The QUEST RR Lyrae Survey. I. The First Catalog
Abstract
With the 1 m Schmidt telescope of the Llano del Hato Observatory and the QUEST CCD camera, 380 deg2 of the sky have been surveyed for RR Lyrae variables in a band 2.3d wide in declination (centered at δ=-1°) and covering right ascensions from 4h1 to 6h1 and from 8h0 to 17h0. The bright limit (due to CCD saturation) and the faint limit are V~13.5 and ~19.7, respectively, which correspond to ~4 and ~60 kpc from the Sun. We present a catalog of the positions, amplitudes, mean magnitudes, periods, and light curves of the 498 RR Lyrae variables that have been identified in this region of the sky. The majority of these stars (86%) are new discoveries. The completeness of the survey has been estimated from simulations that model the periods and light curves of real RR Lyrae variables and take into account the pattern of epochs of observation. While the completeness of the survey varies with apparent magnitude and with position, almost everywhere in the surveyed region it is quite high (>80%) for the type ab RR Lyrae variables and between 30% and 90% for the low-amplitude type c variables.
Based on observations collected at the 1 m Schmidt Telescope of the Llano del Hato Observatory, Venezuela.- Publication:
-
The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- February 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1086/380929
- Bibcode:
- 2004AJ....127.1158V
- Keywords:
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- Galaxy: Halo;
- Stars: Variables: Other;
- Surveys