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GALOBSTARS - Catalog of Galactic OB Stars

HEASARC
Archive

Overview

An all-sky catalog of Galactic OB stars has been created by extending the Case-Hamburg Galactic Plane Luminous Stars surveys to include 5,500 additional objects drawn from the literature. This work brings the total number of known or reasonably suspected OB stars to over 16,000. This catalog contains UBV photometry and MK spectral type classifications for these objects as well as radial velocities.

This project originated in the summer of 1991 when the author began compiling a cross-reference catalog and tabulation of published UBVbeta photometry for stars listed in Stephenson and Sanduleak's Luminous Stars (LS) in the Southern Milky Way Catalog (CDS Cat. III/43). This database was published in July 1993 (Reed 1993, ApJS, 87, 367) and was subsequently expanded to include compilations of published MK classifications (Reed & Beatty 1995, ApJS, 97, 189), 4-color photometry (Read 1996, A&AS, 117, 313), and radial velocities (Reed & Kuhna 1997, AJ, 113, 823) for these objects. In mid-1997 the project was again expanded to include UBVbeta photometry for stars listed in the Northern-hemisphere volumes of the "Case-Hamburg" (CDS Cat. III/76) surveys (Reed 1998, ApJS, 115, 271); MK classifications for the Northern stars were similarly compiled and made electronically available to interested parties, though they were not formally published.

Most of the LS objects are OB stars, but there are as well a number of A, F, and G supergiants and a few white dwarfs and Wolf Rayet stars. These surveys reached a limiting photographic magnitude of ~13.5, and were based on objective-prism surveys of dispersion 580 Angstrom/mm at H-gamma.

OB stars is here taken to mean main-sequence stars down to temperature class B2 and more luminous ones down to temperature class B9. The original Case-Hamburg surveys (about 12,000 stars) also include some 2,000 evolved A-G stars, along with some white dwarfs, planetary nebulae, and Wolf-Rayet stars. It is worth noting that the definition of an OB star is not universal; for example, Vanbeveren et al. (1998, in "The Brightest Stars") define them as O-B2 V-IV, O-B3 III, O-B4 II, and all OBA Ib, Iab, Ia, and IaO stars.


Catalog Bibcodes

2003AJ....125.2531R
2005AJ....130.1652R

References

New estimates of the solar-neighborhood massive star birthrate and the
galactic supernova rate.
     Reed C.
    <Astron. J. 125, 2531 (2003), Astron. J. 130, 1652 (2005)>
    =2003AJ....125.2531R
    +2005AJ....130.1652R

Provenance

This table was created by the HEASARC in September 2017 based on the CDS Catalog V/125 files obcat.dat, obmk.dat, obubvbet.dat and radvel.dat.

Acknowledgments

Much of the spectroscopic data for the southern Case-Hamburg stars were checked and keypunched by Amy Beatty. This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France. Dr. Reed is grateful to the inter-library loan staff at Alma College for tracking down a number of references, and to the Office of the Provost of Alma College for support of publication costs. Special thanks are due Brian Skiff of Lowell Observatory for forwarding to Dr. Reed coordinates and cross-identifications for a number of objects. This research was supported at various times by awards from Research Corporation and the RUI program of the National Science Foundation (AST-9731179).

HEASARC Implementation

The CDS version of this catalog consisted of a master table (obcat.dat) listing the 18,693 OB stars, and 3 subsidiary tables obmk.dat, obubvbet.dat and radvel.dat listing information on spectral types, UBVbeta photometry, and radial velocities, respectively, for these OB stars. In many cases, the subsidiary tables had multiple (as many as 10 or more in some cases) entries for a given OB star corresponding to different literature sources. To avoid having our table have many unpopulated elements, the HEASARC has only listed up to the first 3 entries from these subsidiary tables in its version.

Parameters

Als_Number
The Alma LS number of the OB star. Identification numbers 1 to 5032 correspond to Stephenson & Sanduleak's Luminous Stars (LS) in the Southern Milky Way Catalog (1971, PW&SO, 1, No. 1, CDS Cat. III/43). Identification numbers 6001 through 13390 have been assigned to the LS-North stars (Hardorp et al. 1959-1965, Hamburg-Bergedorf I-VI, CDS Cat. III/76A), in increasing order of 1950-epoch Right Ascension.

Name
A common source designation for the OB star.

SAO_Number
The SAO Catalog number of the OB star.

HD_Number
The HD Catalog number of the OB star.

HR_Number
The Bright Star (HR) Catalog number of the OB star.

Alt_Name
Another common source designation for the OB star.

