VizieR Online Data Catalog: Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed. (Hoffleit+, 1991)

The Bright Star Catalogue (BSC) is widely used as a source of basic astronomical and astrophysical data for stars brighter than magnitude 6.5. The catalog contains the identifications of included stars in several other widely-used catalogs, double- and multiple-star identifications, indication of variability and variable-star identifiers, equatorial positions for B1900.0 and J2000.0, galactic coordinates, UBVRI photoelectric photometric data when they exist, spectral types on the Morgan-Keenan (MK) classification system, proper motions (J2000.0), parallax, radial- and rotational-velocity data, and multiple-star information (number of components, separation, and magnitude differences) for known nonsingle stars. In addition to the data file, there is an extensive remarks file that gives more detailed information on individual entries. This information includes star names, colors, spectra, variability details, binary characteristics, radial and rotational velocities for companion stars, duplicity information, dynamical parallaxes, stellar dimensions (radii and diameters), polarization, and membership in stellar groups and clusters. The existence of remarks is flagged in the main data file.

The BSC contains 9110 objects, of which 9096 are stars (14 objects catalogued in the original compilation of 1908 are novae or extragalactic objects that have been retained to preserve the numbering, but most of their data are omitted), while the remarks section is slightly larger than the main catalog. The present edition of the compilation includes many new data and the remarks section has been enlarged considerably.

This preliminary version of the fifth edition of the Bright Star Catalogue supersedes the published and machine-readable versions of Hoffleit (1982, Yale University Observatory) and is intended for use until the final version of this edition is completed. It has been made available only for dissemination on the Astronomical Data Center CD ROM.

The brief format description applies to the preliminary version of the catalog only. The format will change for the final edition.

(2 data files).