NOVA1990 (S1): Reference Catalog Of Galactic Novae, 1990 (19950129)
FILE: nova1990.s1 (283 objects)
CONTENTS: Reference Catalog Of Galactic Novae, H.W. Duerbeck, version 1990.0
DATASET: This file comes in HyperSky dataset S-24, version 19950129. Availability on HyperSky CD-ROM: Vol. 2 (1995)
DESCRIPTION: This datafile contains 283 objects known or believed to be novae at one time or another, from the catalog of H.W. Duerbeck, Astronomisches Institut der Universitaet Muenster, Germany. The 1990.0 version of the catalog is complete to the end of 1989. Completeness was attempted only for novae, not for dwarf novae, X-ray novae etc.
The HyperSky file is based on a copy of the catalog available from the Stellar Data Centre (CDS), Strasbourg, France, as catalog II/173.
DATA: The HyperSky datafile contains the following data from the catalog:
POSITION: The catalog B1950 Right Ascension and Declination, precessed to equinox 2000. Catalog position accuracies are variable, ranging from 1 to 0.01 seconds in RA and 1 to 0.1" in Dec. HyperSky datafile positions are stored to an accuracy of 0.1 second in RA and 1" in Dec.
MAG: The maximum observed magnitude at outburst. The magnitude type (spectral band) of this value is provided in the comments.
IDENTIFICATION: The "definitive name" of the nova, most often its designation in General Catalog of Variable Stars.
COMMENTS: The comment lines following the identification contain the following information, where available, for each entry:
* A line starting with "mag:", giving the magnitude range of the object in the form MM.Mb - N.NNb, where:
MM.M is the maximum observed magnitude.
NN.N is the minimum observed magnitude. If NN.N is preceded by the character '[', the object's minimum magnitude is at some
unknown value fainter than NN.N.
b is a letter (p,j,v,r,i,B) indicating the magnitude spectral band.
A question mark (?) following either magnitude value indicates uncertainty.
* A line giving the year of the observed outburst.
* A line giving the object type code, as described below. If the code is unambiguous, a brief explanation will follow the code in parentheses. Possible codes are as follows:
Novae: (Note t3-time = time for novae to decay 3 magnitudes below maximum.)
NA = Fast nova, t3-time < 100 days, spectroscopically confirmed.
NB = Slow nova, t3-time >= 100 days, spectroscopically confirmed.
NC = Extremely slow nova, typical time scale: decades.
N = Nova; light curve too poorly known to establish speed class.
The following modifiers may also appear:
: = Nova, not confirmed by spectroscopic observations.
? = Existence of object based on one photographic or a few independent visual observations.
?? = Existence based on no more than two visual observations.
Other types of variability (objects once announced to be novae, but reclassified after more observations were obtained):
NR = Recurrent nova
NL = Novalike variable (inhomogeneous group)
UG = U Geminorum variable (dwarf nova)
UGSS = U Geminorum variable, SS Cyg subclass
UGSU = U Geminorum variable, SU UMa subclass
UGZ = U Geminorum variable, Z Cam subclass
UGWZ = U Geminorum variable, WZ Sge subclass (not yet official subclass)
ZAND = Symbiotic variable (Z And type)
XND = X-ray nova (transient) system composed of a compact component and a dwarf or subgiant star with spectral type G to M.
M = Mira star (long-period variable of large amplitude)
UV = UV Ceti type star (flare star)
FU = FU Ori type star (pre-main sequence)
SDOR = S Dor type star (Hubble-Sandage variable)
* A line giving the time, in days, required for the nova to decay 3 magnitudes below its maximum (the t3-time referenced above).
REFERENCES
H.W. Duerbeck, A Reference Catalogue of Galactic Novae, Bull. Inform. C.D.S. 34, 127 (1988)
H.W. Duerbeck, A Reference Catalogue and Atlas of Galactic Novae, Space Sci. Rev. 45, 1 (1987)