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Anomalous Images

This page includes a list of spectral images that the SPHEREx team has identified as anomalous.  This list is provided as a service for users, but is known to be incomplete.  Users are encouraged to examine these images before using them for science purposes.  

The identified anomaly types are specified with a code:

  • 1. diffuse_optical_transient: Roughly 1% of exposures show diffuse bands or broad glows believed to be foreground objects or particles transiting quickly through or near the field of view.
  • 2. diffuse_stray_moon:  Diffuse stray light from Moon.
  • 3. diffuse_undiagnosed: Undiagnosed excess diffuse emission.
  • (4-9 reserved for future definition)
  • 10. stray_bright_star: Stray light from bright star >2 degrees outside field of view.

Images affected by multiple anomalies will be listed multiply.

Other image artifacts and anomalies as described in the SPHEREx Explanatory Supplement are not included here.

Defintion of affected columns:

  • 0 = not affected (<10% probability)
  • 1 = affected (> 90% probability)
  • 2 = possibly affected (10 - 90% probability)

The list of anomalies is in CSV format and can be downloaded here.

A sample from the list is shown below:

OBSID DATE-OBS COLLECTION ANOMALY_TYPE ANOMALY_NAME BAND_1_AFFECTED BAND_2_AFFECTED BAND_3_AFFECTED BAND_4_AFFECTED BAND_5_AFFECTED BAND_6_AFFECTED
2025W18_2B_0160_3 2025-05-02 13:34:16 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 0 1 0 0 1 0
2025W18_2B_0332_2 2025-05-03 16:34:39 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 1 0 0 1 0 0
2025W18_2B_0443_3 2025-05-04 10:09:21 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 2 2 1 1 1 2
2025W18_2B_0447_4 2025-05-04 10:38:31 l2b-v2-2025-126 3 diffuse_undiagnosed 2 2 2 1 1 1
2025W18_2B_0478_2 2025-05-04 15:19:47 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 1 0 0 1 0 0
2025W18_2B_0478_3 2025-05-04 15:21:56 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 0 0 1 0 0 1
2025W18_2B_0482_4 2025-05-04 16:03:44 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 0 1 1 0 1 1
2025W18_2B_0520_3 2025-05-04 21:44:36 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 0 0 1 0 0 1
2025W18_2B_0524_2 2025-05-04 22:21:45 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 1 1 0 1 1 0
2025W18_2B_0524_3 2025-05-04 22:23:54 l2b-v2-2025-126 1 diffuse_optical_transient 0 1 0 0 1 0
2025W18_2B_0073_1 2025-05-01 23:39:17 l2b-v2-2025-126 10 stray_bright_star 0 0 1 0 0 1
2025W18_2B_0073_2 2025-05-01 23:41:28 l2b-v2-2025-126 10 stray_bright_star 0 0 1 0 0 1
2025W18_2B_0073_3 2025-05-01 23:43:36 l2b-v2-2025-126 10 stray_bright_star 0 0 1 0 0 1