Spitzer Telescope Handbook

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction.

1.1 Document Purpose and Scope.

1.2 How to Contact Us.

1.3 Standard Acknowledgements for Spitzer Publications.

Chapter 2. Spitzer History and Mission Overview

2.1 History and Organization of the Spitzer Project

2.2 Spacecraft Development

2.2.1 A Prime Directive.

2.2.2 A Kinder, Gentler Orbit

2.2.3 Flight System Architecture.

2.2.4 The Spitzer Warm Mission.

2.2.5 The Spitzer Beyond Mission.

2.2.6 The Rest of the Story.

2.3 Principal Investigators, Science Team, and User Community.

2.3.1 Evolution of the Spitzer Science Working Group.

2.3.2 Spitzer Scientific Utilization.

Chapter 3. Observatory Description.

3.1 Overview

3.2 Observatory Description.

3.3 Science Instrument Operations.

3.4 Observatory Design and Operations Concept

3.4.1 The Warm Launch and Telescope Temperature Management

3.4.2 Data Storage.

3.4.3 Data Transmission.

3.5 Sky Visibility.

3.5.1 Solar Orbit

3.5.2 Pointing Constraints.

3.5.3 Viewing Periods.

3.5.4 How Visibility Evolves with Time.

3.5.5 Orientation of Focal Plane and Slits against the Sky.

3.5.6 Bright Object Avoidance.

3.6 Operational Constraints – Instrument Campaigns.

3.7 Pointing Capabilities.

3.7.1 Pointing Control System

3.7.2 Pointing Accuracy and Stability.

3.7.3 Scanning Stability and Performance.

3.7.4 Tracking Capabilities.

3.7.5 Pointing Reconstruction.

3.8 Optical Design.

3.9 Optical and Thermal Performance.

3.9.1 Surface Accuracy.

3.9.2 Wave-front Errors.

3.9.3 Throughput

3.9.4 Stray Light Rejection.

3.9.5 Telescope Temperature/Thermal Background.

3.9.6 Telescope Focus.

3.10 Focal Plane Layout

Chapter 4. Observatory Operations.

4.1 Spitzer Science Center

4.2 Spitzer Science Operations Overview

4.2.1 The Life Cycle of a Spitzer Observation.

4.2.2 Data Products.

4.3 Astronomical Observation Templates – AOTs.

4.4 Astronomical Observation Request – AOR

4.5 Science User Tools.

4.5.1 Spot

4.5.2 Performance Estimation Tool (PET)

4.5.3 Spitzer Heritage Archive.

4.6 Solar System Objects - SSOs.

4.6.1 Tracking Performance.

4.6.2 Ephemeris Management

4.7 Targets of Opportunity - ToOs.

4.8 Generic Targets.

4.9 Second-Look Observations.

4.10 List of Safings or Standbys in the Mission.

Chapter 5. Spitzer Cross-Calibration.

5.1 Observations.

5.2 Stellar Cross-Calibrators.

5.3 Red Cross-Calibrators.

Chapter 6. Spitzer Archive.

6.1 Level 0, or Raw Data.

6.2 Level 1, or Basic Calibrated Data (BCD)

6.3 Calibration Files.

6.4 Level 2, or Extended Pipeline Products (Post-BCD)

6.5 Calibrated Data Units.

Appendix A. Infrared Astronomy.

Infrared Flux Units.

Infrared Backgrounds.

Solar System Objects Included in Bright Object Avoidance.

Appendix B. Acronyms and Glossary.

Appendix C. Acknowledgments.

Appendix D. List of Figures.

Appendix E. List of Tables.

Document History

Version Comments

Version 3.0 Release: 8 January 2021: Added the warm mission, verb tenses

Version 2.1 Release: 8 March 2013: Minor updates to text in section 2.2.4

Version 2.0 Release: 1 April 2011: Final minor updates to text.

Version 1.1 Release: 5 March 2010: Minor text updates; first HTML version.

Version 1.0 Release: 9 February 2010: Initial release, PDF only.