REFERENCE-ATLASES

Spectral Atlas Files for Synphot Software (REFERENCE-ATLASES)

HLSP Authors: The ReDCaT Team at STScI

Released: 2019-06-01

Updated: 2026-04-07

Primary Reference(s): Lim, Diaz, & Laidler (2015)

DOI: 10.17909/t9-khb7-4049

Citations: See ADS Statistics

Read Me

Vega STIS spectrum relative to models — Ratio to the 9550 K model continuum level for the STIS measured fluxes (black), the Kurucz 9550 K, log g=3.95 model (green), and the Kurucz 9400 K model (red). The models and the 9550 K continuum level are all normalized at 5557.5 Å (vacuum, 5556 Å air) to 3.47 ⅹ 10^-9 erg cm^-2 s^-1 Å^-1 (Bohlin, Hubeny, and Rauch 2020, AJ, 160, 21).

Overview

The REFERENCE-ATLASES HLSP presents catalogs and spectral atlases that have been prepared as inputs to the synthetic photometry software package pysynphot. These files are also used in STScI tools such as the HST Exposure Time Calculator. In addition to making the entire collection available in tar format, this HLSP provides access to individual model files for community members who may want to access only a subset of these atlases. This page provides references to the original sources, where applicable. STScI maintains extensive documentation for these files on the Astronomical Catalogs page.

Description of Data Products

This HLSP presents a wide range of catalogs and spectral atlases, generally stored in FITS tables, as well as a handful of ASCII readme files for the individual sub-collections. Please navigate to the documentation links for detailed information about each individual atlas or catalog. Generally, data provenance is available in the primary FITS HDU headers. In addition, individual models are collected into one or more TAR files for easier access to all or large chunks of the REFERENCE-ATLASES data.

Data Access

The REFERENCE-ATLASES files are available for download both individually and as collections stored across one or more tar files, as described in the tables below.

Last Two Updates

Update 2026-04-07: New ACS, COS, and STIS throughputs are being delivered for ETC version 34.2. ACS/SBC throughputs are updated due to sensitivity measurements taken 2026 Mar 15. COS throughputs are updated due to the recent delivery of a new FLUXTAB and other reference files for use at LP7. G130M blue modes, 1055 and 1096, and standard modes, 1222 and 1291, now use LP7 sensitivities. G160M modes now use LP10 sensitivities. STIS throughputs are updated due to changes in the time-dependent sensitivity for the CCD and NUVMAMA detectors.

New radial velocities for Vega & WD0308-565. New WFC3 grism spectra, mostly from program 17906. New WFC3 and/or ACS photometry, mostly from program 17906. New STIS spectra for 10 stars from program 17207. For those stars with WFC3 grism data or STIS observations for the first time, file names end with stis_001.fits. A faint spoiler star discovered in some WFC3 grism observations of wd2117_539. The faint wd2149_021 & sdss132811 show a significant change in the STIS SEDs because of improved background subtraction.

Update 2025-10-30: For the synphot1_throughput-master.tar file, new synphot files for ACS in anticipation of release ETC 34.1 which extrapolate throughputs in the WFC detector to the new MJD of 61496. As well as new COS synphot files that include throughput changes due to the HV Dependent Sensitivity to the FUV modes, and the same extrapolation out to the ETC 34.1 MJD of 61496.

For the other_spectra.tar file, the ETC previously did not have it's background files accessible to stsynphot. This delivery adds those background files under a new background/ directory. Also, a new supernova template, SNIa_norm.fits, has been added to the source/ directory.

Previous Update History (Expand Below)

Update 2025-09-23: WFC3 IR component throughput tables including corrections for detector time-dependent sensitivity loss, following the December 2024 delivery of a time-dependent image photometry reference table, aka IMPHTTAB. This delivery will enable to generate accurate bandpasses and observations.

In addition, the following new sets of filters were released:

New bandpasses for GAIA Blue (GBP) and Red (GRP) photometers from Gaia EDR3 data. These were obtained fro https://www.cosmos.esa.int/gaia and documented in Riello M.Gaial 2021,"Early Data Release 3 photometric passbands", Astron. & Astrophys. 649, A3.

