Observation Database for High-Contrast Imaging with VLT/SPHERE IFS and IRDIS (v2.0.0)

This dataset contains curated and structured metadata tables for all VLT/SPHERE IFS and IRDIS high-contrast imaging observations available from the ESO archive, as generated by version v2.0.0 of the spherical Python package (complete until: 2025-04-28). The tables support advanced data analysis workflows including target identification, observation filtering, and pipeline automation for high-contrast imaging studies (e.g., exoplanet detection and circumstellar disk studies). The dataset includes: File Table: All science and calibration frames with relevant FITS header metadata (csv) Observation Table: Per-night, per-mode summaries of observations linked to each target, including summary statistics such as observing conditions, total exposure time, and field-of-view rotation (FITS table). This version corresponds to all data processed with spherical v2.0.0. See the GitHub repository for pipeline details and usage instructions. The tables are suitable for reuse in astrophysical analyses, reproducible research, or as input to automated pipelines for spectral cube extraction and post-processing. Changelog: For the full changelog see: https://github.com/m-samland/spherical/blob/main/CHANGELOG.mdv2.0.0: Added IRDIS dual-band imaging and IRDIS polarimetric imaging metadata tables. ROTATION column of observation tables containing the total parallactic angle change of a sequence has been fixed. FAILED_SEQ flag has been replaced with HCI_READY flag, showing which observations should be complete and not cause issues when post-processing with high-contrast imaging (HCI) pipelines. v1.1.0: Initial release containing IFS metadata tables and observation summaries. Compatibility Note:This dataset is incompatible with spherical v1.x.x due to database restructuring and expanded instrument support. Users should upgrade to spherical v2.0.0 or later to fully utilize the new IRDIS tables and improved download mechanisms.