IMPORTANT NOTE. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE USING SENS-PET: An imaging "Sensitivity Performance Estimation Tool" (SENS-PET). For user configured Spitzer observing parameters, the SENS-PET returns an estimate of the sensitivity to both point and diffuse emission sources, and reports the total integration depth per pixel. When planning observations that need to measure the flux density or variations in the flux density of a point source to a certain precision, it is important to include the Poisson noise of the source in the estimation of the signal-to-noise ratio. SENS-PET only includes the read noise of the instrument and the Poisson noise of the background in the calculation of the uncertainty. There is a memo and a tool that helps observers to estimate the uncertainty in a measurement of the source flux density when taking the point source Poisson noise into account. This tool is essential for observers interested in variations in source brightness (as in observations of extrasolar planet transits, etc).

Input: choose expected background level, and configure Spitzer IRAC, IRS Peak-up imaging, and MIPS imaging instrument settings.

Output: sensitivity and integration depth per pixel for the selected observing mode.