GLIMPSE 3D: Infrared Galactic Plane Point Source Catalog

GLIMPSE 3D is a large-area infrared survey of the Galactic plane conducted by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The Epoch 1 Catalog is a subset of the project's Archive, containing point sources with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 5 in at least one band and photometric uncertainty typically under 0.3 magnitudes. The data was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Studying the vertical distribution of stars and interstellar material based on the extended latitude coverage up to |b| < 4.2°.
• Analyzing point source photometry for stellar classification based on multi-band infrared magnitudes.
• Investigating the structure of the inner Galactic plane using data covering |l| < 10° with vertical extensions.
• Comparing source properties between the more stringent Catalog and the broader Archive based on the selection criteria described.

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.
• Provides extended vertical coverage of the Galactic plane, generally up to |b| < 3° and up to |b| < 4.2° in the Galactic center.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:28:41.469483; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Galactic plane, covering |l| < 65° with vertical extensions generally up to |b| < 3°.