VISTA: Exposure Time Calculator

Version 1.5   2009-11-30   (Release Notes)
Click on links for help topics or visit www.vista.ac.uk for general information on VISTA.

The VISTA/VIRCAM Instrument data used in the ETC are available as ascii files on request to the VISTA PI

To have your name added to a mailing list which will inform users of any significant errors found in this Exposure Time Calculator please email the VISTA PI

Input Flux Distribution

Power law:
    Type:         
    alpha:         
Blackbody:
    Temperature:   Kelvin
Single line:
    Wavelength:    nm (in the range [900.0-2500.0] nm)
    Flux:          ergs/s/cm2
    Width:         nm 

Object Magnitude:  Vega:  Value:  (per square arcsec for extended sources)
                   AB:    Value:  
                   Flux:  Value:  (ergs/s/cm2)

Spatial Distribution:
       Aperture diameter:   arcsec 
    Point Source
    Extended Source

Instrument Setup

Filter:

Sky Conditions

Brightness:         mag/arcsec2   [default dark sky: Z = 18.2 Y = 17.2 J = 16.0  H = 14.1  KS = 13.0  NB118 = 16.3] 
Airmass:           
Seeing:             arcsec (value for the selected filer)
Extra Extinction:   mag/unit airmass [added to default Paranal clear night sky extinction]

Observing Setup

Detector on-chip integration (DIT):  seconds (Note, minimum possible is 1.0 second)
Object exposure time:    seconds
S/N Ratio:              
Observing Strategy:
    Exposure coadds (Ndit):       
    Exposure loops (Nexp):        
    Microstepping pattern (NxM):  
    Jitter pattern (Njitter):     
    Number of pointings (Npaw):    [normally, Npaw=1 for single pawprint, Npaw=6 for full tile]