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Description
The 2dF QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ) catalog covers 721.6 square degrees of sky in two declination strips across the South and North Galactic Gaps. It contains 44,576 color-selected objects, including 23,338 quasars, 12,292 galactic stars, and 4,558 compact narrow emission-line galaxies, based on Anglo-Australian Telescope 2dF spectroscopic observations from 1997 to 2002. This catalog, created by NASA HEASARC in 2010, is described as the largest homogeneous QSO catalog at its faint magnitude limits.
Use Cases
Study the large-scale structure of the universe based on the spatial distribution of over 23,000 quasars.
Analyze the properties of galactic stellar populations, including over 2,000 white dwarfs, from the catalog's star identifications.
Investigate the evolution and demographics of quasars using the high surface density of 35 QSOs per square degree.
Perform spectroscopic analysis of compact narrow emission-line galaxies identified in the survey.
Strengths
Large scale with 44,576 observed objects and 23,338 identified quasars.
High spectroscopic identification reliability of 86% for objects observed with the 2dF instrument.
Homogeneous catalog construction over a significant area of 721.6 square degrees.
Limitations
Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
Data freshness should be verified; the underlying observations were completed in 2002.
Row count for the full combined 2QZ and 6QZ sample is not explicitly stated.
Provenance
Source
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA HEASARC), based on data from the CDS catalog VII/241.
Collection Method
Spectroscopic observations with the 2dF instrument at the Anglo-Australian Telescope and the 6dF instrument at the UK Schmidt Telescope.
Time Range
2dF observations from January 1997 to April 2002; 6dF observations from March 2001 to September 2002.
Freshness
Last updated 2026-03-13 19:34:20.121232; freshness should be verified.
Geography
Sky coverage in two 75 by 5 degree declination strips centered on Dec = -30 degrees (SGP) and Dec = 0 degrees (NGP).
License is listed as 'other-license-specified'; users should verify terms. Data is provided in BIN and HTML formats.