OSO8 GCXSE Raw Rates: Cosmic X-ray Data from 1975-1978

NASA HEASARC provides raw rates data from the Orbiting Solar Observatory-8 (OSO-8) spacecraft's GCXSE detectors. The data were collected from launch on 21 June 1975 until late September 1978, with rates accumulated every 160 ms in the 2-60 keV energy band. This database accesses the raw FITS data files for the three non-solar cosmic X-ray spectroscopy detectors.

Use Cases

• Analyze time-series variability of cosmic X-ray sources based on 160 ms sampling intervals
• Study the spectral characteristics of cosmic X-ray emissions in the 2-60 keV energy band
• Correlate X-ray observations with other astronomical datasets based on the unique viewing geometry perpendicular to the earth-sun line

Strengths

• Data collected from a dedicated space mission over a period of more than three years (June 1975 to September 1978)
• High temporal resolution with data accumulated every 160 milliseconds
• Covers a specific energy band (2-60 keV) relevant for cosmic X-ray spectroscopy

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data is stored in specialized FITS format (BIN, HTML), requiring specific tools for analysis

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) HEASARC

Collection Method

Data obtained from the OSO-8 spacecraft's GCXSE detectors A, B, and C.

Time Range

June 1975 to September 1978

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:14:40.501809; freshness should be verified

Geography

Space-based observations from a 550 km circular orbit