About the HEASARC

This web site is for scientists and astronomy enthusiasts seeking information on and actual data from a multitude of space-based observatories. On this site, you can find archival data, multi-mission and mission-specific software and analysis tools, and information about current and past observatories and missions. These materials are all available freely for your use.

The High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) is supported by the Astrophysics Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. It is the primary archive for high-energy astronomy orbital missions observing at extreme ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths. Several of these missions, including Chandra, Fermi and XMM-Newton, fall under NASA's Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) theme, while others, such as NICER, NuSTAR and Swift, are part of NASA's Explorers program. Since its merger with the Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA) in 2008, the HEASARC's holdings also include data from space-based missions, balloons, and ground-based facilities, such as COBE, WMAP, ACT, etc., that have studied the relic cosmic microwave background (CMB).

The HEASARC is a service of the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA/GSFC and of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the Smithsonian Astrophysics Observatory (SAO). The SAO HEASARC web site contains information about and links to FITS file formats, atomic databases, and software developed in whole or in part at SAO, e.g., AtomDB, DS9, XPA, etc. These projects may or may not have been funded directly via HEASARC grants, but are related to HEASARC objectives and thus included on the SAO HEASARC web site.

HEASARC Overview

  • What is the HEASARC?
  • The HEASARC Charter
  • A Brief History of the HEASARC
  • Relevance to NASA's Strategic Plan
  • Organization of the HEASARC Activities
  • Motivation and Requirements
  • Data Formats & Software
  • The Archive
  • Science Results Using HEASARC Data
  • Other Background Information

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  • HEASARC Brochure - (2005) PDF file of 4-page glossy brochure (Acrobat Reader)

  • HEASARC overview slides (2004) PDF of PPT presentation

  • HEASARC Data/Usage Statistics
  • General Information

    For Data Providers

    For Scientists

    For Developers


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    Last modified: Monday, 08-May-2023 18:45:26 EDT