JP-3625: Switch to IRAF starfinder default (#8487)

Co-authored-by: Howard Bushouse <bushouse@stsci.edu>
spacetelescope · May 18, 2024 · e915bb2 · e915bb2
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diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -156,6 +156,9 @@ tweakreg
 
 - Improve error handling in the absolute alignment. [#8450, #8477]
 
+- Change code default to use IRAF StarFinder instead of
+  DAO StarFinder [#8487]
+
 wfss_contam
 -----------
 

diff --git a/docs/jwst/tweakreg/README.rst b/docs/jwst/tweakreg/README.rst
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ The ``tweakreg`` step has the following optional arguments:
   in pixels. (Default=400)
 
 * ``starfinder``: A `str` indicating the source detection algorithm to use.
-  Allowed values: `'iraf'`, `'dao'`, `'segmentation'`. (Default= `'dao'`)
+  Allowed values: `'iraf'`, `'dao'`, `'segmentation'`. (Default= `'iraf'`)
 
 * ``snr_threshold``: A `float` value indicating SNR threshold above the
   background. Required for all star finders. (Default=10.0)

diff --git a/jwst/tweakreg/tweakreg_catalog.py b/jwst/tweakreg/tweakreg_catalog.py
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ def _DaoStarFinderWrapper(data, threshold, mask=None, **kwargs):
     return sources
 
 
-def make_tweakreg_catalog(model, snr_threshold, bkg_boxsize=400, starfinder='dao', starfinder_kwargs={}):
+def make_tweakreg_catalog(model, snr_threshold, bkg_boxsize=400, starfinder='iraf', starfinder_kwargs={}):
     """
     Create a catalog of point-line sources to be used for image
     alignment in tweakreg.

diff --git a/jwst/tweakreg/tweakreg_step.py b/jwst/tweakreg/tweakreg_step.py
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ class TweakRegStep(Step):
         use_custom_catalogs = boolean(default=False) # Use custom user-provided catalogs?
         catalog_format = string(default='ecsv') # Catalog output file format
         catfile = string(default='') # Name of the file with a list of custom user-provided catalogs
+        starfinder = option('dao', 'iraf', 'segmentation', default='iraf') # Star finder to use.
 
         # general starfinder options
-        starfinder = option('dao', 'iraf', 'segmentation', default='dao') # Star finder to use.
         snr_threshold = float(default=10.0) # SNR threshold above the bkg for star finder
         bkg_boxsize = integer(default=400) # The background mesh box size in pixels.