YSOVAR: Mid-Infrared Light Curves for 29,000 Young Stellar Objects

The YSOVAR Spitzer Space Telescope program provides mid-infrared time series photometry for star-forming regions including the Orion Nebula Cluster and 11 other cores. It contains light curves for approximately 29,000 unique objects, captured at 3.6 and 4.5 micron wavelengths. The data is from NASA, with initial results published in 2011 and detailed conventions described in 2014.

Use Cases

• Modeling stellar variability patterns based on mid-infrared light curves.
• Classifying young stellar object behavior based on time series photometry.
• Comparing stellar activity across different star-forming regions mentioned in the description.
• Correlating variability data with other observational programs like CSI 2264.

Strengths

• Contains light curves for approximately 29,000 unique astronomical objects.
• Data originates from the Spitzer Space Telescope, a NASA observatory.
• Covers 12 distinct star-forming regions, including the Orion Nebula Cluster.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Observational data from the Spitzer Space Telescope's YSOVAR program.

Time Range

Observational period not specified in input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:24:25.585402; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Star-forming regions: Orion Nebula Cluster, AFGL 490, NGC 1333, Mon R2, GGD 12-15, NGC 2264, L1688, Serpens Main, Serpens South, IRAS 20050+2720, IC 1396A, and Ceph C.