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Description
The AllWISE program extends the work of the successful Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission (WISE; Wright et al. 2010, AJ, 140, 1868) by combining data from the cryogenic and post-cryogenic survey phases to form the most comprehensive view of the mid-infrared sky currently available. AllWISE has produced a new Source Catalog and Image Atlas with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy compared with earlier WISE data releases. Advanced data processing for AllWISE exploits the two complete sky coverages to measure source motions for each Catalog source, and to compile a massive database of light curves for those objects.
WISE is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Medium Class Explorer mission that scanned the sky methodically in the 3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22 #m mid-infrared bandpasses (hereafter W1, W2, W3 and W4) in 2010 and 2011. The 40 cm WISE telescope and payload equipped with four 1024x1024 pixel focal plane detector arrays were cooled by a dual-stage solid hydrogen cryostat. WISE carried out its 4-Band (or Full) Cryogenic survey from 2010 January 7 to 2010 August 6, observing the sky 1.2 times with all four detectors operating at full sensitivity. After the hydrogen ice in the outer cryogen tank evaporated, WISE surveyed an additional 30% of the sky during its 3-Band Cryo phase, with the W1 and W2 detectors operating at near full sensitivity, and the W3 focal plane operating at reduced sensitivity. The NEOWISE Post-Cryo phase (Mainzer et al. 2011 ApJ, 731, 53), funded by the NASA Planetary Division, started on 2010 September 29 after cryogen in both tanks was exhausted, and continued until 2011 February 1. NEOWISE Post-Cryo observations covered 70% of the sky with W1 and W2 detectors operating at near full sensitivity. Images and extracted source data from each of the three survey phases were release separately in the March 2012 All-Sky Data Release, the June 2012 3-Band Cryo Data Release, and the May 2013 NEOWISE Post-Cryo Release.
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