INTEGRAL Bright Source Catalog: Gamma-Ray Objects from ESA/NASA Satellite

A catalog of bright gamma-ray sources based on data from the INTEGRAL satellite's IBIS and SPI instruments. The catalog is a collaborative effort between the INTEGRAL Science Data Center in Switzerland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, first created in September 2004. It is updated weekly based on public data released approximately 14 months after observation, with initial data collection starting in October 2002.

Use Cases

• Identify candidate gamma-ray sources for detailed follow-up analysis based on the catalog's semi-automated results.
• Study the temporal evolution of bright gamma-ray objects based on the catalog's regular updates.
• Cross-reference satellite instrument data (IBIS and SPI) for multi-wavelength astronomical research.
• Benchmark source detection algorithms against a semi-automated, collaboratively produced catalog.

Strengths

• Data is updated on a weekly basis whenever the source web page is updated.
• Based on data from two main satellite instruments (IBIS and SPI), providing a multi-instrument perspective.
• Collaboratively produced by the INTEGRAL Science Data Center and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The results are described as approximate and semi-automated, intended as a guideline for further analysis.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

INTEGRAL Science Data Center (ISDC) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center INTEGRAL Guest Observer Facility (GOF).

Collection Method

Semi-automated analysis of publicly available data from the INTEGRAL satellite instruments.

Time Range

Observations began in October 2002; catalog first created in September 2004.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:30:51.936696; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Space-based observations; celestial coverage.