Raw exposure

Unprocessed exposure from camera readout.

Citation: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory (2025); Legacy Survey of Space and Time Data Preview 1: raw dataset type DOI Logo https://doi.org/10.71929/rubin/2570310

Access

The raw exposures are accessible via the Butler, SIA, and TAP services.

Butler

  • Dataset type: (‘raw’, {band, instrument, day_obs, detector, group, physical_filter, exposure}, Exposure)

  • Format: FITS

  • Number of Butler datasets: 16,125

SIA and TAP

Schema: ObsCore table

IVOA calibration level: 1

Dataproduct subtype: lsst.raw

Description

Raw images from the camera are available exactly as they were read out of the camera. The raw images should not be used for scientific analysis, and users should not attempt to rerun ISR.

Processing

The raw exposures are first processed with the Instrument signature removal (ISR) pipeline.

Pixel data

The raw exposures have only an image plane, with no variance or mask planes like the visit images, because those planes are a result of image processing and calibration.

Image: sky pixel data in units of ADU (analog-digital units).

Metadata

The metadata for raw exposures retrieved from the Butler include information about the observation (e.g., pointing, weather) and an initial WCS estimated from the telescope boresight.

Tutorials

See the 200-level notebook or 200-level portal tutorials demonstrating how to access the raw exposures.