MRC: 12,141 Radio Sources Catalog from Molonglo Observatory

The Molonglo Reference Catalog lists 12,141 discrete radio sources with flux densities greater than 0.7 Jy. It covers the declination range +18.5 degrees to -85 degrees in 1950 coordinates, excluding regions within 3 degrees of the Galactic equator. NASA's High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) provides this service.

Use Cases

• Cross-matching radio sources with optical or infrared catalogs based on celestial coordinates.
• Analyzing the distribution and density of radio sources across the southern sky based on the specified declination range.
• Studying the properties of bright radio sources based on the flux density threshold of 0.7 Jy.
• Investigating the structure of the Milky Way by analyzing the catalog's exclusion zone near the Galactic equator.

Strengths

• Contains 12,141 discrete radio sources, making it one of the largest homogeneous catalogs of its kind.
• Provides a well-defined flux density threshold of 0.7 Jy for source inclusion.
• Covers a large declination range from +18.5 to -85 degrees, offering broad sky coverage.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The catalog is a version of the 1990 issue; its freshness should be verified for contemporary research.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Likely compiled from observations by the Molonglo Observatory radio telescope.

Time Range

Catalog version is from 1990; observation period is not specified.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 16:54:06.154033; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Covers celestial coordinates in the declination range +18.5 to -85 degrees (1950 coordinates), excluding the Galactic plane.