MOOG: a Half Century of Joys and Concerns

The LTE line analysis code MOOG was first published in 1973 and still is in active use today. This FORTRAN-based code was constructed to be a pragmatic application of the techniques described by F. N. Edmonds (1969, JQSRT, 9, 1427). It has proven to be useful especially for standard stellar spectroscopic abundance analyses. I will briefly discuss the origins of MOOG and describe its current applications. Some comments will be given about the suggested best uses of the code, as weiil as warnings on potential mis-applications of it. Suggestions for future expansion of MOOG’s capabilities will be discussed.