XMM-SUSS6.1: 9.9 Million Ultraviolet Source Detections from XMM-Newton, 2000-2022

9,920,390 entries cataloging optical and ultraviolet sources detected by the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton observatory between 2000 and November 2022. The sixth release, XMM-SUSS6.1, harmonizes its processing with the standard XMM-Newton pipeline and was ingested into NASA's HEASARC database in October 2023. It corresponds to 6,659,554 unique celestial sources, with positional and photometric data for each detection.

Use Cases

• Cross-matching celestial objects across wavelengths based on positional data and source identifiers.
• Analyzing ultraviolet flux and magnitude variability over time for sources with multiple observations.
• Studying source population statistics and distributions using the large catalog of 6.6 million unique sources.
• Filtering data quality for analysis using the provided quality flags for each photometric measurement.

Strengths

• Large scale with 9.9 million entries derived from 12,057 distinct observations.
• Long temporal coverage spanning over 22 years, from 2000 to 2022.
• Provides photometric data in multiple filter bandpasses (U, B, V, UVW2, UVM2, UVW1).
• Harmonized with the standard XMM-Newton Science Archive pipeline for consistency.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Differences exist between this catalog's processing and the previous bespoke system, which may affect time-series analysis.
• Row count for the main table is specified, but sample data and detailed schema are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

European Space Agency (ESA) XMM-Newton Science Archive, processed at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC).

Collection Method

Data processed using XMM Science Analysis Software (SAS) versions 18 and 19 from Optical Monitor Observation Data Files.

Time Range

2000 to November 2022

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:49:20.833275; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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