Guide Star Catalog 1.1: Positions and Magnitudes for 19 Million Stars

An all-sky catalog of positions and magnitudes for approximately 19 million stars and other objects in the sixth to fifteenth magnitude range. The GSC-I catalog was created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, primarily based on single-epoch Schmidt plates from the Palomar Observatory (1982) and the UK SERC J survey (1975/1982).

Use Cases

• Train star identification models based on the catalog's magnitude and position data.
• Perform statistical analysis of stellar distributions across the entire sky.
• Calibrate or validate other astronomical surveys using the established GSC reference data.
• Study the density of celestial objects within the sixth to fifteenth magnitude range.

Strengths

• Covers approximately 19 million stars and other objects, providing a substantial sample size.
• All-sky coverage ensures data is available for both northern and southern hemispheres.
• Based on established survey materials from observatories like Palomar and the UK SERC.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to the source plates, with epochs ranging from 1975 to 1982.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Primarily based on an all-sky, single-epoch collection of Schmidt plates from the Palomar Observatory and the UK SERC J survey.

Time Range

Epochs range from 1975 to 1982, depending on the sky region.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:07:14.669856; freshness should be verified.

Geography

All-sky (global celestial sphere).