Data Artifacts: Limits To Additional Noise Sources

An extensive analysis of the noise characteristics of the 2MASS data has shown that 2MASS usually produces Atlas Images that have nearly the minimum noise set by the NICMOS chips and the backgrounds of the telescope and atmosphere.

The background-removal algorithm used by GALWORKS removes any background variation at J and K such that the residual noise in the Images is usually consistent with the measurement error, 0.020 DN.

However, nearly all background-removed H Atlas Images are still affected by airglow variation.

http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/tchester/2mass/dec98/p1.html Comments and feedback: Tom Chester Last update: 7 December 1998.

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