General Catalog of Variable Stars: 58,035 Named Stars in the Milky Way

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.