GLIMPSE. I. An<i>SIRTF</i>Legacy Project to Map the Inner Galaxy

TLDR

The survey targets the inner Galactic disk, encompassing the outer bar, molecular ring, and inner spiral arms. The project aims to describe its observing strategy, data products, and key science questions for GLIMPSE. GLIMPSE will conduct a confusion‑limited infrared survey of two‑thirds of the inner Galactic disk (|b|≤1°, |l|=10°–65°) with IRAC at 3.6–8.0 µm, producing a point‑source catalog, archive, and mosaicked images. Current documentation, survey progress, and complementary data are available on the GLIMPSE website.

Abstract

The Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid‐Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE), a Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) Legacy Science Program, will be a fully sampled, confusion‐limited infrared survey of 2/3 of the inner Galactic disk with a pixel resolution of ∼12 using the Infrared Array Camera at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μm. The survey will cover Galactic latitudes |b|≤1° and longitudes |l| = 10°–65° (both sides of the Galactic center). The survey area contains the outer ends of the Galactic bar, the Galactic molecular ring, and the inner spiral arms. The GLIMPSE team will process these data to produce a point‐source catalog, a point‐source data archive, and a set of mosaicked images. We summarize our observing strategy, give details of our data products, and summarize some of the principal science questions that will be addressed using GLIMPSE data. Up‐to‐date documentation, survey progress, and information on complementary data sets are available on the GLIMPSE Web site.