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FAQs: Legacy Program

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For lots more information about Legacy projects, see the Legacy web pages.

Table of Contents:
                         Q:   What is the Spitzer Legacy Science Program?
                         Q:   Which projects were selected for the Legacy Science Program ?
                         Q:   When do Legacy Science data enter the public domain?

Q:   What is the Spitzer Legacy Science Program?

A:   The unique and innovative Spitzer Legacy Science Program was motivated by a desire to enable large observing programs early during Spitzer's prime mission, with the goal of creating a substantial database of archived observations that can be utilized by subsequent Spitzer observers. Legacy Science projects are distinguishable from General Observer investigations through these fundamental principles:
  1. They are large and coherent science projects, not reproducible by any reasonable number or combination of smaller General Observer investigations.
  2. They are projects that are of general and lasting importance to the broad community and whose Spitzer data should yield a substantial and coherent database.
  3. All raw and pipeline-processed data enter the public domain immediately upon SSC verification, thereby enabling timely and effective opportunities for follow-on observations and for archival research, with both Spitzer and with other observatories.

Traditionally, the term "Legacy program" was used to refer to the 'original' Legacy programs, e.g., those selected before launch. Though not specifically solicited, five Cycle-2 programs were selected that shared these fundamental principles, and were therefore retroactively also classified as Legacy programs. Starting in Cycle-3, Legacy GO programs are specifically solicited.

Q:   Which projects were selected for the Legacy Science Program ?

A:   The Original Legacy Science Program is comprised of six large-scale peer-reviewed investigations selected in November 2000. The six approved projects utilize 3160 hours of Spitzer observing time, primarily in the first year of the mission, and integrate substantial ancillary data from ground-based telescopes and other space-borne telescopes. The raw and pipeline-processed Spitzer data enter the public domain immediately following processing and validation at the SSC. In addition, each project is developing post-pipeline data products and/or analysis tools that will be delivered to the SSC for wider dissemination.

Though Legacy programs were not specifically solicited in Cycle-2, five programs were selected that meet the Legacy selection criteria. Legacy programs were specifically solicited in Cycle-3 and Cycle-4. Eight Legacy programs were selected in Cycle-3, and seven were selected in Cycle-4.

Abstracts for all of these programs are available on the Legacy page.

Q:   When do Legacy Science data enter the public domain?

A:   Raw and pipeline-processed Legacy Science data from Spitzer enter the public domain once they are processed and verified at the SSC. This will typically take up to a few weeks after the observations are performed. Data are electronically accessible from the Spitzer Science Archive. In addition, each of the projects will produce higher-level post-pipeline data products, such as image mosaics and source catalogs. Intermediate versions of these products will be delivered to the SSC every six months. Most of the projects incorporate ancillary data from ground-based observatories and/or other space-based telescopes. In general, the teams will make these data available rapidly to the community-at-large, in the same spirit as for the Spitzer data.

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This file was last modified on Wed Aug 15 16:43:55 2007.

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