Master X-Ray Catalog: Consolidated Source List from NASA HEASARC

NASA HEASARC's XRAY database consolidates selected parameters from almost all its X-ray catalogs where source positions are located to better than a few arcminutes. This master table provides general information about X-ray sources, including entries where measurements are upper limits rather than detections. The catalog is updated periodically when component database tables are modified or added.

Use Cases

• Perform cone searches for X-ray sources based on the well-defined positional accuracy mentioned in the description.
• Cross-correlate X-ray source entries with other astronomical databases using the consolidated master list.
• Identify the original detailed catalog for a source using the 'database_table' parameter field described.
• Filter sources to distinguish between detections and upper limits as noted in the HEASARC's advisory.

Strengths

• Aggregates data from almost all HEASARC X-ray catalogs, suggesting broad coverage.
• Sources have positions located to better than a few arcminutes, enabling precise searches.
• Includes a 'database_table' parameter to trace entries back to original, more detailed catalogs.
• Catalog is updated periodically when component tables are modified or added.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• For some entries, parameter fields may be blank or have zero values as noted in the description.

Provenance

Source

NASA High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC).

Collection Method

Created by copying entries and common parameters from listed component X-ray catalog tables.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 16:42:32.447498; freshness should be verified.