CGRO Timeline: Pointed Telescope Observations from NASA's Compton Observatory

A database table of pointed telescope observations from NASA's Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), launched in 1991 and de-orbited in 2000. The table contains observations for Cycles 1 through 9, with viewing periods typically two weeks long, and was last updated in November 2001. The information was provided by the Compton Observatory Science Support Center, with galactic coordinates added by the HEASARC in 2005.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal patterns of gamma-ray observations based on the described two-week viewing periods.
• Study the operational history and target selection of the OSSE, CompTel, and EGRET instruments based on the mission description.
• Correlate observation cycles with specific astronomical events or targets mentioned in the broader mission context.

Strengths

• Covers 9 years of operational data from a major NASA Great Observatory.
• Includes data from multiple specialized instruments (OSSE, CompTel, EGRET) covering a broad spectral range.
• Data provenance is clear, provided by the Compton Observatory Science Support Center and later curated by NASA HEASARC.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data was last updated in 2001, so it is a historical archive and not updated with current observations.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Compton Observatory Science Support Center (COSSC), NASA HEASARC.

Collection Method

Compiled from mission operations and science support center records.

Time Range

Observations from mission cycles spanning the operational period (1991-2000).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:25:37.407742; freshness should be verified as the underlying observation data is from 1991-2000.

Geography

Space-based observations; celestial coordinates with added galactic coordinates.