Spitzer/IRAC Galactic Center Point Source Catalog with 2MASS Photometry
Updated 3mo ago
2filesBIN
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Description
The central 2.0 by 1.4 degrees of the Milky Way Galaxy was surveyed by the Spitzer Space Telescope's IRAC instrument at mid-infrared wavelengths. A catalog of 1,065,565 point sources was produced, providing magnitudes at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 microns, supplemented by JHK photometry from the 2MASS survey. These data, from NASA's Cycle 1 program GO 3677, represent the highest spatial resolution and sensitivity uniform large-scale map of the region at the time.
Use Cases
Identify and classify stellar populations based on infrared color-magnitude diagrams.
Study spatial distribution and density of point sources across the Galactic Center region.
Cross-match infrared sources with other wavelength catalogs using provided photometric data.
Analyze the effects of variable extinction and background confusion on source detection limits.
Strengths
Contains photometric data for over 1 million point sources.
Provides uniform, high-sensitivity coverage across a large 2.0 by 1.4 degree area.
Includes multi-wavelength data with four IRAC bands and supplemental 2MASS JHK photometry.
Achieves high spatial resolution of approximately 2 arcseconds.
Limitations
Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
The catalog is confusion-limited with spatially variable detection thresholds.
Provenance
Source
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Collection Method
Observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope's IRAC instrument in Cycle 1 (Program GO 3677).
Time Range
Cycle 1 observations; specific observation dates are not provided in the input.
Freshness
Last updated 2026-03-13 18:49:41.117562; freshness should be verified.
Geography
The central region of the Milky Way Galaxy, spanning approximately 2.0 degrees by 1.4 degrees (~280 pc by 200 pc).
License is listed as 'other-license-specified'; specific terms must be reviewed. File format is BIN, which may require specialized tools for access.