2MASS 6X: Deep Infrared Sky Scan Metadata

Approximately 590 square degrees of sky, concentrated on the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, were scanned with long-exposure infrared observations during the final months of the 2MASS observatory. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration created this metadata table for scans that probe about one magnitude deeper than the main survey. Data was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Identify deep-sky observation scans based on targeted region metadata.
• Compare long-exposure scan parameters against the main 2MASS survey.
• Select scans for studying specific astronomical targets like star formation complexes or galaxy clusters mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Targeted coverage of approximately 590 square degrees of sky.
• Includes two large, comprehensive surveys of the Large (383 deg²) and Small (127 deg²) Magellanic Clouds.
• Scans probe about one magnitude deeper than the main 2MASS survey in unconfused regions.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Observations from the 2MASS observatory using a freeze-frame scanning technique with six-times-longer exposures.

Time Range

Final months of 2MASS observatory operations.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:47:36.848017; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Sky coverage includes 30 targeted regions, the Magellanic Clouds, Pleiades, M31, galactic star formation complexes, nearby galaxy clusters, and the Lockman Hole.