Foreground Data Images

36.528, 52.224, and 73.152 MHz Composite Map
Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array sky maps were used to produce this 3-color composite image of the long wavelength radio sky. The 36.528, 52.224, and 73.152 MHz data are represented as red, green, and blue respectively. The maps are scaled by ν2.5 before combining and the brightness scale is logarithmic. Therefore, regions with a ν-2.5 power law spectrum tend to appear white, and regions with a flatter spectral index tend to appear blue.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

OVRO-LWA OVRO-LWA 36.528, 52.224, and 73.152 MHz Composite Map
Logarithmic scale
PNG (609 kb - 470x933 pixels)

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IRIS 25, 60, and 100 um Composite Map
Maps from the Improved Reprocessing of the IRAS Survey (IRIS) were used to produce this 3-color composite image of the infrared sky. The 25, 60 and 100 um data are represented as blue, green, and red, respectively. Low-level residuals from removal of the zodiacal light show as stripes parallel to the ecliptic.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

iris IRIS 25, 60, and 100 um Composite Map
Logarithmic scale
JPG (16kb - 256x512 pixels)
JPG (50kb - 512x1024 pixels)
JPG (158kb - 1024x2048 pixels)

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WISE 12 micron dust map
All-sky map of diffuse Galactic 12 micron dust emission (Meisner and Finkbeiner 2014). The images here are Galactic Mollweide projections of the low resolution (nside=1024, 3.4 arcminute pixel size) HEALPix map produced by the authors.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

WISE 12 WISE 12 micron dust map
Log scale from 0.01 to 10 MJy/sr
Color PNG (328kb - 512x1024 pixels)
B & W PNG (261kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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AKARI 160 Micron Map
The 160 micron map from AKARI data release 1, degraded to 3.4 arcminute HEALPix pixels and then projected to a Mollweide image. Unsampled pixels appear white.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

akari AKARI 160 Micron Map
Log scale from 1.0 to 1000 MJy/sr
PNG (323kb - 512x1024 pixels)
PNG (1.3mb - 1024x2048 pixels)
PNG (4.9mb - 2048x4096 pixels)

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Composite All-Sky H-alpha Map
Data from WHAM, VTSS and SHASSA have been combined by D. Finkbeiner (2003) to form an all-sky composite H-alpha map. The H-alpha intensity is provided in units of Rayleighs; no correction has been made for extinction effects.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

halpha Composite H-alpha Map
Log scale from .03 to 160 R
PNG (86kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (310kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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WHAM All-Sky H-alpha Map
The velocity-integrated H-alpha map from the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper all-sky survey data release DR1. The H-alpha intensity is provided in units of Rayleighs; no correction has been made for extinction effects.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

WHAM_H WHAM H-alpha Map
Log scale from .03 to 160 R
PNG (75kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (227kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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2014 Reprocessed Haslam 408 MHz Map
The reprocessed Haslam 408 MHz map of Remazeilles et al. (2014). Scan striping was reduced relative to the original Haslam 408 MHz map using a Fourier filtering technique, and strong extragalactic sources were removed using a combination of Gaussian fitting and minimum curvature spline surface inpainting.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

haslam408 2014 Reprocessed Haslam 408 MHz Map
Log scale from 10 to 250 K
PNG (73kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (220kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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Haslam 408 MHz Map
The Haslam 408 MHz map is derived from 4 separate surveys. Scan striping and contributions from strong point sources have been mitigated (compared to the original map) through the use of filtering in the Fourier domain.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

haslam408 Haslam 408 MHz Map
Log scale from 10 to 250 K
PNG (75kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (228kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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CHIPASS 1.4 GHz Continuum Map
The CHIPASS 1.4 GHz continuum map, covering the sky south of +25 degrees declination. The map results from a reprocessing of archival data from the HI Parkes All-Sky Survey (HIPASS) and the HI Zone of Avoidance (HIZOA) survey by Calabretta, Staveley-Smith, and Barnes (2014).
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

