GLIMPSE 3D: Spitzer Telescope Infrared Point Sources of the Galactic Plane

GLIMPSE3D is a large-area mapping project of the Galactic plane using the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera. The GLIMPSE3D Archive consists of point sources with a signal-to-noise > 5 in at least one band, with photometric uncertainty typically < 0.3 magnitudes. It is provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Study the vertical distribution of stars based on the extended latitude coverage up to |b| < 4.2 degrees.
• Analyze interstellar structure using infrared point source photometry from the Spitzer IRAC instrument.
• Identify and catalog stellar objects with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 5 in at least one infrared band.
• Compare source properties between the less-stringent Archive and the more-stringent GLIMPSE3D Catalog.

Strengths

• Data collected by the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera (IRAC), a major space observatory.
• Photometric uncertainty is typically less than 0.3 magnitudes for point sources.
• Provides extended vertical coverage of the Galactic plane, up to |b| < 4.2 degrees 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 for large-scale analysis.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and completeness require manual inspection.

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 17:14:17.142114; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Galactic plane, with longitude |l| < 65◦ and latitude extensions generally up to |b| < 3◦ (up to 4.2◦ in the center).