Bright Star Catalog with Photometric and Kinematic Data
Updated 3mo ago
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Description
Derived from the 5th Edition preliminary version, this catalog contains data for stars brighter than magnitude 6.5. It includes equatorial positions, UBVRI photometry, spectral types, proper motions, parallax, and radial velocities. The database was created by NASA HEASARC in 1995 and has undergone revisions, including corrections to celestial positions for specific objects.
Use Cases
Analyze the relationship between UBVRI photometric data and spectral types on the Morgan-Keenan classification system for stellar classification.
Study stellar kinematics by correlating proper motions and radial-velocity data with galactic coordinates.
Identify and characterize variable stars using the provided variability indicators and variable-star identifiers.
Investigate binary and multiple-star systems using the included information on number of components, separation, and magnitude differences.
Strengths
Contains data for stars brighter than magnitude 6.5, a standard brightness threshold for major star catalogs.
Includes a wide range of astrophysical parameters such as photometry, spectral types, proper motions, and parallax.
Provides cross-identifications with several other widely-used star catalogs, enhancing interoperability.
Limitations
The data is derived from a preliminary edition of the catalog, which may not be the final authoritative version.
File formats (BIN, HTML) are not standard tabular formats like CSV, potentially requiring specialized tools for access and analysis.
The original creation date was 1995, so newer stellar discoveries or measurements are not included despite later revisions.
Provenance
Source
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC).
Collection Method
Created by HEASARC in 1995 based on a file from the Astronomical Data Center (ADC) or Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS), with subsequent revisions.
Time Range
Positions are provided for epochs B1900.0 and J2000.0, but the catalog compilation date is 1995.
Freshness
The catalog entry was last updated in March 2026, but the underlying data is from a 1995 creation based on the 5th Edition preliminary catalog.
Geography
Celestial coverage includes stars across the entire sky brighter than magnitude 6.5.
License is listed as 'other-license-specified'; users must review the specific terms. Data is provided in BIN and HTML formats, which may not be immediately usable for standard data analysis workflows without conversion.