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- STI-T-1-5810-510-87
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- MERGED CATALOGUE OF GALAXIES
- (Kogoshvili 1986)
-
- Documentation for the Machine-Readable Version
-
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- April 1987
-
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- Anne C. Raugh
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- Contract NAS 5-28408
-
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-
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- Prepared for
-
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Goddard Space Flight Center
- Greenbelt, MD 20771
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- Prepared by
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- ST Systems Corporation
- 4400 Forbes Blvd.
- Lanham, MD 20706
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- ABSTRACT
- ________
-
-
-
- This document describes the machine-readable version of the "Merged Catalogue
- of Galaxies" (Kogoshvili 1986) distributed by the Astronomical Data Center,
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This version is an update of the 1975 cat-
- alog. Listed are identifications, positions, magnitudes, velocities, radio
- fluxes, and morphological data on 31,917 galaxies with declinations between
- +90 and -33 degrees. Although the number of sources is the same, this ver-
- sion also includes data published from 1973 to 1983. The present document
- describes the overall file structure and the individual data fields in de-
- tail.
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- Abstract ii
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- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- _________________
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- 1.0 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
- 1.1 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
- 1.2 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
-
- 2.0 STRUCTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
- 2.1 Each File as a Whole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
- 2.2 Catalog (File 1 of 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
- 2.2.1 General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
- 2.2.2 Structural Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
- 2.2.3 Classifications, Velocities, and Spectral Details . . . . . . . 12
- 2.2.4 Multiple System and Interaction Details . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
- 2.3 References (File 2 of 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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- 3.0 HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
- 3.1 Remarks and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
- 3.2 References to the Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
-
- APPENDIX A. CORRECTIONS TO THE COMPUTER-READABLE VERSION . . . . . . . . 23
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- APPENDIX B. MCG SYMBOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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- Table of Contents iii
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- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- _____________________
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- Figure 1. Summary Description of Catalog Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
- Figure 2. Catalog Record Format (1 of 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
- Figure 3. Catalog Record Format (2 of 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
- Figure 4. Catalog Record Format (3 of 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
- Figure 5. Catalog Record Format (4 of 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
- Figure 6. Reference Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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- List of Illustrations iv
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- 1.0 INTRODUCTION
- _________________
-
-
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- A COPY OF THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD BE DISTRIBUTED WITH EVERY COPY OF THE
- MACHINE-READABLE CATALOG.
-
-
-
- 1.1 DESCRIPTION
- ________________
-
-
- "Merged Catalogue of Galaxies" (MERCG; Kogoshvili 1986) is a compilation of
- published data from several catalogs. The present version is an update of
- the 1975 version, and includes data published from 1973 to 1983, in addition
- to the original catalog data, for 31,917 galaxies with declinations between
- +90 and -33 degrees.
-
- The catalog is presented in two files. The first contains the catalog data,
- which have been compiled from previously published catalogs. These data in-
- clude:
-
- o Designations
- o Equatorial coordinates
- o Magnitudes and colors
- o Angular diameters
- o Surface brightness
- o Position angles
- o Detailed structural descriptions
- o Classification in several different systems
- o Rotation curve data
- o Supernovae dates and counts
- o HII regions
- o Radio flux densities
- o Multiple system membership and interaction details
-
- For the most part, these data are left encoded in the same system used by the
- source catalog. This document describes the correspondence between the sym-
- bols used in the computer-readable MERCG and those in the source catalogs.
- For the full meanings of these symbols, the reader is referred to the pub-
- lished sources. A summary of many of the symbols used in the "Morphological
- Catalogue of Galaxies" (MCG) is included in this document in Appendix B, "MCG
- Symbols."
-
- The second file lists the full forms of the references cited by code number
- in the first file. Also included are brief descriptions of the content of
- each reference.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Introduction 1
-
-
-
-
- 1.2 REFERENCES
- _______________
-
-
- Kogoshivili, N. G. 1986, unpublished documentation supplied with the cat-
- alog from the Centre de Donnees Stellaires.
-
- Dreyer, J. L. E. 1895, "Index Catalogue of Nebulae" (IC).
-
- Nilson, P. 1973, "Uppsala General Catalogue of Galaxies" (UGC; Uppsala).
-
- de Vaucoulers, G. and de Vaucouleurs, A. 1964, "Reference Catalogue of
- Bright Galaxies" (RC1; Austin: University of Texas Press).
-
- de Vaucoulers, G., de Vaucouleurs, A. and Corwin Jr., H.G. 1976, "Refer-
- ence Catalogue of Bright Galaxies" (RC2; Austin: University of Texas
- Press).
-
- Vorontsov-Velyaminov, B. A., Krasnogorskaya, A., and Arkhipova, V. P.
- 1962-68, "Morphological Catalogue of Galaxies" (MCG, 5 volumes; Moscow).
-
- Zwicky, F., Herzog, E., Wild, P., Karpowicz, M., and Kowal, C. 1961-68,
- "Catalogue of Galaxies and Clusters of Galaxies" (CGCG, 6 volumes;
- Zurich).
-
- Zwicky, F., "Catalogue of Selected Compact Galaxies and Post-Eruptive
- Galaxies" (CCG; Zurich: L. Speich).
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- Introduction 2
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- 2.0 STRUCTURE
- ______________
-
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- 2.1 EACH FILE AS A WHOLE
- _________________________
-
-
- The MERCG consists of two files. Figure 1 lists machiine-independant attri-
- butes of the tape files. The first file contains the catalog data (Figure 2,
- Figure 3, Figure 4, and Figure 5). The second file is a list of references
- and code numbers (Figure 6). All records are of fixed length. Details of
- every field in each file are given in the sections following.