New bandpasses for filters z, y, j, h, and ks for the VISTA VIRCAM instrument and published by the ESO VISTA consortium. These bandpasses were obtained from https://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/paranal/decommissioned/vircam/inst.html

New bandpasses for filters f149w, f148wa, f154w, f169m, f172m, n242w, n219m, n245m, n263m, and n279n aboard the ASTROSAT UVIT instrument and documented in S. N. Tandon et al 2020, AJ, 159, 158. The bandpasses were obtained from https://www.iiap.res.in/projects/uvit/instrument/filters/

These are all part of an update to synphot1_throughput-master.tar.

Update 2025-05-30: New ACS, COS, and STIS synphot files were delivered to support the HST ETC Cycle 33.2 release, resulting in an update to the synphot1_throughput-master.tar file below.

Update 2024-12-27: There are 15 new White Dwarf (WD) stars that are cooler than most of the other CALSPEC WDs. Therefore, there are 15 stellar spectra files (stis), plus 15 brand new model files (mod) being delivered.

Update 2024-10-15: 19 new White Dwarf (WD) stars were added that are fainter than most of the other CALSPEC stars. Therefore, 19 stellar spectra files (stis) and 19 model files (mod) are being delivered for the first time.

Update 2024-09-16: The wavelength bins and their relative weights are adjusted in order to better model the longer wavelengths of the observed SEDs. The O, B, and G star models that change by >0.5% are updated here. A few more stars now include IRAC photometry as constraints to their model fits. This CALSPEC delivery updates both the STIS and the model files for 29 stars.

Update 2024-06-25: In the previous delivery, the BOSZ model files have air wavelengths, instead of the proper vacuum wavelengths. This error is corrected, and the revised models are from Meszaros, S, et al. (2024). This CALSPEC delivery updates both the STIS and the model files for 55 stars.

Update 2024-04-08: Updated COS and STIS throughputs (new synphot1_throughput-master.tar file below). The COS throughputs contain changes due to updating the FUV FLUXTAB and TDSTAB, and the STIS throughputs contain changes due to updating the NUV-MAMA and CCD TDSTABs.

Update 2024-03-22: Updates to ROMAN WFI throughput files used by synphot to match the ones used by Webbpsf and Pandeia, and
to also update the element name from W146 to F146.

Update 2023-11-15: New ACS, COS, and STIS throughput tables delivered to support ETC 32.1, resulting in an update to synphot1_throughput-master.tar.

Update 2023-10-20: Derived a new other_spectra.tar file under the same directory structure as the other tar files. The contents of this file were not changed.

Update 2023-10-11: In addition to Ks photometry for nine G-stars from a G. Rieke draft (Absolute Calibration IV: Use of G-Type Stars as Primary Calibrators), the available Spitzer IRAC photometry of Bohlin et al. (2022) is now a constraint to the model fits for nine G-stars: 16cygb, 18sco, hd106252, hd142331, hd159222, hd167060, hd205905, hd37962, and p330e. HD142331 is not included in Bohlin et al. (2022). The E(B-V)=0.02 prior on 18 Sco is removed, even though the best fit of E(B-V)=0.06 seems a bit high.

Update 2023-07-07: New STIS NUVMAMA Synphot throughput files delivered to support the ETC 31.2 release. The underlying time dependent sensitivity (TDS) file was updated with recent STIS monitoring data from program 16960.

Update 2023-04-27: The main reasons for this update are new models for seven G-type stars that had poor IR constraints. There are seven updated stellar spectra files (stis) and seven updated model files (mod) for these G-type stars.

Update 2023-03-06: The main reasons for this update are a new extinction curve and an improved A-G model grid. There are 71 stellar spectra files (stis), plus model files (mod) for 59 stars.

Update 2022-12-23: This update adds HST modewave data (synphot8.tar bundle, also available to download individual files from the table at the bottom of the page.) Also includes updates to the synphot1.tar bundle for COS as part of ETC 31.1. These include throughput changes due to updating the NUV FLUXTAB-66r2010dl_phot.fits, and the move of G160M modes to LP6-resulting in new FLUXTAB 69d2108sl_phot.fits. These are evaluated at MJD 60401.

