GCVSEGSN - General Catalog of Variable Stars (GCVS4.2): Extragalactic Supernovae

Overview

The General Catalog of Variable Stars (GCVS) is the only reference source on all known variable stars. This database is based on the electronically-readable version as distributed by the Sternberg Astronomical Institute and Institute of Astronomy (Russian Acad. Sci.), Moscow. It is the catalog of extragalactic supernovae, an electronic version of the list contained in the GCVS (4th edition), Volume V (1995). The total number of entries in this database is 983, one entry (SN 1987G) in the original table having been deleted by the HEASARC since it was a duplicate of SN 1987D.

The present improved electronic version of the GCVS 4th Edition, Volumes I-V, combined with the Name-Lists of Variable Stars Nos. 67 - 77, is also available from the Sternberg Institute via anonymous ftp to ftp://ftp.sai.msu.su/pub/groups/cluster/gcvs/gcvs and more information is also available on the Web at http://www.sai.msu.su/groups/cluster/gcvs/gcvs .

Catalog Bibcode

References

General Catalogue of Variable Stars, 4rd ed., vol.V.
Extragalactic Variable Stars
    Artiukhina N.M., Durlevich O.V., Frolov M.S., Goranskij V.P.,
    Gorynya N.A., Karitskaya E.A., Kazarovets E.V., Kholopov P.N.,
    Kireeva N.N., Kurochkin N.E., Lipunova N.A., Medvedeva G.I.,
    Pastukhova E.N., Samus N.N., Tsvetkova T.M.
   <"Kosmosinform", Moscow, (1995)>

Provenance

This online version of the GCVS Vol. V Catalog of Extragalactic Supernovae was created by the HEASARC in January 2005 based on CDS Catalog II/250, table sn_cat.dat. The latter was itself based on on an electronically-readable version that was distributed by the Sternberg Astronomical Institute and Institute of Astronomy (Russian Acad. Sci.), Moscow.

HEASARC Changes

The HEASARC has made a small number of mostly cosmetic changes to this catalog. Firstly, supernova names have had the prefix 'SN ' added to their year-based designation in accordance with the Dictionary of Astronomical Nomenclature recommended designations for supernovae. Secondly, a number of the parameters (position_flag, remark_flag, max_mag_obs and sn_position_flag) had non-alphanumeric values such as *, ", : and ' in the original catalog which the HEASARC has changed to alphanumeric characters. Thirdly, for 7 of the 984 entries in the original table, there was no information given for the RA and declination of the parent galaxy in this field: for 6 of these 7 supernovae (SNe 1956, 1964O, 1966O, 1967, 1972 and 1980I), the HEASARC used for these parameters the RA and Dec values of the supernovae themselves, while the remaining entry SN 1987G has been deleted, since it is a duplicate of SN 1987D according to the original table.

Parameters

Name
The supernova designation, in the standard form, as recommended by the Dictionary of Astronomical Nomenclature, consisting of the 'SN ' prefix followed by the year it was discovered, and then (if there were multiple supernovae in a particular year) either the upper-case letters 'A' through 'Z' (for the first 26 SNe discovered in a given year) or the lower-case letters 'aa', 'ab', etc. (for the 27th, 28th, etc., SNe discovered in a given year).

SN_Flag
This is a flag that is set to '?' for doubtful or to '-' for now-rejected supernovae

Remark_Flag
This is a flag that is set to 'Y' if there is a remark about the particular supernovae in the file: ftp://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/pub/cats/II/250/sn_rem.dat

Galaxy
The designation of the parent galaxy of the supernova in a compact form:

     "N"  means NGC catalogue number
     "I"  refers to the IC catalogue
     "U"  to the UGC catalogue
     "M"  to the MCG catalogue
     "E"  to ESO survey lists
     "An" means an anonymous galaxy
     "Intergal" is for cases when the supernova cannot be reliably
     attributed to a particular galaxy and is considered intergalactic

RA
The Right Ascension of the parent galaxy in the specified equinox. This was given to no better than a precision of 0.1 seconds of time in the originating table, and in 1950 equatorial co-ordinates. The real coordinate accuracy (if not 0.1 seconds of time) is specified by the (non-blank) value of the position_flag parameter. For 7 of the 984 entries in the original table there was no information in this field: for 6 of these 7 supernovae (SNe 1956, 1964O, 1966O, 1967, 1972 and 1980I), the HEASARC used for this value the RA of the supernova itself (the ra_sn parameter), while the remaining entry (SN 1987G) has been deleted, since it is a duplicate entry of the supernova SN 1987D according to the original table.

Dec
The Declination of the parent galaxy in the specified equinox. This was given to a precision of 1 arcsecond in the originating table, and in 1950 equatorial co-ordinates. The real coordinate accuracy (if not 1 arcsecond) is specified by the (non-blank) value of the position_flag parameter. For 7 of the 984 entries in the original table there was no information in this field: for 6 of these 7 supernovae (SNe 1956, 1964O, 1966O, 1967, 1972 and 1980I), the HEASARC used for this value the declination of the supernova itself (the dec_sn parameter), while the remaining entry (SN 1987G) has been deleted, since it is a duplicate entry of the supernova SN 1987D according to the original table.

