---
name: "astscript-pointing-simulate"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gnuastro"
version: "0.23-2+b3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/astscript-pointing-simulate"
---

# astscript-pointing-simulate(1)

Simulate the exposure map of a pointing pattern

## NAME

astscript-pointing-simulate - Simulate the exposure map of a pointing pattern

## SYNOPSIS

**astscript-pointing-simulate** *positions-cat.fits --center=1.23,4.56                    --width=2,2 --img=image.fits* \[*OPTIONS*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Given a set of dithering positions ('positions-cat.fits' in the example above), and an image ('image.fits' which can be from any part of the sky, only its distortion and orientation are important), build the exposure map of the output stack after applying that dither (where each pixel contains the number of exposures that were used in it). The field of the final stack can be set with the '--center' and '--width' options.

### astscript-pointing-simulate options:

-

  Input:

- **-h**, **--hdu**=*STR*/INT

  HDU name or number of the positions catalog.

- **-i**, **--img**=*STR*

  Name of reference image.

- **-H**, **--imghdu**=*STR*/INT

  HDU name or number of the input image.

- **-r**, **--racol**=*STR*/INT

  Name/number of column containing RA.

- **-d**, **--deccol**=*STR*/INT

  Name/number of column containing Declination.

- **--mksrc**=*STR*

  Makefile (for developers when debugging).

-

  Hooks:

- **--hook-warp-before=**'COMMAND' Before warping each exposure;

  Input: ''. Output: ''.

- **--hook-warp-after=**'COMMAND' After warping each exposure;

  Input: ''. Output: ''.

-

  Output:

- **-o**, **--output**=*STR*

  Name of finally stacked image.

- **-C**, **--center**=*FLT*,FLT

  Center of output stack (in RA,Dec).

- **-w**, **--width**=*FLT*,FLT

  Width of output stack (in WCS).

- **--ctype**=*STR*,STR

  Projection of output (CTYPEi in WCS).

- **--widthinpix**

  Interpret '--width' values in pixels.

**--stack-operator=**"STR" Arithmetic operator to use for stacking.

- **-t**, **--tmpdir**=*STR*

  Directory to keep temporary files.

- **-k**, **--keeptmp**

  Keep temporal/auxiliar files.

-

  Operating mode:

- \-?, **--help**

  Print this help.

- **-N**, **--numthreads**=*INT*

  Number of threads; maximum if not given.

- **--cite**

  BibTeX citation for this program.

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Don't print any extra information in stdout.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Print program version.

Mandatory or optional arguments to long options are also mandatory or optional for any corresponfing short options.

GNU Astronomy Utilities home page: http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuastro/

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to bug-gnuastro@gnu.org

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2023-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU General public license version 3 or later.\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Written/developed by Mohammad Akhlaghi, Raul Infante-Sainz and Sepideh Eskandarlou.

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **astscript-pointing-simulate** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **astscript-pointing-simulate** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info astscript-pointing-simulate**

should give you access to the complete manual.