ROSAT All-Sky Survey: X-Ray Source Catalog for Two 10-Degree Fields

370 X-ray point sources from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey in two 10-degree by 10-degree fields, one at high galactic latitude (26 Com) and one at low (gamma Sge). The catalog was created by NASA/HEASARC in 2015 based on a reference paper that used optical variability from archival plates to identify 256 probable optical counterparts. The identified sources include 126 active galactic nuclei, 17 galaxy clusters, 16 eruptive double stars, and 43 chromospherically active stars.

Use Cases

• Classifying X-ray source types based on optical variability and galactic latitude.
• Studying the distribution of cataclysmic variables and active galactic nuclei relative to the galactic plane.
• Validating source detection methods by comparing against the higher-threshold 1RXS Catalog.
• Cross-referencing X-ray properties with optical counterparts in the linked HEASARC table RASS2FOID.

Strengths

• Contains 370 X-ray sources, providing a more extensive list than the standard 1RXS Catalog for the two surveyed areas.
• Optical identifications are provided for 256 sources, including specific counts for 126 AGN and 17 galaxy clusters.
• Method leveraged hundreds of archival optical plates, requiring no new telescope time.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is known (370), but the sample data and specific file structure are unavailable for inspection.
• Data is derived from a specific study of two fields; its generalizability to the full sky is limited.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

X-ray sources detected by the ROSAT All-Sky Survey, with optical identifications made using variability analysis on archival plates from the Sonneberg field patrol.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:11:04.798804; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Two celestial fields: 26 Com (galactic latitude b=83°) and gamma Sge (b=-5°).