OSO Missions: Solar X-ray Observations from 1962 to 1978

Eight Orbiting Solar Observatory missions collected solar X-ray data across various photon energy ranges from 1962 to 1978. The data consist of photon counting rates recorded in tables, plots, catalogs on microfiche, and digital magnetic tapes. Instrumentation and data quantity improved with each successive spacecraft in the series.

Use Cases

• Analyze solar X-ray flux variability based on photon counting rates recorded over 16 years
• Compare instrument performance across missions based on the described improvements in instrumentation
• Study solar X-ray bursts and spectra using data from specific energy channels listed for each experiment

Strengths

• Data spans 16 years from 1962 to 1978
• Includes observations from eight distinct spacecraft missions
• Covers multiple X-ray wavelength and energy ranges, from 1-8 Å to 0.3-10 MeV

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Last updated 1978-09-30 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified

Provenance

Source

NASA Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) series 1-8 missions

Collection Method

Data collected by various instruments onboard spacecraft and recorded on microfiche and magnetic tapes.

Time Range

1962-1978