... Several HST instruments both current and decommisioned have provided imaging linear polarimetry capabilities. ... The STECF IRAF layered package impol provides five tasks specifically aimed at reduction of HST imaging polarimetry data. ... Reduction of HST polarimetry data and simulation of raw polarimetry images, together with polarization vector plotting, are covered. ... For reduction of data from imaging linear polarization instruments other than from HST, the instrument name is `SPECIAL'. ...

... Observing with the major instruments at the United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope (UKIRT) is already semi-automated by using ASCII files to configure the instruments and then sequence a series of exposures and telescope movements to acquire the data. ... Using an off-line preparation system to create these has significantly improved observing efficiency, as also has the automatic, on-line data reduction system in use by one of the main instruments. ... The Observation Sequencer. ...

IRAF/STECF 2-D spectrum point source / background decomposition package . ... The general problem is one of spectral decomposition - of separating the spectra of the point sources from the background. ... The STECF IRAF layered package "specres" provides two tasks to extract point source spectra from 2-D images (either longslit, multislit or cross-dispersed) and decompose the full background over the image. ... A Point Source Function spectrum image is required as a 2-D spectrum. ...