chipass CHIPASS 1.4 GHz Continuum Map
Log scale from 3.3 to 7.0 K
PNG (55kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (199kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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Stockert and Villa-Elisa 1.4 GHz Continuum Map
An all-sky 1420 MHz continuum map formed from surveys of the northern sky with the 25-m Stockert telescope and the southern sky with the 30-m Villa-Elisa telescope.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

stockert Stockert and Villa-Elisa 1.4 GHz Continuum Map
Log scale from 3.1 to 7.0 K
PNG (65 kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (219 kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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CMB vs. Foreground Anisotropy and Multipole
This figure, from Bennett et al. 2003 , compares the CMB anisotropy to the foreground anisotropy in frequency space and harmonic space. The WMAP frequency bands were chosen to be near the minimum of the galactic emission. (a) Spectra of the CMB anisotropy and the galactic emission as a function of frequency. (b) Foreground angular power spectra for each WMAP band using the Kp2 sky mask. The spectrum at each frequency is derived as a cross-power spectrum between radiometers minus the WMAP-derived CMB model. In K- and Ka-band, where cross-power spectra are not available, the noise bias has been estimated and subtracted. Point source fits for each band are shown in the dashed lines on the right. The spectra are expected to asymptotically join these lines. Note that the diffuse foreground spectra (excluding point sources) go as C_l ~ l^(-2). (c) The contour plot shows the ratio of the CMB anisotropy to the foreground anisotropy (for the Kp2 mask) as a function of frequency and multipole moment. The ratios are expressed in power units.

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

CMB and foreground anisotropy vs. frequency and multipole

PNG (570kb - 685x1500 pixels)
JPG (282kb - 685x1500 pixels)
JPG (99kb - 600x1315 pixels)
EPS (449kb)
PDF (273kb)

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HI4PI HI Column Density Map
Galactic neutral hydrogen column density from the HI4PI survey (HI4PI Collaboration 2016).
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

HI4PI N(HI) Map
Log scale from 1.e19 to 2.e22 cm2
PNG (77 kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (253 kb - 512x1024 pixels)
PNG (785 kb - 1024x2048 pixels)

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IRAS/ISSA 25, 60 and 100 um composite Map
The 25,60 and 100 um IRAS/ISSA plates were used to produce this 3-color composite image of the infrared sky. Unobserved portions of the sky are white. Residuals from removal of the zodiacal light show as stripes parallel to the ecliptic.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

IRAS/ISSA 25, 60 and 100 um composite Map
Logarithmic scale
JPG (15kb - 256x512 pixels)
JPG (43kb - 512x1024 pixels)
JPG (128kb - 1024x2048 pixels)

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Effelsberg-Bonn HI Column Density Map
Galactic neutral hydrogen column density from the Effelsberg-Bonn HI survey (Winkel et al. 2016).
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

ebhis N(HI) Map
Log scale from 1.e19 to 2.e22 cm2
PNG (45 kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (145 kb - 512x1024 pixels)
PNG (494 kb - 1024x2048 pixels)

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HI Column Density Map
Composite neutral hydrogen column density, consisting of the 21 cm survey of Hartmann et al. (1997) supplemented with the lower resolution southern sky map constructed by Dickey & Lockman (1990).
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

nh N(HI) Map
Log scale from 1.e19 to 2.e22 cm-2
PNG (72kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (217kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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LAB HI Survey
HEALPIX resampling of Leiden/Argentine/Bonn (LAB) Survey of Galactic HI (from Kalberla et al., 2005).
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

HI LAB HI Survey
Column density cm-2
PNG (77kb - 256x512pixels)
PNG (206kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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Predicted Dust Emission at 94 GHz
Using a combination of COBE and IRAS data, Finkbeiner, Davis & Schlegel (1999) derived models for thermal dust emission at microwave and submillimeter frequencies. This map is based on their best-fit two-component Model#8.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

