GLIMPSE3D Archive: Infrared Point Sources from the Galactic Plane

The Galactic plane from |l| = 10◦ to 65◦ and |b| < 1◦, with vertical extensions up to |b| < 4.2◦ in the galactic center, is mapped by this dataset. It contains point sources with a signal-to-noise > 5 in at least one infrared band from the Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC instrument, with photometric uncertainty typically under 0.3 magnitudes. The data was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Studying the vertical distribution of stars and interstellar material based on the extended latitude coverage.
• Analyzing point source photometry for stellar classification based on infrared band measurements.
• Comparing source properties between the Archive and the stricter Catalog subset mentioned in the description.
• Mapping large-scale galactic structure based on the coverage of the inner 20 degrees of the Galactic plane.

Strengths

• Data originates from the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera (IRAC), a major space observatory.
• Photometric uncertainty is typically less than 0.3 magnitudes, indicating a likely high measurement precision.
• Provides extended vertical coverage up to |b| < 4.2◦ in the galactic center, beyond earlier GLIMPSE projects.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analysis.
• The dataset is a less stringent selection than the GLIMPSE3D Catalog, and entries for a source may differ.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera (IRAC).

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:58:16.590303; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The Galactic plane, specifically longitudes from |l| = 10◦ to 65◦ and the inner 20 degrees, with varying latitude extensions.