The INT Wide Field Survey (WFS) was a major multicolour imaging survey using the Wide Field Camera on the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope, initiated in August 1998. It obtained data over 200+ square degrees to a typical depth of ~25 mag (U through Z), with all data made publicly available worldwide.
The INT Wide Field Survey (WFS) used the Wide Field Camera (~0.3 deg²) on the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma. The project was initiated in August 1998 with a planned duration of up to five years.
The WFS served as an umbrella programme for competitively judged science programmes, assessed on standard criteria as well as the wider scientific value of the dataset and the management competence of the proposing teams. Multicolour data were obtained over more than 200 square degrees to a typical depth of ~25 mag from the U to Z bands.
Key Features
- Open access: all survey data made publicly available to the worldwide community
- Multicolour: observations in U, g, r, i, Z and Hα bands
- Depth: typical limiting magnitude ~25 (U through Z)
- Area: 200+ square degrees across multiple science fields
- Processing: preliminary calibration and object catalogue generation performed by the WFS project at CASU
Science Programmes
The WFS hosted a range of science programmes across stellar and extragalactic astronomy, including surveys of nearby galaxy clusters, studies of faint stellar populations, and searches for high-redshift objects. The data remain a valuable legacy resource for the community.
Instrument
| Telescope | 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT), La Palma |
|---|---|
| Camera | Wide Field Camera (WFC), ~0.3 deg² |
| Start Date | August 1998 |
| Depth | ~25 mag (U through Z) |
| Coverage | 200+ square degrees |