Dust 94GHz Model Dust Map, FDS99
Log scale from 0.4 to 400 uK
PNG (86kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (316kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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Galactic Reddening Maps
Maps of Galactic reddening, E(B-V), in magnitudes, as derived from IRAS and COBE/DIRBE data by Schlegel, Finkbeiner and Davis (1998), from Pan-STARRS1 stellar photometry by Schlafly et al. (2014), from Pan-STARRS1 and 2MASS stellar photometry by Green et al. (2015) and Green et al. (2018), from Planck and DIRBE/IRAS data by Meisner and Finkbeiner (2015), from HI4PI data together with the Schlegel, Finkbeiner and Davis reddening map by Lenz et al. (2017), and from Pan-STARRS1 and 2MASS stellar photometry and Gaia parallaxes by Green et al. (2019).
Detailed Product Descriptions: SFD98, Schlafly et al., Green et al. 2015, Meisner and Finkbeiner 2015, Green et al. 2018, Lenz et al. 2017, Green et al. 2019

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

ebv Derived E(B-V) Map, SFD98
Log scale from 0.004 to 6.3 mag
PNG (86kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (319kb - 512x1024 pixels)
ebv Derived E(B-V) Map, Schlafly et al. 2014
Log scale from 0.004 to 6.3 mag
PNG (68kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (261kb - 512x1024 pixels)
ebv Derived E(B-V) Map, Green et al. 2015
Log scale from 0.004 to 6.3 mag
PNG (68kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (257kb - 512x1024 pixels)
ebv Derived E(B-V) Map, Meisner and Finkbeiner 2015
Log scale from 0.004 to 6.3 mag
PNG (87kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (327kb - 512x1024 pixels)
ebv Derived E(B-V) Map, Green et al. 2018
Log scale from 0.004 to 6.3 mag
PNG (70kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (254kb - 512x1024 pixels)
ebv Derived E(B-V) Map, Lenz et al. 2017
Log scale from 0.004 to 6.3 mag
PNG (35kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (116kb - 512x1024 pixels)
ebv Derived E(B-V) Map, Green et al. 2019
Log scale from 0.004 to 6.3 mag
PNG (50kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (180kb - 512x1024 pixels)

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Dame et al. 2001 Velocity Integrated CO Map
The Dame et al. (2001) composite map of interstellar molecular clouds, as traced by the 115 GHz line of Carbon Monoxide (CO). The CO line intensity has been integrated over all observed velocities.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

w_co Map of W(CO), Dame et al. 2001
Log scale from 1.5 to 200 K km s-1
PNG (12kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (43kb - 512x1024 pixels)
PNG (150kb - 1024x2048 pixels)

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Dame & Thaddeus 2022 Velocity Integrated CO Map
Map of 115 GHz Carbon Monoxide (CO) line intensity, formed by combining the earlier Dame et al. 2001 survey with the northern sky survey of Dame & Thaddeus (2022). The CO line intensity has been integrated over +/-36 km/sec.
Detailed Product Description

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

w_co_115 Map of W(CO), Dame & Thaddeus 2022
Linear scale from 0 - 60 K km s-1
PNG (21kb - 256x512 pixels)
PNG (62kb - 512x1024 pixels)
PNG (176kb - 1024x2048 pixels)

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CMB vs. Foreground Anisotropy
This figure, from Bennett et al. 2013 , shows the rms anisotropy as a function of frequency from the CMB (red line) and sources of foreground emission: synchrotron, free-free, spinning dust, and thermal dust emission. The lower and upper curves for each foreground component show the anisotropy for two sky cuts, retaining 77% and 85% of the sky respectively.

Image Credit: NASA / LAMBDA Archive Team

CMB and foreground anisotropy vs. frequency

PNG (86 kb - 2048x1755 pixels)
PNG (240kb - 4096x3511 pixels)
EPS (75kb)
PDF (6.1 mb)

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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