COBE DIRBE Products

Weekly Sky Maps

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These maps provide weekly-averaged intensity values for each pixel and photometric band, plus Stokes Q and U parameters at 1.25, 2.2, and 3.5 microns. Each map covers approximately half of the sky. As a set, the 41 Weekly Sky Maps offer an unprecedented view of the interplanetary dust (IPD) cloud as each celestial direction was observed by DIRBE at a variety of angles through the IPD. The Weekly Sky Maps are on line.

The DIRBE measures linear polarization in ecliptic coordinates, with positive position angles measured east of the local line of longitude. Linear polarization is described by the Stokes parameters Q and U, which are related to the degree of polarization, P, and the position angle, alpha, of the sky polarization vector via Q = P cos(2 alpha) and U = P sin(2 alpha).

A service of the HEASARC and of the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA/GSFC
Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
HEASARC Director: Dr. Andrew F. Ptak
LAMBDA Director: Dr. Thomas M. Essinger-Hileman
NASA Official: Dr. Thomas M. Essinger-Hileman
Web Curator: Mr. Michael R. Greason