The VSTARSUSP database contains the machine-readable version of the New Catalog
of Suspected Variable Stars (NSV), Kukarkin et al. 1982.
Name
The identification of the suspected variable star.
RA
The right ascension of the star.
Dec
The declination of the star.
LII
The galactic longitude of the star.
BII
The galactic latitude of the star.
Class
The EXOSAT internal object classification flag.
Vmax
The magnitude of the star at maximum light. Magnitudes are reported to
hundredths if the observations are photoelectric, to tenths or whole magnitudes
if they are not. If only an amplitude has been measured photoelectrically,
then the maximum magnitude is generally given to tenths only and the minimum is
reported to hundredths.
Vmin
The magnitude of the star at minimum light. See the `Vmax` parameter
description for comments regarding precision.
Catalog_and_Catalog_Number
The name and number of the catalog in which the variable appears.
(This database parameter is no longer necessary, but is left over from when the
NSV was combined with Kholopov's General Catalog of Variable Stars into a
single database called VSTARS. As of September 1991, the two catalogs have
been split into two separate databases, VSTARSUSP and VSTARS.)
Type_of_Variability
Abbreviation for the possible type of variability of the star. Below is a
table of brief descriptions of variability types; more complete descriptions
can be found in Volume 1 of the General Catalog of Variable Stars, 4th
Edition (Kholopov et al. 1985), and in the documentation for the
machine-readable version (Warren 1988).
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Abbreviation Description
------------ -----------
ACV Alpha-squared Canum Venaticorum
BCEP Beta Cephei
BL BL Lacertae
BY BY Draconis
CEP cepheid
CST constant
CW W Virginis
DCEP Delta Cephei
DSCT Delta Scuti
E eclipsing
EA Algol (Beta Per)
EB Beta Lyrae
EW W Ursae Majoris
ELL ellipsoidal
GCAS Gamma Cassiopeiae
I irregular
IA white irregular
IN irregular in a nebula
INS rapid irregular in a nebula
INT irregular of the T Tauri type
IS rapid irregular
L slow
LB slow red
M Mira (o Ceti) type
N nova
NL novalike
QSO quasistellar object
RCB R Coronae Borealis
RR RR Lyrae
RRC RRC
RV RV Tauri
S rapid
SDOR S Doradus
SR semiregular
SN supernova
UG U Geminorum
UV UV Ceti
UVN UV Ceti in a nebula
ZAND Z Andromedae
ZCAM Z Camelopardalis
ZZC ZZ Ceti
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Mag_Band
The photometric system in which the magnitudes are reported. The system coded
applies to both the maximum and minimum magnitudes or to the maximum light
magnitude and delta-m, except where there is a passband identified in the
`Code Vmag` field. The following codes are present:
---
* P = the reported magnitudes are photographic;
* V = the magnitudes are visual, photovisual, or V of the Johnson and Morgan
UBV system. The latter can be distinguished by the increased precision
to which the values are given (thousandths). The V passband is centered
at lambda = 550 nm, delta-lambda = 87 nm.
---
Other uppercase letters are used to denote, generally, passbands of the
broadband UBVRIK system; unfortunately, the use of all uppercase characters
in the catalog does not allow one to distinguish between R and other red (r)
magnitudes, nor between I and other infrared (i) magnitudes. The following
list gives the characteristics of the broadband system for only those passbands
currently coded in the catalog (the J, H, L, M, N, O, and Q bands are mentioned
in the introduction to the published catalog, but these are not presently used
in the data file):
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Filter Effective Effective Absolute Spectral
Band Wavelength Bandwidth Irradiance for Mag 0.0
(W m-2 nm-1)
U 365 68 4.27 x 10-11
B 440 98 6.61 x 10-11
V 550 89 3.64 x 10-11
R 700 220 1.74 x 10-11
I 900 240 8.32 x 10-12
K 2200 578 4.17 x 10-13
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Spectrum_Classification
Temperature classes and subclasses only are given. Most luminosity classes are
III to V, but if a star is a supergiant, more detailed classification
information is given in the remarks to the published catalog. The following
symbols are used:
---
* AF = A-F
* AM = Am
* AP = Ap
* BE = Be
* E = emission spectrum
* EA = e subscript alpha
* EV = variable emission in spectrum
* FG = F-G
* KM = K-M
* OF = Of
* PD = Pd
* T = characteristics of T Tauri stars
---
Precession_RA(1950)
Annual precession (RA), given in seconds of time.
Precession_Dec(1950)
Annual precession (Dec), given in arc minutes.
The present documentation has been taken almost entirely from "Documentation
for the Machine-Readable Version of the New Catalog of Suspected Variable
Stars" (Warren, NSSDC, September 1988). Consult that document, or the New
Catalog itself, for more detailed information about the Catalog.
Questions regarding the VSTARSUSP database table can be addressed to the
HEASARC User Hotline.
Page Author: Browse Software Development Team
Last Modified: Thursday, 18-Jul-2002 12:56:08 EDT