SDWFS: Spitzer Infrared Survey of the Boötes Field, Four Epochs

Four-epoch infrared survey of 10 square degrees in the Boötes field using the Spitzer Space Telescope's IRAC instrument. The survey consists of 20 band-matched catalogs reporting Vega magnitudes in four infrared bands, with source coordinates aligned to 2MASS positions within 0.2 arcsec. Created by NASA as a Spitzer Cycle 4 Legacy project, it is designed for studying galaxy evolution beyond redshift 1.5 and selecting variable objects.

Use Cases

• Selecting infrared-variable astronomical objects based on multi-epoch observations over years.
• Studying galaxy evolution at high redshift (z ~ 3) based on the survey's large volume and reduced cosmic variance.
• Identifying high proper motion objects based on positional changes across four epochs.
• Conducting photometric analysis based on Vega magnitudes provided in four infrared bands (3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8 microns).

Strengths

• Covers a wide field of 10 square degrees, reducing the impact of cosmic variance.
• Provides data from four distinct epochs, enabling time-domain analysis over years.
• Source coordinates are matched to the 2MASS catalog with a precision of within 0.2 arcsec.
• Photometry is provided using three measurement apertures for each source.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The tabulated uncertainties are estimated as twice the statistical errors, which may not fully characterize systematics.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Observations from the IRAC instrument on the Spitzer Space Telescope, processed into band-matched catalogs.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:23:23.607197; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The Boötes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey.