SDSS ConeSearch: Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12

Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 contains all SDSS optical observations through July 2014. The data is available via a ConeSearch endpoint from the MAST archive, mirrored by STScI. The dataset is provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Query celestial objects within a specific region of the sky based on the ConeSearch protocol.
• Analyze optical survey data for astronomical objects observed through July 2014.
• Cross-match SDSS DR12 observations with other MAST catalog holdings.

Strengths

• Contains all observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey through July 2014.
• Accessible via a standardized ConeSearch endpoint for programmatic querying.
• Mirrored and served by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 12, mirrored by Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).

Collection Method

Optical telescope observations aggregated into a catalog.

Time Range

Observations through July 2014.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:05:47.507926; freshness should be verified.