Targets#
The Target, along with the associated TargetList, TargetExtra, and TargetName, are the core models of the
TOM Toolkit. The Target defines the concept of an astronomical target through a number of parameters. The Target
object is then used throughout the TOM to reference all the
information a user or app needs to know about a target. As astrophysical objects are often identified in multiple catalogs,
each Target is associated with one or more TargetName.
More information on Targets can be found using the following pages:
Target Models - Take a look at the available properties for a Target and its associated models.
Target Views - Familiarize yourself with the available Target Views.
Target Lists - Check out the functions for operating on Target Lists/Target Groups.
Customizing the BaseTarget#
Although almost all astrophysical targets share some descriptive parameters - such as RA, Dec or orbital parameters -
the Toolkit recognizes that each science case has a specific set of relevant parameters. For example, for some science
goals, a Target may have a measured period, while this may not be appropriate for an aperiodic object.
For this reason, the Toolkit provides a BaseTarget class which supports both sidereal and non-sidereal celestial objects.
By default, this is used to create the Target model when a TOM is created.
However, this class is designed to be extended by users to add fields relevant to their science. See
Adding Custom Target Fields to learn how to add custom fields to your TOM Targets.
Crossmatching Targets#
It is often useful to compare a target with those already in the TOM, especially to avoid duplicating targets.
By default, matching is performed on TargetName, but the TOM includes functions to match on position as well.
If you need to compare targets using different parameters, Customizing a Target Matcher
describes how to add a custom match function.
TargetLists#
By default, all targets in the TOM are treated as a single collection, which can be viewed as a table and on an interactive skymap by navigating to the Targets view. The columns presented in the target list table can be customized - see Customizing the Target List Table for more information.
Targets can be collected into user-created lists for convenience.
Target and TargetList Sharing#
Individual targets and their associated data can be shared directly with another TOM, with the TOM administrator’s permission. Sets of targets can also be shared. See TOM Direct Sharing to learn how to configure the TOMs to allow this.