COS-B: Gamma-Ray Sky Maps from 65 Satellite Observations

A collection of 120 x 120 pixel FITS format maps created from 65 observations by the European Space Agency's COS-B satellite. The satellite was dedicated to gamma-ray astronomy and operated between 17 August 1975 and 25 April 1982. This database is a service provided by NASA HEASARC.

Use Cases

• Analyze gamma-ray sky distributions based on the 65 observation maps.
• Study celestial gamma-ray sources across four distinct energy ranges mentioned in the description.
• Compare high galactic latitude observations (>20 degrees) with other galactic regions.
• Reprocess raw event data using the FADMAP analysis package as described in the documentation.

Strengths

• Contains maps from 65 distinct satellite observations.
• Each map is a 120 x 120 pixel image with 0.5-degree pixel resolution.
• Covers a specific operational period from August 1975 to April 1982.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to the specific 1975-1982 mission period.

Provenance

Source

European Space Agency (COS-B satellite), processed and served by NASA HEASARC.

Collection Method

Maps were generated by running the FADMAP analysis package on raw observation files.

Time Range

17 August 1975 to 25 April 1982.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:13:15.967225; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Celestial coverage, with 15 observations at high galactic latitudes.