SPITZMASTR - Spitzer Space Telescope Observation Log

Overview

This database table contains the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) log of executed and scheduled observations, and is updated on a weekly basis. Spitzer is the fourth and final element in NASA's family of Great Observatories and represents an important scientific and technical bridge to NASA's Astronomical Search for Origins program. The SST Observatory carries an 85-cm cryogenic telescope and 3 cryogenically cooled science instruments capable of performing imaging and spectroscopy in the 3.6 to 160 micron (µm) range. Spitzer was launched on a Delta 7920H from Cape Canaveral into an Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit in August 2003. While the Spitzer cryogenic lifetime requirements are 2.5 years, current estimates indicate that achieving a goal of a 5-year cryogenic mission is possible. For more overview information, refer to the Spitzer Science Center (SSC) Overview at http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/spitzermission/.

The purpose of this HEASARC table is to help users, particularly those in the high-energy astronomy community, learn about which targets Spitzer has observed or will shortly observe. This table does not at this time have links from table entries to Spitzer data products. Once a particular Spitzer dataset of interest is identified, the SSC Archives/Analysis web page at http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/archanaly/ should be used to access the dataset.

Bulletin

The SPITZMASTR database table was last updated on 28 February 2021.

References

The information in this table has been derived from information available at the SSC website (see Provenance below).

Provenance

The information in this table has been derived from the following files obtained from the SSC website:

The schedule of Spitzer science observations as executed:

http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/data/SPITZER/docs/files/spitzer/spitzer_obslog.txt

The list of all approved Spitzer science programs:

http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/data/SPITZER/docs/files/spitzer/spitzer_programs.txt

Notice that this table contains primarily observations (identified by their AOR key value) from the first URL above. A given observation should appear only once in this HEASARC table. The HEASARC checks these URLs for modifications periodically and updates the table whenever changes are detected.

Parameters

Unique_ID
Unique sequential identification number for each entry in the catalog. This number was added by the HEASARC so as to more easily reference a specific entry. These numbers can and will likely change with each update.

Name
The designation of the target of the observations, truncated to the first 12 characters.

RA
The Right Ascension of the target pointing in the selected equinox. This was given in J2000 equatorial coordinates to a precision of 0.01 seconds of time in the originating tables. No positions are provided for solar system target pointings and their positions have all been set to null in this HEASARC table. To search for observations of, say, Neptune, then, the user should perform a search of the string "Neptune*" in the name parameter field.

Dec
The Declination of the target pointing in the selected equinox. This was given in J2000 equatorial coordinates to an apparent precision of 0.1 arcseconds in most cases in the originating tables. No positions are provided for solar system target pointings and their positions have all been set to null in this HEASARC table.

LII
The Galactic Longitude of the target pointing.

BII
The Galactic Latitude of the target pointing.

PI_LName
The last name of the Principal Investigator of the program under which the target was observed, truncated to the first 10 characters.

PI_FName
The first name of the Principal Investigator of the program under which the target was observed, truncated to the first 8 characters.

Program_ID
The Spitzer observation program identifier, or pid, under which the target was observed.

Program_Category
The category of the observation program under which the target was observed: DDT for Director's Discretionary Time, GO for General Observer, GTO for Guaranteed Time Observation, and Legacy for the Legacy Science program.

Program_Name
The SSC name identifier for the observation program under which the target was observed.

Program_Title
The title of the Spitzer observation program under which the target was observed.

AOT
The Astronomical Observation Template (AOT) which was used to construct the AOR which unambiguously defines the parameters of the observation. There are eight AOTs, one for each of the eight Spitzer observing modes.

Duration
The actual or planned duration of the observation (strictly speaking, of the Astronomical Observation Request or AOR that completely describes the observation), in minutes.

Time
The start time of the executed or planned observation, in UTC.

AOR_Key
The Astronomical Observation Request (AOR) key which uniquely defines the observation

AOR_Label
The Astronomical Observation Request (AOR) label.

Status
The status of the observation: scheduled or observed. For the present purposes, a value of 'observed' means that the observation is listed at http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/warmmission/scheduling/observinglogs/obs/alltogether.txt.

Contact Person

Questions regarding the SPITZMASTR database table can be addressed to the HEASARC Help Desk.

Page Author: Browse Software Development Team
Last Modified: Monday, 16-Sep-2024 17:35:14 EDT