SAI Supernova Catalog: 2,991 Extragalactic Events and Host Galaxies (1885-2004)

2,991 extragalactic supernovae discovered from 1885 until December 12, 2004, along with data on their host galaxies. The Sternberg Astronomical Institute compiled this catalog, with host galaxy data integrated from multiple astronomical catalogs like RC3, UGC, and PGC. NASA HEASARC created this table version in June 2005 based on a CDS source.

Use Cases

• Analyze supernova discovery rates over time based on the 1885-2004 temporal coverage
• Study correlations between supernova events and host galaxy morphology based on integrated catalog data
• Model supernova distributions relative to galaxy recession velocities and positions
• Validate or supplement modern supernova catalogs using this historical compilation

Strengths

• Contains 2,991 supernova entries, exceeding the 2,780 mentioned in the original published reference due to more recent data inclusion
• Host galaxy data is compiled from seven established astronomical catalogs (e.g., RC3, UGC, PGC), suggesting standardized cross-referencing

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Data is complete only until December 2004, limiting analysis of recent supernovae
• Row count for the specific table is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

Sternberg Astronomical Institute (SAI), compiled from multiple astronomical catalogs; table created by NASA HEASARC

Collection Method

Compilation from established catalogs (RC3, UGC, PGC, MCG, ESO, CfA, van den Bergh 1994) and IAU Circulars

Time Range

1885 to December 12, 2004

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:55:37.377035; freshness should be verified

Geography

Extragalactic (beyond the Milky Way)