Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE) will trace the life cycle of observable matter that drives the evolution of a galaxy's appearance. The key transition phases of matter are traced via dust emission in the interstellar medium, the newly forming stars and the evolved dying stars. Our study consists of Spitzer Space Telescope images of the Large Magellanic Cloud (SAGE-LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud and Magellanic Bridge (SAGE-SMC) in addition to Spitzer spectroscopy of the dust composition in the Large Magellanic Cloud (SAGE-Spec, 30 Doradus) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC-Spec). The emission from the coldest dust will be traced by the Herschel Observatory in the imaging program HERschel Inventory of The Agents of Galaxy Evolution (HERITAGE) in the Magellanic Clouds. The data will provide fundamental insights into the physical processes of the interstellar medium, the formation of new stars and the injection of mass by evolved stars and their relationships on the galaxy-wide scales of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. SAGE will be the crucial link between Spitzer's and Herschel surveys of individual sources in the Milky Way (GLIMPSE, Hi-Gal) and its surveys of galaxies (e.g., SINGS, KINGFISH) and a stepping stone to the deep surveys (e.g., GOODS & SWIRE).
SAGE-LMC, SAGE-SMC and SAGE-Spec are legacy projects using the Spitzer Space Telescope. 30 Doradus is an open time program. SMC-Spec is a guaranteed time program. HERITAGE is an open time key programme using the Herschel Space Observatory.
The Spitzer Space Telescope is a space-borne, cryogenically-cooled infrared observatory. Spitzer Space Telescope was launched by a Delta rocket from the Kennedy Space Center on August 25, 2003.
The Herschel Space Observatory (http://herschel.esac.esa.int/) is a space-borne, passively cooled telescope with cryogenically-cooled instruments scheduled to be launched in 2009.