NICER Master Catalog: Neutron Star X-ray Observations from the ISS

NASA's NICER mission, launched on 3 June 2017, provides a catalog of observations from its X-ray Timing Instrument aboard the International Space Station. The instrument's 56 detector pairs record photon energies from 0.2-12 keV with 100 nanosecond timing precision. This table, updated regularly by the NICER Science and Mission Operations Center, contains one record per observation sequence for sources monitored daily.

Use Cases

• Analyzing neutron star composition and exotic matter states based on high-precision X-ray timing data.
• Studying temporal variability of X-ray sources based on photon arrival times recorded with 100 nanosecond RMS precision.
• Investigating X-ray spectra in the 0.2-12 keV energy range based on data from 56 silicon drift detectors.
• Cataloging and accessing observational data intervals for sources monitored daily by the NICER instrument.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NASA Explorer mission instrument with 56 X-ray detector pairs.
• Provides high-precision timing data with 100 nanosecond RMS resolution relative to Universal Time.
• Covers the 0.2-12 keV energy range with 3% energy resolution at 6 keV.
• Catalog is updated regularly by the mission operations center with new observations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NICER Science and Mission Operations Center (SMOC), NASA HEASARC.

Collection Method

Generated from observations by the NICER X-ray Timing Instrument aboard the International Space Station.

Time Range

Observations began with normal operations on 17 July 2017.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:27:45.538190; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Data collected from space by an instrument on the International Space Station.