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Accessing SMA Data


Accessing Raw Data from the RTDC

The RTDC machines keep local local copies of raw SMA science data from 2017 to present. If you have an account with the RTDC you can log in to any RTDC machine and access SMA data from the locations listed in the table below.

If you are member of R&G and would like an account, email Holly Thomas and supply your CF username. Guests can also be accommodated.

Data Year Location
current year /sma/data/science/mir_data
2020 - 2023 /sma/data/science/mir_data.20xx
2004 - 2019 /sma-arch/data/science/mir_data.20xx


•  ALL data is subject to the 15 month proprietary period. If you are not a member of the project, please limit your access to public data only.
•  Flux and baseline data follow the same pattern. Simply replace science with flux or baseline in the paths above.
•  Prior to May 2007, calibration data and science data were both recorded in the science directory. Separate baseline directories appear in 2007, and flux directories in 2008.

If you do not know what file to access, you should visit the SMA Data Archive and use the available filters.


Accessing Raw Data from Outside the CfA

All raw SMA data (science, flux, baseline) is available to external users through the SMA Data Archive. Proprietary data is listed but not available to download, except by the PI and authorized users who should go through the Proprietary Archive.


File sizes

Science data taken with the ASIC correlator have typical raw file sizes of ~10GB. The increase in sizes from 2015 shows the introduction of SWARM chunk by chunk. Six chunks was achieved in 2021 leading to file sizes regularly in excess of 200GB. The largest files are those with short scan times such as large maps covering a large number of pointings. Additionally, running observations in polarization mode effectively doubles the file size. Be aware of the size of your data and consider rebinning/rechunking with SMARechunker.


** Plots updated daily **



Archival sky coverage

The coverage of all data in the main science archive as of Septmeber 2019. This includes flux and baseline data, but not planets or moons.