Status of FIRST Survey Observations
Data for the FIRST survey were collected in all VLA B-configurations
from Spring 1993 through Spring 2004. For all data collected for
the FIRST project, the raw u-v visibility data are placed
in the VLA
public archive on the day they are taken, and are available for use
without restriction. Images and
catalogs from the survey are made publicly
available as soon as basic quality control checks have been done.
The catalog and images are now available for all data taken through
2004. Most of the sky observed is in the north Galactic
cap, but a small sky area has been observed in an equatorial strip in
the south Galactic cap. Both regions are planned to be covered by the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
The sky area covered is shown in the coverage maps below.
The images are available through various image
archives. The images for all observations are conveniently
accessible through the
FIRST Cutout Page,
which allows a section of a FIRST image to be extracted at any position
in the survey area. Similarly, the catalogs are most easily used
through the
FIRST Search Page,
but they may also be retrieved in their entirety.
Richard L. White, rlw@stsci.edu
2005 May 23
