General Catalog of Variable Stars: 58,035 Named Stars in the Milky Way
Updated 3mo ago
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Description
58,035 named variable stars in the Milky Way galaxy are cataloged in this fifth edition of the General Catalog of Variable Stars (GCVS). The catalog is compiled by researchers from the Sternberg Astronomical Institute and Institute of Astronomy (Russian Academy of Sciences) and includes data for stars discovered and named by 2021. It provides information on variability types, brightness ranges, epochs, and periods.
Use Cases
Classifying stellar variability types based on the catalog's detailed type classifications.
Predicting brightness maxima or minima epochs using the provided light elements and periods.
Mapping the distribution of variable stars in the Milky Way based on the revised coordinate data.
Training models to identify new variable stars by comparing features against the established catalog entries.
Strengths
Contains data for 58,035 named variable stars, providing a substantial reference base.
Compilation work has been continuous since 1946, indicating long-term curation and updates.
Includes complete information for stars from Name-lists 78-84, with features like variability types, brightness ranges, and periods.
Limitations
Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Complete information for stars from Name-lists 67-77 is only provided for the first 20 constellations, indicating partial coverage for that subset.
Provenance
Source
Sternberg Astronomical Institute (Lomonosov Moscow University) and Institute of Astronomy (Russian Academy of Sciences).
Collection Method
Compiled from published literature, observations, and data mining by the GCVS compilers.
Time Range
Stars discovered and named as variable by 2021.
Freshness
Last updated 2026-03-13 18:42:05.616115; freshness should be verified.
Geography
Stars located mainly in the Milky Way galaxy.
License is listed as 'other-license-specified'; users must verify terms. The authors recommend citing Samus et al. (2017) as the official reference.