AAVSOVSX - AAVSO International Variable Star Index

Overview

This database table contains Galactic stars known or suspected to be variable. It lists all stars that have an entry in the American Association of Variable Star Observers' (AAVSO) International Variable Star Index (VSX; http://www.aavso.org/vsx).

It consisted initially of the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS) and the New Catalogue of Suspected Variables (NSV) and was then supplemented with a large number of variable star catalogues, as well as individual variable star discoveries or variables found in the literature. Effort has also been invested to update the entries with the latest information regarding position, type and period and to remove duplicates. The VSX database is being continually updated and maintained.

For historical reasons some objects outside of the Galaxy have been included.

Catalog Bibcodes

2006SASS...25...47W
2015yCat....102027W

Bulletin

The AAVSOVSX database table was last updated on 5 November 2024.

References

The AAVSO International Variable Star Index
    Watson C., Henden A.A., Price A.
   <AAVSO (2009)>
   =2006SASS...25...47W
   =2015yCat....102027W

Provenance

This table was created by the HEASARC based on the CDS catalog B/vsx. The CDS updates it regularly, and this HEASARC version is accordingly updated within a week of such updates.

Parameters

Source_Number
An internal source identifier for each source in the catalog which can be used to link out to the AAVSO database.

Name
The variable star name.

Variability_Flag
This flag parameter indicates the degree of confidence in the variability of the star:

   0 = Variable,
   1 = Suspected variable,
   2 = Constant or non-existent,
   3 = Possible duplicate

RA
The Right Ascension of the star in the selected equinox. This was given in J2000.0 coordinates to a precision of 10^-5 degrees in the original table.

Dec
The Declination of the star in the selected equinox. This was given in J2000.0 coordinates to a precision of 10^-5 degrees in the original table.

LII
The Galactic Longitude of the star.

BII
The Galactic Latitude othe star.

Variability_Type
The variability type, as described in detail at the AAVSO website.

Max_Mag_Type
This flag parameter is set to '(' to indicate that the corresponding max_mag value is an amplitude.

Max_Mag_Limit
This parameter contains in some cases upper or lower limit flag for the value of the max_mag parameter.

Max_Mag
The magnitude at maximum, if max_mag_type = ' ', or the amplitude of variability, if max_mag_type = '('.

Max_Mag_Flag
This flag parameter is set to ':' if the corresponding max_mag values is considered uncertain.

Max_Mag_System
The passband in which the value of the max_mag parameter was measured. Passbands used include the following:

       U B V R I   = Johnson broad-band
       J H K L M   = Johnson infra-red (1.2, 1.6, 2.2, 3.5, 5um)
       R_c I_c     = Cousins' red and infra-red
       u v b y     = Stroemgren intermediate-band
       u'g'r'i'z'  = Sloan (SDSS)
       pg pv bj rf = photographic blue (pg, bj) visual (pv), red (rf)
       w C CR CV   = white (clear); R or V used for comparison star.
       R1          = ROTSE-I (450-1000nm)
       Hp T        = Hipparcos and Tycho (CDS Cat. I/239)
       NUV         = near-UV
       H1A H1B     = STEREO mission filter (essentially 600-800nm)

The complete list of passbands can be found at https://www.aavso.org/vsx/index.php?view=about.passbands.

Min_Mag_Type
This flag parameter is set to '(' to indicate that the corresponding min_mag value is an amplitude relative to the max_mag value rather than the magnitude at minimum.

Min_Mag_Limit
This parameter contains in some cases upper or lower limit flag for the value of the min_mag parameter.

Min_Mag
The magnitude at minimum, if min_mag_type = ' ', or the amplitude of variability, if min_mag_type = '('.

Min_Mag_Flag
This flag parameter is set to ':' if the corresponding max_mag value is considered uncertain.

Min_Mag_System
The passband in which the value of the min_mag parameter was measured. Passbands used include the following:

       U B V R I   = Johnson broad-band
       J H K L M   = Johnson infra-red (1.2, 1.6, 2.2, 3.5, 5um)
       R_c I_c     = Cousins' red and infra-red
       u v b y     = Stroemgren intermediate-band
       u'g'r'i'z'  = Sloan (SDSS)
       pg pv bj rf = photographic blue (pg, bj) visual (pv), red (rf)
       w C CR CV   = white (clear); R or V used for comparison star.
       R1          = ROTSE-I (450-1000nm)
       Hp T        = Hipparcos and Tycho (CDS Cat. I/239)
       NUV         = near-UV
       H1A H1B     = STEREO mission filter (essentially 600-800nm)

The complete list of passbands can be found at https://www.aavso.org/vsx/index.php?view=about.passbands.

Epoch
The epoch of maximum or minimum of the variability, in heliocentric Julian Date (HJD). This was given to a maximum precision of 10^-4 days in the original table.

Epoch_Flag
This flag parameter is set to ':' if the corresponding epoch value is considered uncertain.

Period_Limit
This flag parameter for the period is set to '>' or '<' if the period is a lower or upper limit, respectively, or to '(' to indicate that the period is the mean cycle time of a U Gem or recurrent nova (in the latter case the period_flag parameter contains a closing bracket).

Period
The period of the variable star, in days. This was given to a maximum precision of 10^-10 days in the original table.

Period_Flag
This flag parameter can contain the following possible symbols:

       : = uncertainty flag
       ) = value of the mean cycle for U Gem or recurrent nova
           (the corresponding opening bracket exists in l_Period)
       *N = the real period is likely a multiple of the quoted period
       /N = the period quoted is likely a multiple of the real period

Spect_Type
The spectral type of the variable star.

Ref_Bibcode_1
The bibliographic code (bibcode) in the standard ADS style of a paper discussing the variable star.

Ref_Bibcode_2
The bibliographic code (bibcode) in the standard ADS style of a second paper discussing the variable star.

Ref_Bibcode_Others
The bibliographic codes (bibcode) in the standard ADS style of additional papers discussing the variable star. To see the abstract of any of the papers referenced by a bibcode, the user should go add the prefix "adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?" in front of each bibcode listed, e.g., http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?1961LowOB...5...61G.

Class
The HEASARC Browse object classification, based on the value of the variability_type parameter.

Contact Person

Questions regarding the AAVSOVSX database table can be addressed to the HEASARC Help Desk.

Page Author: Browse Software Development Team
Last Modified: Monday, 16-Sep-2024 17:23:59 EDT