SAGE-SMC IRAC Epoch 1: Infrared Survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud

A Cycle 4 legacy program on the Spitzer Space Telescope, the SAGE-SMC project surveyed the Small Magellanic Cloud. The IRAC Epoch 1 archive contains infrared image data from the Spitzer Infrared Array Camera, processed to remove artifacts and constrain source variability. The data was produced by the project team with Karl Gordon (STScI) as Principal Investigator and is hosted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Detecting and analyzing evolved stars and young stellar objects based on infrared source variability across two epochs.
• Mapping star-forming regions and dust distribution in the Small Magellanic Cloud based on infrared imagery.
• Studying galaxy evolution in a tidally disrupted, low-metallicity environment based on the survey's stated scientific goal.
• Removing instrumental artifacts like striping in image data based on the use of a 90-degree roll angle between epochs.

Strengths

• Data from the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC), a space-based observatory.
• Observations at two epochs separated by 3 months, designed to remove artifacts and constrain source variability.
• Includes data from the S3MC pathfinder survey of the inner 3 square degrees of the SMC, reduced with consistent software.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The archive includes sources with more uncertainty compared to the stricter catalog, as noted in the description.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Infrared observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope's IRAC instrument, processed with specialized software.

Time Range

Observations from Epoch 1 of the SAGE-SMC project.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:07:21.305524; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy and satellite of the Milky Way.