MYStIX: Probable Young Star Members in 20 Galactic Star-Forming Regions

20 nearby Galactic massive star-forming regions are studied in this catalog of 31,549 probable young star members. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration compiled the data using X-ray observations from Chandra, infrared data from UKIRT, 2MASS, and Spitzer, and published spectral types. The catalog, last updated in 2026, provides the empirical foundation for studies of young stellar populations.

Use Cases

• Statistical classification of young stellar objects based on X-ray and infrared properties mentioned in the description.
• Analysis of circumstellar dust disks and envelopes based on infrared excess detection criteria.
• Cross-matching and validation of stellar catalogs using multi-wavelength (X-ray, NIR, MIR) observational data.
• Population studies of young stars across 20 different massive star-forming regions.

Strengths

• Contains 31,549 probable complex members, providing a substantial sample for analysis.
• Integrates data from multiple established telescopes and surveys: Chandra, UKIRT, 2MASS, and Spitzer.
• Membership is derived using three different established methods for identifying young stars, as described in the reference paper.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes that X-ray properties for some very bright sources are biased due to photon pile-up.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data derived from X-ray observations (Chandra), near-infrared photometry (UKIRT, 2MASS), mid-infrared photometry (Spitzer), and published spectroscopic identifications.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:00:42.515924; freshness should be verified.

Geography

20 nearby Galactic massive star-forming regions, with distances between 0.4 and 3.6 kiloparsecs.