App_Mag
The apparent magnitude of the OB star in the magnitude system specified in the app_mag_flag parameter.

App_Mag_Flag
This flag parameter indicates the type of the apparent magnitude, as follows:

    Value   Meaning

    V       Photo-electric V magnitude
    P       Photographic (approximately B) magnitude
    N       None given
  

RA
The Right Ascension of the OB star in the selected equinox. This was given in J2000.0 equatorial coordinates to a precision of 0.1 seconds of time in the original catalog.

Dec
The Declination of the OB star in the selected equinox. This was given in J2000.0 equatorial coordinates to a precision of 1 arcsecond in the original catalog.

LII
The Galactic Longitude of the OB star.

BII
The Galactic Latitude of the OB star.

DM_Name
The Durchmusterung (DM) identification of the OB star.

Spect_Type_1
A published MK spectral type for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the spect_type_bibcode_1 parameter.

Spect_Type_2
A second published MK spectral type for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the spect_type_bibcode_2 parameter.

Spect_Type_3
A third published MK spectral type for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the spect_type_bibcode_3 parameter.

Spect_Type_Dispersion_1
The dispersion description for the observation from which the first spectral type (spect_type_1 parameter) was obtained. The format of the majority of the dispersion notes is: type of instrument used, the dispersion in Angstrom/mm and the wavelength at which the dispersion applies. These fields incorporate a number of abbreviations, as follows:

          A       Angstrom
          d       Hydrogen delta
          g       Hydrogen gamma
          m/A     microns per Angstrom
          Cass    Cassegrain spectrum
          1P      1-prism
          2P      2-prism
          3P      3-prism
          C       Coude spectrum
          G       Grating spectrum (reflection or transmission not specified)
          IT      Image tube spectrum
          OP      Objective-prism
          P       Prism
          RG      Reflection grating
          S       Slit
          TG      Transmission grating
          TP      Thin prism
  

Spect_Type_Dispersion_2
The dispersion description for the observation from which the second spectral type (spect_type_2 parameter) was obtained. The format of the majority of the dispersion notes is: type of instrument used, the dispersion in Angstrom/mm and the wavelength at which the dispersion applies. These fields incorporate a number of abbreviations, as follows:

          A       Angstrom
          d       Hydrogen delta
          g       Hydrogen gamma
          m/A     microns per Angstrom
          Cass    Cassegrain spectrum
          1P      1-prism
          2P      2-prism
          3P      3-prism
          C       Coude spectrum
          G       Grating spectrum (reflection or transmission not specified)
          IT      Image tube spectrum
          OP      Objective-prism
          P       Prism
          RG      Reflection grating
          S       Slit
          TG      Transmission grating
          TP      Thin prism
  

Spect_Type_Dispersion_3
The dispersion description for the observation from which the third spectral type (spect_type_3 parameter) was obtained. The format of the majority of the dispersion notes is: type of instrument used, the dispersion in Angstrom/mm and the wavelength at which the dispersion applies. These fields incorporate a number of abbreviations, as follows:

          A       Angstrom
          d       Hydrogen delta
          g       Hydrogen gamma
          m/A     microns per Angstrom
          Cass    Cassegrain spectrum
          1P      1-prism
          2P      2-prism
          3P      3-prism
          C       Coude spectrum
          G       Grating spectrum (reflection or transmission not specified)
          IT      Image tube spectrum
          OP      Objective-prism
          P       Prism
          RG      Reflection grating
          S       Slit
          TG      Transmission grating
          TP      Thin prism
  

Spect_Type_Notes_1
This parameter contains remarks concerning the first spectral type (spect_type_1 parameter) cited for the OB star, e.g., about the reliability, or an unusual features noted in the spectrum.

Spect_Type_Notes_2
This parameter contains remarks concerning the second spectral type (spect_type_1 parameter) cited for the OB star, e.g., about the reliability, or an unusual features noted in the spectrum.

Spect_Type_Notes_3
This parameter contains remarks concerning the third spectral type (spect_type_1 parameter) cited for the OB star, e.g., about the reliability, or an unusual features noted in the spectrum.

Spect_Type_Bibcode_1
The bibliographic code for the reference from which the first spectral type (spect_type_1 parameter) cited for the OB star was taken.

Spect_Type_Bibcode_2
The bibliographic code for the reference from which the second spectral type (spect_type_2 parameter) cited for the OB star was taken.

Spect_Type_Bibcode_3
The bibliographic code for the reference from which the third spectral type (spect_type_3 parameter) cited for the OB star was taken.

