SPIDERS: Spectroscopic Catalog of 11,092 X-Ray Point Sources

SPIDERS provides spectroscopic classifications and redshifts for X-ray sources, representing the largest systematic spectroscopic observation of an X-ray selected sample. The catalog contains 11,092 observed spectra drawn from a parent sample of 14,759 ROSAT and XMM sources over 5,129 square degrees. It was created by NASA HEASARC in May 2020 based on SDSS-IV/BOSS observations taken between 2014 and 2019.

Use Cases

• Classifying X-ray source types (AGN, cluster galaxies, stars) based on spectroscopic observations.
• Analyzing redshift distributions for large samples of X-ray selected objects.
• Cross-matching and validating X-ray source catalogs from ROSAT and XMM-Newton surveys.
• Training models for automated spectroscopic classification of astronomical sources.

Strengths

• Large sample of 11,092 observed spectra with high classification completeness (98.9%).
• High redshift completeness with 10,849 objects (97.8%) having secure redshift measurements.
• Clear breakdown of source types: 10,070 AGN, 522 cluster galaxies, and 294 stars.
• Covers a significant sky area of 5,129 square degrees.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA HEASARC)

Collection Method

Spectroscopic observations from the SDSS-IV/BOSS survey between 2014 and 2019.

Time Range

Observations taken between 2014 and 2019.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:51:48.841859; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Sky coverage of 5,129 square degrees.