Update 2022-11-03: This update includes a new CTE correction per ISR STIS 2022-07 (ACS 2022-05) and 18 new stars of which only two have models. There are 69 stellar spectra files (stis), plus model files (mod) for 30 of the 69 stars.

Update 2022-04-25: The synphot throughput files for all COS FUV and NUV cenwaves - except from the unsupported NUV grating G285M - were updated based on an updated flux calibration, in preparation for ETC 30.2

Update 2021-11-23: New ACS, COS, and STIS throughput tables delivered to support ETC 30.1.

Update 2021-10-18: The COS FUV Throughput files for G130M cenwaves 1291, 1300, 1309, 1318, 1327 and G140L cenwave 800 have been updated to be at LP5 and LP3, respectively, for Cycle 29. These changes are contained in the "synphot1" tar file below.

Update 2021-07-26: New synphot reference files in the "synphot1" tar file below (WFIRST entries were removed and replaced with Roman Space Telescope Phase C specifications).

Update 2021-06-03: New synphot reference files in the "synphot1" tar file below (new COS throughput files).

Update 2021-05-27: New synphot reference files in the "synphot5" tar file and PHOENIX individual files. The models within the phoenixm00/ directory have been updated to include more data points, and fix other issues discovered with the files.

Update 2021-05-10: New synphot reference files in the "synphot1" tar file below.

Update 2021-03-26: New CALSPEC files have been incorporated into the HLSP, available in the tar files and the directories linked below. Also, new models for JWST ETC are provided (although they also cover HST wavelengths) in the "synphot7" tar file below, and the JWST ETC Template Spectra section in the Individual Models table.

Update 2020-04-28: New CALSPEC files have been incorporated into the HLSP, available in the tar files and the directories linked below.

Update 2019-11-22: A new set of galaxy models has been added, available in the tar files and the directories linked below. These models are provided by Brown et al. (2014), and are made available here formatted for software ingest. These models are also available in original format from the GALSEDATLAS HLSP.

Update 2019-09-09: New CALSPEC files have been incorporated into the HLSP, available in the tar files and the directories linked below.

Download Tar Files	File size	Description	Individual Content Documentation
synphot1_throughput-master.tar	1.4 GB	All Pysynphot/Synphot and Master Tables	Synphot Throughput Tables
synphot2_star-galaxy-models.tar	87 MB	Stellar and Galactic Model Files	agn bc95 bkmodels bpgs	trds brown bz77 extinction galactic	jacobi kc96 Pickles
synphot3_castelli-kurucz-2004.tar	41 MB	Castelli & Kurucz 2004 Atlas	Castelli and Kurucz 2004 Atlas
synphot4_kurucz-1993.tar	78 MB	Kurucz 1993 Atlas	Kurucz 1993 Atlas
synphot5_pheonix-models.tar	1.8 GB	Phoenix Models	Phoenix Models
synphot6_calibration-spectra.tar	8.5 GB	HST Calibration Spectra	HST Calibration Spectra
synphot7_jwst_etc_models.tar	8.5 MB	JWST ETC Spectra	See JWST ETC Template Spectra below for documentation.
synphot8_hst_modewave_data.tar	33 MB	HST Modewave Data	Modewave Data
other_spectra.tar	117 MB	Other Spectra	Other Spectra

Individual models can be found in the table below, or by navigating to REFERENCE-ATLASES/cdbs

