RC2 (G0): Second Reference Catalog of Bright Galaxies (19881224)
FILE: rc2.g0 (4362 galaxies)
CONTENTS: Second Reference Catalog of Bright Galaxies
DATASET: This file comes in HyperSky dataset G-0. (Part of the original base dataset supplied with HyperSky).
DESCRIPTION: The Second Reference Catalog of Bright Galaxies, by G. de Vaucouleurs, A. de Vaucouleurs and Harold Corwin, was originally published in 1976 by The University of Texas Press. Commonly known as the RC2, it is the successor to the Reference Catalog of Bright Galaxies (or RC1), by G. de Vaucouleurs and A. de Vaucouleurs, which was published by the U.T. Press in 1964.
This datafile is taken from working tapes of the RC2 catalog kindly supplied by Dr. Corwin and Dr. Ronald Buta. The initial working tapes were later supplemented by corrected updates for some galaxy identifications.
DATA: The HyperSky datafile contains the following data from the catalog:
MAG: the galaxy magnitude, if available. If the magnitude appears and the string "Mv" is on the following comment line, this is the visual magnitude, determined from the RC2 values B(t) and B-V(t) according to the relation V(t) = B(t) - B-V(t). If the string "Mb" appears on the following comment line, the magnitude shown is B(t), the blue magnitude.
IDENTIFICATION: The galaxy identification, often the NGC number. If no other identification is available, the RC2 identifies the galaxy using the notation Ahhmm+dd where A stands for "Anonymous", hhmm is the equinox 1950 Right Ascension in hours and minutes, and +dd (or -dd) is the equinox 1950 Declination in whole degrees.
COMMENTS: The comment line contains the following information, provided if available for each galaxy:
* Revised morphological type, according to a 7-character code. The code is completely described in the introduction to the RC2. A dot is equivalent to a blank for any given letter position. The most relevant codes are described here:
1st letter: VARIETIES or PECULIARITIES: C=compact; R=outer ring;
P=pseudo outer ring.
Example: "CE....." is a compact elliptical.
2nd letter: CLASS: E=elliptical; L=lenticular; S=spiral; I=irregular
P=peculiar.
Example: ".S....." is a spiral.
3rd letter: FAMILIES: A=ordinary; B=barred; X=mixed.
Example: ".SB...." is a barred spiral.
4th letter: VARIETIES: R=inner ring; S=S-shaped; T=mixed;
Example: ".L.R..." is a lenticular with an inner ring.
STAGES(for ellipticals): can be any of 0-6.
Example: ".E.4..." is an E4 elliptical.
5th letter: STAGES(for lenticulars): -=early; 0=intermediate; +=late.
Example: ".L..+.." is a late-type lenticular.
STAGES(for spirals): 0=0/a; 1=a; 2=ab; 3=b; 4=bc; 5=c;
6=cd; 7=d; 8=dm; 9=m.
Example: ".S..5.." is a type Sc spiral.
6th,7th letters: P=peculiarity; *=uncertain; $=doubtful; /=spindle.
Example: ".L..../" is a spindle-shaped lenticular.
* the string "Mv" or "Mb", indicating whether the magnitude on the preceding line is a visual or blue magnitude
* additional galaxy identifications (such as Messier number, etc.)
HIGHLIGHTS:
Some of the galaxy groups visible with use of this datafile include:
RA=03h 18m, Dec=+41: Perseus galaxy cluster, Abell 426
RA=12h 26m, Dec=+13: Virgo galaxy cluster center
RA=12h 50m, Dec=-41: Centaurus galaxy cluster, Abell 3526
RA=13h 00m, Dec=+28: Coma galaxy cluster, Abell 1656