SCUBA Legacy Catalogs: 11,179 Submillimeter Objects from JCMT Maps

NASA HEASARC provides two catalogs of astronomical objects identified in submillimeter maps from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. The Fundamental Map Object Catalog contains 5,061 objects, and the Extended Map Object Catalog contains 6,118 objects. The data were processed from raw archive observations downloaded in May 2006 and the table was created by HEASARC in December 2010.

Use Cases

• Identify submillimeter sources based on peak 850um intensity and J2000.0 coordinates.
• Analyze object properties like total 850um flux, size estimates, and 450um flux ratios.
• Perform cross-matching and tentative identification using references to the SIMBAD Database.
• Compare source catalogs derived from maps with different atmospheric opacity calibration quality.

Strengths

• Provides two distinct catalogs with 5,061 and 6,118 objects for comparative analysis.
• Includes derived object properties like peak intensity, total flux, size, and flux ratios.
• Based on 1.2-degree x 1.2-degree maps from a substantial archive (1,423+ maps at 850um).
• Objects are named systematically based on J2000.0 position for precise reference.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Excludes specific map types like high-sensitivity 'cosmological fields' and solar system objects.
• Row count is unknown for the underlying map data, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

NASA HEASARC, based on CDS catalog J/ApJS/175/277.

Collection Method

Raw jiggle and scan data from the SCUBA instrument on JCMT were downloaded from the CADC archive and processed using a matrix inversion method to create maps, followed by an automated object identification algorithm.

Time Range

Observational data were downloaded from the archive in May 2006; catalog table created in December 2010.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:10:28.207286; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Astronomical observations from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope; spatial coverage is celestial.