Requiered packages and important links

Would be nice for you to come with a (fully charged!) laptop with the following installed:

• python >= 2.6
• numpy : http://numpy.scipy.org/
  
• scipy : http://numpy.scipy.org/
  
• matplotlib : http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/index.html
  
• ipython : http://ipython.org/
  
• pyfits : http://www.stsci.edu/institute/software_hardware/pyfits

The best way today to have a fresh and ready tu use PyThon installation with all the libraries previously listed is to install Ureka from STSCI: http://ssb.stsci.edu/ureka/
You can alternatively install almost everything (except pyfits) with the Canopy package from  http://www.enthought.com/
They also provide a more complete package (for free too) for academics: https://store.enthought.com/#canopy-academic
You can also have a look at Anaconda: http://continuum.io/

I will not spend to much time on describing the basics of Python, others did it very better than I could do... You may have a look at the following links:

• http://python.org/
• http://scipy-lectures.github.com/ : This one is very good for the lecture, as it presents Python, Numpy and Matplotlib.
• http://www.tutorialspoint.com/python/python_quick_guide.htm This one is also very good, but only Python.
• http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/ The art of writing nice code: the Guido's style guide.
• https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~jbattat/computer/python/science/idl-numpy.html
• http://pythonconquerstheuniverse.wordpress.com/
• http://sites.google.com/site/pythonbootcamp/lectures
• http://www.astrobetter.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=idl_vs_python
• http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/

Some more specific pages one can find useful:

• The AstroPy Mailing list http://mail.scipy.org/mailman/listinfo/astropy
• The AstroPy dev google group https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/astropy-dev
• The Astrophysics python package http://packages.python.org/Astropysics/
• The astropy project http://astropy.org/index.html
• An quite complete tutorial to data analysis using interactive Python http://www.scipy.org/Additional_Documentation/Astronomy_Tutorial