UIT: Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope Data from ASTRO-1 and ASTRO-2 Missions

The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) dataset comprises digitized ultraviolet images from two space shuttle missions. UIT-1 obtained 821 exposures of 66 targets in December 1990, and UIT-2 obtained 758 images of 193 targets in March 1995. The data was collected by NASA using photographic film and digitized with a Perkin-Elmer microdensitometer.

Use Cases

• Analyze ultraviolet emissions from celestial objects based on the 1200-3300 Å wavelength range.
• Compare astronomical targets observed across two missions based on the 66 and 193 target counts.
• Study image characteristics and resolution based on the 3 arcsecond resolution over a 40 arcminute field of view.
• Process digitized photographic film data based on the described microdensitometer conversion method.

Strengths

• Contains 821 exposures from UIT-1 and 758 images from UIT-2, providing a substantial observational record.
• Data originates from two distinct NASA space shuttle missions (ASTRO-1 and ASTRO-2), offering temporal comparison points.
• Images have a defined resolution of 3 arcseconds over a 40 arcminute field of view.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is stored in a BIN format, which may require specialized tools for access and interpretation.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Exposures obtained on 70-mm photographic film aboard space shuttles Columbia and Endeavour, later digitized.

Time Range

December 1990 and March 1995

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:07:39.069519; freshness should be verified

Geography

Space-based observations; celestial targets.