The 20th Data Release (DR 20) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is Here!

The 20th Data Release (DR 20) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is here, marking the third release of the survey's fifth phase. It provides an unprecedented look at the cosmos, including detailed maps of stars, interstellar gas, and distant galaxies. DR 20 contains multiple catalogs of objects such as black holes, stars, and interstellar gas, along with stunning imagery and tools for navigating the massive dataset. It also expands SDSS's efforts by delivering the first optical spectra from the Southern Hemisphere, all-sky panoptic spectroscopy from both hemispheres, and part of the panoptic spectroscopic map planned for the ongoing SDSS-V survey.

• DR 20 includes newly reduced spectroscopic data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) obtained through February 2nd, 2025, from both hemispheres, combined with spectroscopic data from all previous SDSS phases.
• The preprint of the official academic record appeared on July 30th in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.
• DR 20 includes eighteen new or updated Value-Added Catalogs (VACs) that allow for specialized scientific research.
• The release also includes updated data for the Black Hole Mapper (BHM) and Milky Way Mapper (MWM) projects, which also cut across other SDSS-V programs.
• The Black Hole Mapper (BHM) includes the spectra of about 500,000 stellar, intermediate, and supermassive black holes, and over 3 million spectra of 1.5 million stars.
• The Milky Way Mapper (MWM) includes updated information on the Local Volume Mapper (LVM) project, including spectra of hydrogen clouds, planetary nebulae, and nearby galaxies.

The data should not just be publicly available but be publicly usable. “This data release provides some spectacular SDSS-V data that we are sure people will make excellent use of,” added Dr. Juna Kollmeier, a Staff Scientist at Carnegie Science and the Director of SDSS-V. “But we aren’t stopping here. We just spent a week talking about what will go into DR21 and DR22! We’re going to need bigger computers!”

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