WMAP 7-Year Catalog: 603 Newly Detected Cosmic Point Sources

2102 point sources detected at the 5-sigma level in Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 7-year data using a novel needlet-based method. The catalog includes 603 previously unreported sources, with positions and flux estimates, and was created by NASA HEASARC in July 2012. 1029 of the 1116 high-confidence sources have identified counterparts at 5 GHz.

Use Cases

• Training source detection algorithms based on the described needlet-based method.
• Cross-matching astronomical catalogs based on the provided source positions and flux estimates.
• Analyzing foreground contamination in CMB maps based on the catalog of detected point sources.
• Studying the population of radio sources at microwave frequencies based on the flux data in WMAP channels.

Strengths

• Contains 603 point source detections not previously reported in WMAP data.
• Sources are detected at a high confidence threshold of 5-sigma.
• Catalog provides both position and flux estimates for identified sources.
• 1029 sources have confirmed counterparts at 5 GHz, aiding validation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from 2012 analysis of 7-year WMAP data; newer missions may provide updated observations.

Provenance

Source

NASA HEASARC, based on electronic version of Table 6 from the reference paper.

Collection Method

Needlet-based detection method applied to WMAP 7-year frequency maps and internal templates.

Time Range

Covers the 7-year observation period of the WMAP mission.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:45:42.289738; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Sky area outside the Kq85 galactic mask.