SDWFS: Spitzer Infrared Survey of the Boötes Field

Four-epoch infrared survey of 10 square degrees in the Boötes field, permitting the selection of variable and high proper motion objects over timescales of years. The Spitzer Cycle 4 Legacy project data consists of 20 band-matched catalogs with Vega magnitudes for four IRAC bands. SDWFS is sensitive to galaxies out to z ~ 3 with relatively little impact from cosmic variance.

Use Cases

• Select infrared-variable objects based on the four-epoch survey design.
• Identify high proper motion objects over a wide field using multi-year timescales.
• Characterize galaxy evolution beyond z ~ 1.5 based on the survey's large volume and sensitivity.
• Perform photometric analysis using Vega magnitudes reported for 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8 micron bands.

Strengths

• Covers a 10 square degree field, providing a wide-area survey.
• Includes data from four epochs, enabling time-domain analysis over years.
• Source coordinates are matched to 2MASS catalog positions within 0.2 arcsec.
• Provides 20 catalogs with photometry from three measurement apertures per source.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Tabulated uncertainties are estimated as twice the SExtractor statistical uncertainties.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Survey using the IRAC instrument on the Spitzer Space Telescope as a Cycle 4 Legacy project.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:22:14.871435; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Observations target the Boötes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey.