Comparative Image Alignment for Multiple Telescopes: ALMA, IRIS, SDO

Abstract

This paper introduces a method for aligning solar observations from different telescopes. We utilized helioprojective coordinates from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) as a reference to align images from ALMA and IRIS. The alignment is based on correlation analysis, employing both the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) and the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) for assessing data correlations. PCC was preferred for its effectiveness with diverse datasets and its computational efficiency compared to SSIM. The alignment demonstrated less than 1.0\,arcsec variation in average centers between the two methods, ensuring consistent results. We illustrate this method using ALMA observations, labeled D06 in the Solar ALMA Science Archive (SALSA), as a case study.