Spect_Type_Author_1
The author(s) of the reference from which the first spectral type (spect_type_1 parameter) cited for the OB star was taken.

Spect_Type_Author_2
The author(s) of the reference from which the second spectral type (spect_type_2 parameter) cited for the OB star was taken.

Spect_Type_Author_3
The author(s) of the reference from which the third spectral type (spect_type_3 parameter) cited for the OB star was taken.

Photometry_Flag
This flag parameter is set to 'Y' if there a note on the photometry of the OB star available in the file http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/ftp/cats/V/125/notes.dat, else is set to 'N'. (Search this file for the ALS number of the OB star to locate the notes for the specific star).

Vmag_1
A published V magnitude for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_1 parameter.

Vmag_2
A second published V magnitude for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_2 parameter.

Vmag_3
A third published V magnitude for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_3 parameter.

BV_Color_1
A published B-V color index for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_1 parameter.

BV_Color_2
A second published B-V color index for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_2 parameter.

BV_Color_3
A third published B-V color index for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_3 parameter.

UB_Color_1
A published U-B color index for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_1 parameter.

UB_Color_2
A second published U-B color index for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_2 parameter.

UB_Color_3
A third published U-B color index for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_3 parameter.

Number_UBV_Obs_1
The number of UBV observations that were obtained by the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_1 parameter.

Number_UBV_Obs_2
The number of UBV observations that were obtained by the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_2 parameter.

Number_UBV_Obs_3
The number of UBV observations that were obtained by the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_3 parameter.

Hbeta_Index_1
A published H-beta index (Stromgren beta) for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_1 parameter.

Hbeta_Index_2
A second published H-beta index (Stromgren beta) for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_2 parameter.

Hbeta_Index_3
A third published H-beta index (Stromgren beta) for the OB star. The bibliographic code for the reference from which this was taken is given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_3 parameter.

Number_Hbeta_Obs_1
The number of H-beta observations that were obtained by the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_1 parameter.

Number_Hbeta_Obs_2
The number of H-beta observations that were obtained by the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_2 parameter.

Number_Hbeta_Obs_3
The number of H-beta observations that were obtained by the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_3 parameter.

Ubvbeta_Notes_1
Short notes concerning the UBVbeta photometry taken from the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_1 parameter.

Ubvbeta_Notes_2
Short notes concerning the UBVbeta photometry taken from the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_2 parameter.

Ubvbeta_Notes_3
Short notes concerning the UBVbeta photometry taken from the reference given in the ubvbeta_bibcode_3 parameter.

Ubvbeta_Bibcode_1
The bibliographic code for the reference from which the first set of UBVbeta photometry (vmag_1, bv_color_1, etc.) cited for the OB star was taken.

Ubvbeta_Bibcode_2
The bibliographic code for the reference from which the second set of UBVbeta photometry (vmag_2, bv_color_2, etc.) cited for the OB star was taken.

Ubvbeta_Bibcode_3
The bibliographic code for the reference from which the third set of UBVbeta photometry (vmag_3, bv_color_3, etc.) cited for the OB star was taken.

Ubvbeta_Author_1
The author(s) of the reference from which the first set of UBVbeta photometry (vmag_1, bv_color_1, etc.) cited for the OB star was taken.

Ubvbeta_Author_2
The author(s) of the reference from which the second set of UBVbeta photometry (vmag_2, bv_color_2, etc.) cited for the OB star was taken.

Ubvbeta_Author_3
The author(s) of the reference from which the third set of UBVbeta photometry (vmag_3, bv_color_3, etc.) cited for the OB star was taken.

Rad_Vel_Flag
This flag parameter is set to 'Y' if there a note on the radial velocity of the OB star available in the file http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/ftp/cats/V/125/notes.dat, else is set to 'N'. (Search this file for the ALS number of the OB star to locate the notes for the specific star).

Rad_Vel_1
A published heliocentric radial velocity of the OB star, in km s-1.

Rad_Vel_2
A second published heliocentric radial velocity of the OB star, in km s-1.

Rad_Vel_3
A third published heliocentric radial velocity of the OB star, in km s-1.

Rad_Vel_1_Error
The standard deviation of the first cited heliocentric radial velocity, in km s-1.

Rad_Vel_2_Error
The standard deviation of the second cited heliocentric radial velocity, in km s-1.

Rad_Vel_3_Error
The standard deviation of the third cited heliocentric radial velocity, in km s-1.

Number_Rad_Vel_Obs_1
The number of radial velocity observations that were obtained in the reference cited in the rad_vel_ref_1 parameter.

