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What is the HEASARC?

XMM-Newton The HEASARC is NASA's designated multi-mission astronomy archive for cosmic astronomy datasets for observations in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV), X-ray, and gamma-ray wave bands, as well as for cosmic microwave background (CMB) datasets. Because EUV, X rays and gamma rays cannot reach the Earth's surface due to the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere, it is necessary to place the telescopes and sensors for these wave bands on spacecraft. The HEASARC holds EUV, X-ray and gamma-ray data from 32 observatories (as of 2016) which operated over the last half a century. The data and software from many of the older missions were restored by the HEASARC staff. Examples of these archived missions include ASCA, BeppoSAX, Chandra, Compton GRO, HEAO 1, Einstein Observatory (HEAO 2), EUVE, EXOSAT, HETE-2, INTEGRAL, ROSAT, Rossi XTE, Suzaku, Swift, and XMM-Newton. Chandra

CMB observations can be made either from space, balloons or from the ground. The HEASARC's LAMBDA website holds data obtained by the COBE and WMAP satellite observatories (and also from the SWAS sub-mm observatory), as well as from more than 20 balloon- and ground-based experiments.

The HEASARC and LAMBDA scientists are recognized in their own right as world-class researchers. They provide the essential ingredient to the HEASARC's success by using the archival data for their own research.

The HEASARC on-line service is an archive and database system accessible through the networks that provides rapid access to the entire HEASARC data holding either directly via ftp, or using the Xamin, Browse and/or SkyView interfaces to search the HEASARC catalogs and access the data. The analysis tools to work on these data sets are also provided via the HEASARC Software web pages. A High Energy Astrophysics Learning Center provides education and outreach activities.

XTE The HEASARC is very active in promoting data format standards and has promoted the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) as a standard for all level of data. As part of this effort, the FITSIO library of software has been developed to handle FITS files to be written, read, and manipulated.

The HEASARC develops multi-mission analysis tools that facilitate the comparison and analysis of high level data in the archive (e.g. spectral analysis). The HEASARC will be providing software and a data archive for new missions such as Hitomi (formerly Astro-H) (launched in February 2016), and for upcoming missions that will launch soon, such as NICER (late 2016).