Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)

Mission Characteristics

Lifetime: 1983 (11 months)
Wavelength:
  • 12 µm
  • 25 µm
  • 60 µm
  • 100 µm
Area Coverage: 96% of the sky
Instruments:
  • Survey Array
  • Low Resolution Spectrometer (LRS)
  • Chopped Photometric Channel (CPC)
Science Products Generated:
  • Sky Survey Atlas
  • Galaxy Atlas
  • Extended Galaxy Atlas
  • Mid-Infrared Galaxy Atlas
  • Faint Source Catalog
  • Point Source Catalog
  • Catalogued Galaxies and Quasars
  • Serendipitous Survey Catalog
  • Small Scale Structure Catalog
  • Asteroid & Comet Survey
  • Minor Planet Survey
Funding Agency: The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) was a joint project of the US, UK and the Netherlands.
Canonical Paper: Neugebauer et al. (1984)

IRSA Services

Scanpi A tool for visualizing, plotting, and averaging calibrated IRAS survey scans.
HIRES HIRES is a powerful tool for studying morphology and for separating confused sources. It uses the Maximum Correlation Method to produce IRAS images with better than nominal resolution.
General Catalog Search Access available catalogs.
IRAS FSC Download the IRAS Faint Source Catalog v2.0
IRAS PSC Download the IRAS Point Source Catalog v2.1
ISSA Image Server and Catalog Overlays Create static displays of cutouts around a single position from the IRAS Sky Survey Atlas (ISSA), with overlays from the Point Source Catalog and the Faint Source Catalog, and with the option to download the corresponding cutouts in FITS format.
The IRAS Sky Survey Atlas IRSA's DCE is a generic tool for performing cone or polygon searches to find overlapping images within a dataset (including the IRAS Sky Survey Atlas, ISSA), provide interactive visualizations of these images, and optionally, catalog overlays and downloads.
ISSA Cutouts Use IRSA's Image Cutouts Service to generate small "cutout" FITS (and JPEG) images from the IRAS Sky Survey Atlas image collection.
Improved Reprocessing of the IRAS Survey (IRIS) Use DCE to retrieve images from the IRIS
IRIS Cutouts Use IRSA's Image Cutouts Service to generate small "cutout" FITS (and JPEG) images from the IRIS image collection.
IGA Image Server High-resolution images of the galactic plane and regions in Orion, Taurus-Auriga, and around Rho Ophiuchus (retrieves single image closest to input location)
The IRAS Galaxy Atlas (IGA) (using DCE) Use DCE to retrieve multiple images from the IGA covering a large area
IGA Cutouts Use IRSA's Image Cutouts Service to generate small "cutout" FITS (and JPEG) images from the IRAS Galaxy Atlas image collection.
The Extended IRAS Galaxy Atlas (EIGA) (using DCE) Use DCE to retrieve images from the EIGA
EIGA Cutouts Use IRSA's Image Cutouts Service to generate small "cutout" FITS (and JPEG) images from the Extended IRAS Galaxy Atlas image collection.
The Mid-Infrared Galaxy Atlas (MIGA) (using DCE) Use DCE to retrieve images from the MIGA
MIGA Cutouts Use IRSA's Image Cutouts Service to generate small "cutout" FITS (and JPEG) images from the Mid-Infrared Galaxy Atlas image collection.
Dust Extinction Service An interactive service that uses the maps of Schlegel, Finkbeiner and Davis to return extinction along the line of sight through the Galaxy. Returns image cutouts, and supports upload of lists of sources.

Other Resources:

IRAS Documentation IRAS web pages and Explanatory Supplements.