

@canorve

I've checked your package, and from my perspective, it fits into the scope of pyOpenSci. Before you submit it, please let me know if you have seen that pyOpenSci is a partner of the Astropy community. Have you considered sending your package into the Astropy ecosystem? I've noticed that you are using astropy as a dependency, and your package solves the problems of astronomers, but you didn't check the astropy box in your submission.

By the way, you have all the text files required in our review, including the API description, contribution guidelines, and tests. For me, GALFITools is perfect, and you may submit it for review as soon as you want.

[canorve]

Hello @SimonMolinsky,

Thank you for your kind review.
Yes, I noticed that pyOpenSci is a partner of the Astropy community. I use Astropy as a dependency to read FITS files, but I didn't think that alone was enough to consider my project as part of the Astropy community. However, I will make sure to check the Astropy box when I submit it for review.

Best regards,