Download Individual Models	More Information	References
HST Standard Stars Atlases CALSPEC (all) CALSPEC (current) CALOBS (historical)	CALSPEC documentation CALOBS documentation	Bohlin, Gordon, & Tremblay 2014 Bohlin, Dickinson, & Calzettti 2001
Stellar Spectral Atlases CASTELLI-KURUCZ ATLAS PICKLES ATLAS BUSER-KURUCZ ATLAS KURUCZ 1993 ATLAS BRUZUAL ATLAS GUNN-STRYKER ATLAS BRUZUAL-PERSSON-GUNN-STRYKER ATLAS JACOBY-HUNTER-CHRISTIAN ATLAS PHOENIX MODELS	Castelli-Kurucz documentation Pickles documentation Buser-Kurucz documentation Kurucz 1993 documentation Bruzual documentation Gunn-Stryker documentation BPGS documentation Jacoby-Hunter-Christian docs Phoenix Models documentation	Castelli & Kurucz 2003 Pickles 1998 N/A N/A N/A Gunn & Stryker 1983 Strecker et al. 1979 Jacoby, Hunter, and Christian 1984 Allard, Homeier, and Freytag 2011
Spectral Atlases of Galaxies and Emission Line Objects BRUZUAL-CHARLOT ATLAS KINNEY-CALZETTI ATLAS AGN ATLAS GALACTIC ATLAS TRDS BROWN ATLAS	Bruzual-Charlot documentation Kinney-Calzetti documentation AGN documentation Galactic documentation TRDS Brown documentation	Bruzual & Charlot 1993 Kinney et al. 1996 Francis et al. 1991 N/A Brown et al. 2014and GALSEDATLAS HLSP
Other Spectra NON-STELLAR SPECTRA KINNEY MODELS BRUZUAL AND CHARLOT 2003 MODELS BROWN DWARFS AND SUBSTELLAR INTERSTELLAR EXTINCTION CURVES	Non-stellar Spectra documentation Kinney models documentation Bruzual & Charlot 2003 documentation Brown Dwarfs and Substellar documentation Extinction curves documentation	see: Non-stellar Spectra documentation N/A Bruzual & Charlot 2003 Oppenheimer et al. 1998 see: Extinction curves documentation
JWST ETC Template Spectra (NOTE: Covers HST wavelengths too.) Stellar Spectral Atlases ATMO 2020 ATMOSPHERE MODELS SIMPLE STELLAR POPULATION ATLAS Spectral Atlases of Galaxies and Emission Line Objects TRDS BROWN ATLAS COMPOSITE QUASAR SPECTRA FOR OPTICAL AND NIR TRDS SWIRE GALAXIES Other Spectra NOVAE SPECTRA PLANETARY NEBULAE SPECTRA SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS	Stellar Spectral Atlases ATMO 2020 documentation STELLAR POP. ATLAS documentation Spectral Atlases of Galaxies and Emission Line Objects TRDS BROWN ATLAS documentation COMPOSITE QUASAR SPECTRA documentation TRDS SWIRE GALAXIES documentation Other Spectra NOVAE SPECTRA documentation PLANETARY NEBULAE SPECTRA documentation SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS documentation	Stellar Spectral Atlases Phillips et al. 2020 Conroy et al. 2009, Lançon et al. 2002, Aringer et al. 2009, Villaume et al. 2015 Spectral Atlases of Galaxies and Emission Line Objects Brown et al. 2014 Glikman et al. 2006, Vanden Berk et al. 2001 Polletta et al. 2007, Silva et al. 1998 Other Spectra Betoule et al. 2014, Guy et al. 2007, Kasen et al. 2017, Kessler et al. 2019, Pierel et al. 2018, Vincenzi et al. 2019 Castelli & Kurucz 2003, Rauch 2003, Ferland et al. 2017 see: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS documentation
HST Modewave Data Files MODEWAVE (all)	Modewave Data Files	N/A

Download Individual Models

More Information

References

HST Standard Stars Atlases

Stellar Spectral Atlases

Spectral Atlases of Galaxies and Emission Line Objects

Other Spectra

JWST ETC Template Spectra

(NOTE: Covers HST wavelengths too.)

Stellar Spectral Atlases

Spectral Atlases of Galaxies and Emission Line Objects

Other Spectra

Stellar Spectral Atlases

Spectral Atlases of Galaxies and Emission Line Objects

Other Spectra

Stellar Spectral Atlases

Spectral Atlases of Galaxies and Emission Line Objects

Other Spectra

HST Modewave Data Files

MODEWAVE (all)

Modewave Data Files

Citations

Please remember to cite the appropriate paper(s) below and the DOI 10.17909/t9-khb7-4049 if you use these data in a published work.

Note: These HLSP data products are licensed for use under CC BY 4.0.

Selected References

See Data Access table above for more comprehensive referencing information.

REFERENCE-ATLASES

Mission Overview

Spectral Atlas Files for Synphot Software (REFERENCE-ATLASES)

Overview

Description of Data Products

Data Access

Last Two Updates

Previous Update History (Expand Below)

Citations

Selected References

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