Multi-Screen-Image- and Catalog-Viewing Program

A computer program enables the single- or multi-screen display of multispectral, multiresolution images — especially astronomical ones — stored as sets of data that range upward in size from hundreds of gigabytes. In cases of multi-screen displays, the software synchronizes the screens so that they act as a single ultrahigh-resolution display. It is possible to pan and zoom smoothly to any part of the data at any resolution. The software can automatically generate composites of multiple sets of data, making it possible, for example, to overlay high-resolution insets on background images or to display a separate source image for each video channel (red, green, or blue). The software includes special features to aid viewing of astronomical data: these include a capability for displaying catalogs as ASCII text or as image overlays, and a catalog-to-image relational capability that enables the user do such things as select a region of the image and view those objects in the region that are highlighted in both the image and in the catalog. Alternatively, when an object in the catalog is selected, the user can see that object highlighted in the image or can jump to the position of the object in the image.