Part 7: The End Arrives#
It has now been twelve weeks since I began this journey and finally, the curtains on this arduous and breathtaking adventure have been begun to fall. This week it will be last week as an official Google Summer of Code and this will be my final post as a student. I can feel the nostalgia gripping me.
Well, this has been one of the most productive summers which helped me gain a lot of new skills and make new connections and I would really like to thank Google and Sunpy for giving me this opportunity. I would also like to thank my mentors Nabil and Jack for being the constant support which I needed throughout the length of the program.
This post mainly serves as a summary of all the progress which has been made in the Sunkit-Image project since the commencement of the summer of code. Speaking statistically, I had opened five pull requests adding four independent algorithms and image processing techniques along with a pull request solely dedicated to documentation. This included their documentation, testing, and examples how to use them which overall amounted to be about 3,000 lines of code written by me.
Coming to the algorithms which got introduced in Sunkit:
Normalizing Radial Gradient Filter
This particular algorithm is designed to enhance offlimb features in a solar image. Though this was already present in Sunkit, it had some flaws and without any proper documentation and examples to it. I rectified the code wherever it was needed along with adding proper documentation and example to it.
Fourier Normalizing Radial Gradient Filter
This is an advanced version of the Normalizing Radial Gradient Filter aimed at the same task. This was implemented from scratch as a precursor to my application for GSOC to sunpy. I completed it when the coding period began and both the NRGF and the FNRGF were pushed in a single PR here. This has already been merged.
Multiscale Gaussian Normalization
Next, I moved on to the Multiscale Gaussian Normalization which is an algorithm designed to enhance features on the solar surface. It was fully implemented along with documentation and examples which can be found here. This too has been merged.
Soft Morphological Transform
The implementation of this particular algorithm did not take place because we found an Astroscrappy module which actually does the exact same thing using a different approach. So instead of doing a repeated work we decided to move on to something more useful. But, nevertheless an example describing how to use Astroscrappy was written.
Oriented Coronal Loop Tracing (OCCULT)
This is the part of the programme which took the longest time to code and debug. It is an algorithm to automatically trace out coronal loops in an image. This PRis complete with tests and documentation and is under review presently.
Fourier Local Correlation Tracking
A python wrapper was created for the FLCT C code such that it becomes usable in Python. This particular algorithm finds the 2D velocity flow field between an image. This too took almost a month to be completed and is under review now. You can have a look at the code here.
This mostly sums up what has been done during the coding period and I feel the four major goals which had to be achieved for the successful completion of the programme have been achieved. I do hope that I will successfully clear the final evaluation.
Hope you all enjoyed reading the glimpses of my journey through GSOC. It was a very nice and fascinating experience. I will still try to contribute to sunkit after the program ends. I do hope I get a second chance to be a part of this adventure again.