README file for CD-ROM release of Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) observations of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) All images on this CD-ROM release are in FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) format. There are two sets of images on these release: full resolution plates and low resolution mosaics. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- FULL RESOLUTION PLATES The full resolution plate names have the following format: sxxffffbn.fits where: xx - object number (here 03 for the LMC) ffff - plate number n - band number: 1 - Band B1 (4.294 microns, not in this release) 2 - Band B2 (4.352 microns, not in this release) 3 - Band A (8.276 microns) 4 - Band C (12.126 microns) 5 - Band D (14.649 microns) 6 - Band E (21.411 microns) For the LMC, MSX observed a ten degree square field centered on J2000 (ra,dec) = (05h21m,-68d45m). The field was divided into 25 plates 2deg X 2deg numbered as below: __________________________________ | | | | | | | 0020 | 0021 | 0022 | 0023 | 0024 | |______|______|______|______|______| | | | | | | | 0015 | 0016 | 0017 | 0018 | 0019 | |______|______|______|______|______| | | | | | | | 0010 | 0011 | 0012 | 0013 | 0014 | |______|______|______|______|______| | | | | | | | 0005 | 0006 | 0007 | 0008 | 0009 | |______|______|______|______|______| | | | | | | | 0000 | 0001 | 0002 | 0003 | 0004 | |______|______|______|______|______| All plates have the same projection center (map center, plate 0012) and overlap at the edges by 90 arcseconds (10 pixels). All data was locally destriped to remove detector-to-detector variations. Band C (b4) had self-similar banding (`jumps') removed while Band E (b6) was corrected for background suppression (`shadowing') that occurred at bright sources. Scan positions have been adjusted using the MSX Astrometric Catalog: Egan & Price 1996 AJ 112, 2862. The final plates consist of coadds of all data collection events (DCEs). -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- MOSAICS The above plates were combined into a single, low resolution mosaic for each band. Resolution was reduced by a factor of 5. Filenames have the format: LMCbn.fits where n follows the same band numbering convention used for the individual plates.