Number_Rad_Vel_Obs_2
The number of radial velocity observations that were obtained in the reference cited in the rad_vel_ref_2 parameter.

Number_Rad_Vel_Obs_3
The number of radial velocity observations that were obtained in the reference cited in the rad_vel_ref_3 parameter.

Rad_Vel_Dispersion_1
The dispersion description for the observation from which the first quoted radial velocity (rad_vel_1 parameter) was obtained. The format of the majority of the dispersion notes is: type of instrument used, the dispersion in Angstrom/mm and the wavelength at which the dispersion applies. These fields incorporate a number of abbreviations, as follows:

          A       Angstrom
          d       Hydrogen delta
          g       Hydrogen gamma
          m/A     microns per Angstrom
          Cass    Cassegrain spectrum
          1P      1-prism
          2P      2-prism
          3P      3-prism
          C       Coude spectrum
          G       Grating spectrum (reflection or transmission not specified)
          IT      Image tube spectrum
          OP      Objective-prism
          P       Prism
          RG      Reflection grating
          S       Slit
          TG      Transmission grating
          TP      Thin prism
  

Rad_Vel_Dispersion_2
The dispersion description for the observation from which the second quoted radial velocity (rad_vel_2 parameter) was obtained. The format of the majority of the dispersion notes is: type of instrument used, the dispersion in Angstrom/mm and the wavelength at which the dispersion applies. These fields incorporate a number of abbreviations, as follows:

          A       Angstrom
          d       Hydrogen delta
          g       Hydrogen gamma
          m/A     microns per Angstrom
          Cass    Cassegrain spectrum
          1P      1-prism
          2P      2-prism
          3P      3-prism
          C       Coude spectrum
          G       Grating spectrum (reflection or transmission not specified)
          IT      Image tube spectrum
          OP      Objective-prism
          P       Prism
          RG      Reflection grating
          S       Slit
          TG      Transmission grating
          TP      Thin prism
  

Rad_Vel_Dispersion_3
The dispersion description for the observation from which the third quoted radial velocity (rad_vel_3 parameter) was obtained. The format of the majority of the dispersion notes is: type of instrument used, the dispersion in Angstrom/mm and the wavelength at which the dispersion applies. These fields incorporate a number of abbreviations, as follows:

          A       Angstrom
          d       Hydrogen delta
          g       Hydrogen gamma
          m/A     microns per Angstrom
          Cass    Cassegrain spectrum
          1P      1-prism
          2P      2-prism
          3P      3-prism
          C       Coude spectrum
          G       Grating spectrum (reflection or transmission not specified)
          IT      Image tube spectrum
          OP      Objective-prism
          P       Prism
          RG      Reflection grating
          S       Slit
          TG      Transmission grating
          TP      Thin prism
  

Rad_Vel_Notes_1
Notes on the variable type of the OB star or other comments from the reference cited in the rad_vel_ref_1 parameter.

Rad_Vel_Notes_2
Notes on the variable type of the OB star or other comments from the reference cited in the rad_vel_ref_2 parameter.

Rad_Vel_Notes_3
Notes on the variable type of the OB star or other comments from the reference cited in the rad_vel_ref_3 parameter.

LS_Phot_Mag
The LS (Stephenson & Sanduleak, Luminous Stars in the Southern Milky Way Catalog, 1971, PW&SO, 1, No. 1, CDS Cat. III/43) photographic magnitude of the OB star.

Rad_Vel_Pub_Year_1
The year of publication for the first cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_1) of the OB star.

Rad_Vel_Pub_Year_2
The year of publication for the second cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_2) of the OB star.

Rad_Vel_Pub_Year_3
The year of publication for the third cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_3) of the OB star.

Rad_Vel_Author_1
The author(s) of the reference from which the first cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_1) of the OB star was taken.

Rad_Vel_Author_2
The author(s) of the reference from which the second cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_2) of the OB star was taken.

Rad_Vel_Author_3
The author(s) of the reference from which the third cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_3) of the OB star was taken.

Rad_Vel_Ref_1
The reference information for the first cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_1) of the OB star.

Rad_Vel_Ref_2
The reference information for the second cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_2) of the OB star.

Rad_Vel_Ref_3
The reference information for the third cited radial velocity measurement (rad_vel_3) of the OB star.

Class
The HEASARC Browse object classification for the OB star based on its first cited spectral type (the spect_type_1 parameter).


Contact Person

Questions regarding the GALOBSTARS database table can be addressed to the HEASARC Help Desk.
Page Author: Browse Software Development Team
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-Nov-2022 19:34:27 EST