LII
The Galactic Longitude of the parent galaxy.

BII
The Galactic Latitude of the parent galaxy.

Position_Flag
This is a flag coded to give the real accuracy of the parent galaxy coordinates (if it is not the default 0.1 seconds of time in RA and 1 arcsecond in declination) as follows:

     'A' means right ascensions accurate to one second of time and
         declinations accurate to one arcsecond
     'B' means declinations accurate to one tenth of an arcminute
     'C' means declinations accurate to one arcminute

Morph_Type
The morphological type of the parent galaxy of the supernova. The form this is given is a little non-standard: e.g., SB-AB presumably means SBab, S-BC = Sbc, etc. The letters after the hyphen, in other words, are usually written as lower-case letters in normal usage.

BT_Mag
The integrated B-T magnitude of the parent galaxy of the supernova.

BT_Mag_Flag
This is a flag that is set to ':' if the integrated B-T magnitude of the parent galaxy is considered to be uncertain.

BT_Mag_Band
The band in which the integrated B-T magnitude of the parent galaxy was obtained: B, J, or V, or blank for a photographic magnitude.

Max_Epoch
The date of the SN's maximum brightness or of its discovery, or of an isolated observation at high brightness. If this field contains an asterisk (*) or the parameter max_mag_obs is set to 'N', it means that the date and/or the magnitude given refer not to the maximum (which was not covered with observations), but to the EPOCH OF DISCOVERY or to an isolated observation at high brightness. As a rule, information about maxima was not included if it was based on considerable extrapolation. Thus, combining this information with the year given in the name designation for the supernova gives the complete specification: e.g., SN 1935A had a maximum epoch value of Jun 5, so that the maximum occurred on Jun 5 1935.

Max_Mag
The magnitude at maximum (light) of the supernova.

Max_Mag_Flag
This is a flag that is set to ':' if the magnitude at maximum (light) of the supernova is considered to be uncertain.

Max_Mag_Band
This is the band in which the maximum magnitude of the supernova was measured: B, J, V, R, I, K, r, or blank for a photographic magnitude.

Max_Mag_Obs
This is a flag that is set to 'N' if the maximum of the supernova was not observed. This means that the date and/or the magnitude given in the parameters max_epoch and mag_mag refer not to the maximum (which was not covered with observations), but to the EPOCH OF DISCOVERY or to an isolated observation at high brightness.

SN_Offset_1
The offset in arcseconds in (presumably) the Right Ascension direction of the supernova from the parent galaxy nucleus.

SN_Offset_1_Dir
The orientation of the offset in the Right Ascension direction, where 'E' means eastwards, 'W' means westwards, ':' means uncertain, and '?' means unknown.

SN_Offset_2
The offset in arcseconds in (presumably) the Declination direction of the supernova from the parent galaxy nucleus.

SN_Offset_2_Dir
The orientation of the offset in the Declination direction, where 'N' northwards 'S' means southwards, ':' means uncertain, and '?' means unknown. Notice that SN 1969 Q has a value of 'E' for this parameter (but since the value of sn_offset_2 is 0 this presumably is of no real consequence.

RA_1950_SN
The Right Ascension of the supernova in B1950 coordinates, when available, as given in the original table.

Dec_1950_SN
The Declination of the supernova in B1950 coordinates, when available, as given in the original table.

RA_2000_SN
The Right Ascension of the supernova in J2000 coordinates, when available, as precessed by the HEASARC from the B1950 coordinates given in the original table.

Dec_2000_SN
The Declination of the supernova in J2000 coordinates, when available, as precessed by the HEASARC from the B1950 coordinates given in the original table.

SN_Position_Flag
This is a flag coded to give the real accuracy of the supernova coordinates (if it is not the default 0.1 seconds of time in RA and 1 arcsecond in declination) as follows:

     'A' means right ascensions accurate to one second of time and
         declinations accurate to one arcsecond
     'B' means declinations accurate to one tenth of an arcminute
     'C' means declinations accurate to one arcminute

SN_Type
The supernova type classification: this is limited to the types I (I-A, I-B) and II (II-l, II-pl), with possible indications of peculiarities indicated by 'pec'.

Discoverer
The name of the discoverer of the supernova. In the case of several discoverers, the name of the first author of the discovery is given followed by "+" symbol. As a rule, information on independent rediscoveries is not presented in the remarks, for the sake of brevity. The abbreviation "BASST" in this column means that the supernova was discovered by the Berkeley Automated Supernova Search Team.

Ref_Star
A reference code for the primary study of the supernova. The key to the references is given in the file: ftp://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/pub/cats/II/250/refs.dat

Ref_Chart
A reference code for a chart or photograph of the supernova. The key to the references is given in the file: ftp://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/pub/cats/II/250/refs.dat

Class
The browse classification as created by the HEASARC based on the value of the sn_type parameter.

Contact Person

Questions regarding the GCVSEGSN database table can be addressed to the HEASARC Help Desk.

Page Author: Browse Software Development Team
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-Nov-2022 19:34:30 EST