Herbig & Bell Catalog: 735 Orion Population Emission-Line Stars

735 pre-main sequence stars in the Orion Population observed with slit spectrographs or equivalent resolution are cataloged. The table provides accurate coordinates, light ranges for variables, UBVRI photometry, and references to multi-wavelength observations. This is the third catalog from Herbig and Bell (1988), intended to replace the second catalog, and is provided by NASA HEASARC.

Use Cases

• Classifying young stellar objects (e.g., T Tauri stars, FU Orionis objects) based on the provided classification scheme.
• Analyzing stellar variability using the cataloged light ranges and references to light curves.
• Correlating optical properties with multi-wavelength data using references to ultraviolet, X-ray, and radio observations.
• Studying stellar kinematics and rotation via the cataloged radial velocities and v sin i values.
• Identifying and locating specific stars in the Orion population using the provided coordinates and references to identification charts.

Strengths

• Catalog contains 735 specifically observed stars, providing a focused sample.
• Includes multi-faceted data: coordinates, photometry (UBVRI), spectral types, and references to external studies.
• Intended as an authoritative update, replacing the prior Second Catalog of Herbig and Rao (1972).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is known (735), but the specific data file size and sample structure are unknown.
• Data is from 1988; while the metadata was updated in 2026, the core observational data may not reflect recent discoveries.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), specifically the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC).

Collection Method

Compilation from published catalog (Herbig and Bell, 1988) based on slit spectrograph observations.

Time Range

Observational data likely spans up to the catalog's publication in 1988.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:04:02.901629; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Stars are members of the Orion Population, a specific stellar association.