VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalog of Variable Stars, 4th Ed. (GCVS4) (Kholopov+ 1988)

This data set is the machine-readable version of the fourth edition of the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Kholopov et al. 1985-1988). The machine version contains the same data as in the first three volumes of the printed catalog, but only the data tables without the textual material (introduction, bibliography, remarks) are included. Modifications to the format of the machine version have been made at the Astronomical Data Center in order to effect a completely homogeneous record structure suitable for full machine processing and sorting. The fourth edition of the General Catalogue of Variable Stars supersedes the third edition (Kukarkin et al. 1969-1970), three supplements (Kukarkin et al. 1971, 1974, 1976) containing data for 5401 new variable stars and improved data for many earlier designated variables, and five namelists (62-66) published in the Information Bulletin of Variable Stars (Kukarkin et al. 1976; Kholopov et al. 1978, 1979, 1981a, 1981b), which included only cross identifications for 2619 new variables. This new edition contains data for 28484 individual objects discovered and named by 1982 and located mainly in the Milky Way galaxy. These data are contained in the first three published volumes. The fourth volume of the fourth edition, published in 1990, contains a table of all variables ordered by right ascension and declination (B1950), a table of variables listed by variability type, and an extensive series of cross-identification tables to alternate designations (see <II/172>). The fifth and final volume will contain data for all presently known variables in external galaxies (including the Magellanic Clouds), extragalactic supernovae, and optically variable quasistellar objects and galactic nuclei (see <II/205>). Data contained in the catalog include star identifier, equatorial position (B1950), annual precession, galactic coordinates, type of variability, maximum and minimum magnitudes, epoch of maximum, period, and spectral type. Since extensive modifications have been made to the record structure of the machine version, users are encouraged to carefully study the brief descriptions given in the document. The list of errors published by Durlevich et al. (1994) has been incorporated in this version (1 data file).