UVQS: UV-Bright Quasar Catalog with 1,121 Confirmed Redshifts

1,450 primary candidates with FUV < 18.5 magnitude were identified using GALEX UV and WISE near-IR color selection. The survey obtained discovery spectra for 1,040 candidates, confirming 86% as AGN and reporting 217 new AGN with no prior spectroscopic redshifts. This first data release from the UV-Bright Quasar Survey (UVQS) was produced by NASA and is hosted by the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST).

Use Cases

• Identify potential targets for UV spectroscopy based on FUV magnitude and redshift data.
• Study the distribution and properties of z ~ 1 active galactic nuclei across the sky.
• Validate photometric selection criteria for quasars using the provided spectroscopic confirmations.
• Analyze the spectral characteristics of UV-bright sources from the reported discovery-quality spectra.

Strengths

• Contains 1,121 sources with high-quality redshift measurements (quality flag >=3).
• Reports the discovery of 217 AGN with GALEX FUV < 18 mag that previously had no spectroscopic redshifts.
• Candidate list includes 3,460 objects from primary and secondary samples, providing a substantial survey base.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect observational bias inherent to the specific telescope facilities and observing conditions used.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST).

Collection Method

Survey using GALEX and WISE photometry, followed by spectroscopic observations primarily on 3m-class telescopes.

Time Range

Observations were conducted within one calendar year, though the specific year is not stated.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:06:22.102641; freshness should be verified.

Geography

All-sky survey.