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- Overview

# Overview

Here we describe a broad overview of the Astropy project and its parts.

## Astropy Project Concept

The “Astropy Project” is distinct from the `astropy` package. The Astropy Project is a process intended to facilitate communication and interoperability of python packages/codes in astronomy and astrophysics. The project thus encompasses the `astropy` core package (which provides a common framework), all “affiliated packages” (described below in `Affiliated Packages`), and a general community aimed at bringing resources together and not duplicating efforts.

## `astropy` Core Package

The `astropy` package (alternatively known as the “core” package) contains various classes, utilities, and a packaging framework intended to provide commonly-used astronomy tools. It is divided into a variety of sub-packages, which are documented in the remainder of this documentation (see User Documentation for documentation of these components).

The core also provides this documentation, and a variety of utilities that simplify starting other python astronomy/astrophysics packages. As described in the following section, these simplify the process of creating affiliated packages.

## Affiliated Packages

The Astropy project includes the concept of “affiliated packages.” An affiliated package is an astronomy-related python package that is not part of the `astropy` core source code, but has requested to be included in the general community effort of the Astropy project. Such a package may be a candidate for eventual inclusion in the main `astropy` package (although this is not required). Until then, however, it is a separate package, and may not be in the `astropy` namespace.

If you are interested in starting an affiliated package, or have a package you are interested in making more compatible with astropy, the `astropy` core package includes a variety of features that simplify and homogenize package management. Astropy provides a package template that provides a common way to organize packages, to make your life simpler. You can use this template either with a new package you are starting or an existing package to make it more compatible with Astropy and the affiliated package installer. See the usage instructions in the template for further details.

Further information about affiliated packages is available at http://affiliated.astropy.org along with the current list of endorsed packages.

## Community

Aside from the actual code, Astropy is also a community of astronomy-associated users and developers that agree that sharing utilities is healthy for the community and the science it produces. This community is of course central to accomplishing anything with the code itself. We follow the Python Software Foundation Code of Conduct and welcome anyone who wishes to contribute to the project.