CMa OB1 XMM-Newton X-Ray Point Source Catalog for Star Formation Study

NASA's catalog of 387 XMM-Newton X-ray point sources from the Canis Major OB1 star-forming region. The dataset includes 78% confirmed or probable members of the CMa R1 association, with hardness ratios, light curves, and spectral fits for 21 bright sources. It was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyzing stellar age and mass distributions based on estimated mass and age data.
• Studying X-ray luminosity and activity in low-mass stars based on log(L_X) values.
• Investigating spatial patterns of star formation episodes based on the location of 250 objects in 'best sample' subsets.
• Characterizing X-ray source properties using hardness ratios, light curves, and thermal plasma model fits.

Strengths

• 387 cataloged sources with 78% confirmed or probable membership in the CMa R1 association.
• Includes a defined 'best sample' of 250 objects for completeness analysis.
• Provides cross-matched 2MASS counterpart data in an associated table.
• Observations from four distinct fields with exposure times of about 30-40 ks.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Observations from the XMM-Newton satellite's EPIC cameras in four fields within the Canis Major R1 region.

Time Range

Observation dates not specified; data reflects the state of the catalog at last update.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:21:29.904160; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canis Major OB1 association, specifically the CMa R1 region near stars Z CMa and GU CMa.