Milky Way Project IR Bubble Catalog: 5,106 Crowdsourced Star Formation Sites

A 2013 catalog of 5,106 infrared bubbles in the Milky Way, created by NASA HEASARC based on citizen scientist classifications from The Milky Way Project. The catalog provides consensus parameters for bubble positions, radii, thicknesses, eccentricities, and position angles, with each object measured by at least five individuals. This first data release includes bubbles that rediscover 86% of objects from three prior catalogs and identifies 29% of bubbles as nested or rim-associated.

Use Cases

• Statistical analysis of triggered star formation based on the 29% of bubbles that are nested or rim-associated.
• Validation of existing bubble and H II region catalogs based on the independent rediscovery of 86% of objects from three prior catalogs.
• Study of bubble morphology and distribution using consensus parameters for position, radius, thickness, eccentricity, and position angle.
• Crowdsourcing methodology research based on data from over five independent visual classifications per object.

Strengths

• Catalog contains 5,106 distinct infrared bubbles, an order of magnitude more than some prior catalogs.
• Each bubble has consensus parameters derived from independent measurements by at least five citizen scientists.
• Data identifies 29% of bubbles as having hierarchical relationships (nested or rim-associated), enabling new statistical studies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• This is a first data release; a second, refined catalog is anticipated, suggesting potential future updates.

Provenance

Source

NASA HEASARC, based on CDS Catalog J/MNRAS/424/2442 files mwplarge.dat and mwpsmall.dat.

Collection Method

Visual classification via the online citizen science website 'The Milky Way Project'.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:42:40.274228; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Milky Way galaxy