-
- QUOTES IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS COME FROM KOGOSHVILI (1986) UN-
- LESS OTHERWISE STATED.
-
-
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | Merged Catalogue of Galaxies (MERCG) |
- | |
- | File Contents Record Logical Record Total Number of |
- | Format Length Logical Records |
- | |
- | 1 Catalog FB 376 31,917 |
- | 2 References FB 80 138 |
- | |
- | FB = Fixed-Block Format |
- | |
- | Figure 1. Summary Description of Catalog Files |
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-
- There are also attributes that will change from computer to computer. You
- will probably have to know these in order to use your copy of the catalog;
- therefore, they should have been supplied with your tape. These attributes
- are as follows:
-
- o Number of tracks
-
- o Density in bytes per inch
-
- o Block size in bytes
-
- o Number of records in a block
-
- o Number of blocks
-
- o Character code (ASCII or EBCDIC)
-
- You may wish to write down the values for your tape in the list above.
-
-
-
- Structure 3
-
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-
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- 2.2 CATALOG (FILE 1 OF 2)
- __________________________
-
- This file contains the catalog data. Unless otherwise indicated, a blank in
- any field indicates an absence of data. Because of the large number of data
- fields, the description of the record format has been broken down into four
- sections. However, there is only one object per record.
-
- 2.2.1 GENERAL INFORMATION
- __________________________
-
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | Bytes FORTRAN Format Data Name Units |
- | |
- | 1- 11 A11 MCG number |
- | 12 1X Blank |
- | 13- 18 A6 NGC/IC number |
- | 19 1X Blank |
- | 20 A1 Add. info. flag |
- | 21- 23 I3 RA hours |
- | 24- 26 I3 minutes |
- | 27- 29 I3 seconds |
- | 30- 33 I4 Dec. degrees |
- | 34- 36 I3 arcminutes |
- | 37- 42 F6.2 Integrated magnitude magnitudes |
- | 43- 44 I2 Mag. accuracy code |
- | 45- 48 I4 Mag. reference |
- | 49 1X Blank |
- | 50 A1 Combined mag. flag |
- | 51 I1 Number of gal. in mag. |
- | 52- 57 F6.2 Major axis, inner part arcminutes |
- | 58- 63 F6.2 Minor axis, inner part arcminutes |
- | 64- 65 I2 Surface brightness |
- | 66- 71 F6.2 Major axis, whole arcminutes |
- | 72- 77 F6.2 Minor axis, whole arcminutes |
- | 78 1X Blank |
- | 79 A1 Diameter uncertainty flag |
- | 80 1X Blank |
- | 81 I1 Surf. brt., outer region 1 |
- | 82 I1 Surf. brt., outer region 2 |
- | 83- 84 I2 Inclination |
- | 85- 90 F6.2 Major axis, POSS blue arcminutes |
- | 91- 96 F6.2 Minor axis, POSS blue arcminutes |
- | 97-102 F6.2 Major axis, POSS red arcminutes |
- | 103-108 F6.2 Minor axis, POSS red arcminutes |
- | 109-110 I2 Diameter uncertainty |
- | 111-114 I4 Position angle degrees |
- | 115-116 I2 Pos. angle uncertainty |
- | 117 1X Blank |
- | |
- | |
- | Figure 2. Catalog Record Format (1 of 4) |
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-
- Structure 4
-
-
-
-
- MCG NUMBER Identification number from the "Morphological Cata-
- logue of Galaxies" [bytes 1-11, format A11]
-
- NGC/IC NUMBER The first character in this field indicates the cat-
- alog:
-
- N NGC catalog
-
- I IC catalog
-
- A Anonymous galaxy from the RC1 catalog
-
- The next four characters contain the object number.
- This field is blank if the galaxy does not appear in
- any of these catalogs. [bytes 13-18, format A6]
-
- ADD. INFO. FLAG "If *, then additional information is given, oth-
- erwise blank." [byte 20, format A1]
-
- EQUATORIAL COORDINATES Epoch 1950.0
-
- RA HOURS [bytes 21-23, format I3]
-
- RA MINUTES [bytes 24-26, format I3]
-
- RA SECONDS [bytes 27-29, format I3]
-
- DEC DEGREES [bytes 30-33, format I4]
-
- DEC ARCMINUTES [bytes 34-36, format I3]
-
- INTEGRATED MAGNITUDE [bytes 37-42, format F6.2]
-
- MAG. ACCURACY CODE Accuracy of the magnitude as reported in the source
- catalog, coded as a single digit:
-
- 1 Accurate to 0.01 magnitude
-
- 2 Accurate to 0.1 magnitude
-
- 3 Accurate to 1 magnitude
-
- [byte 43-44, format I2]
-
- MAG. REFERENCE Three-digit code number of the source reference for
- the magnitude [bytes 45-48, format I4]
-
- COMBINED MAG. FLAG "Z" if the magnitude given is that of two or more
- galaxies, otherwise blank [byte 50, format A1]
-
- NUMBER OF GAL. IN MAG. Number of galaxies included in the combined magni-
- tude [byte 51, format I1]
-
-
-
- Structure 5
-
-
-
-
- MAJOR AXIS, INNER PART Angular diameter along the major axis of the bright
- inner part of the galaxy, in arcminutes, as given in
- the MCG. [bytes 52-57, format F6.2]
-
-
- MAJOR AXIS, INNER PART; MINOR AXIS, INNER PART; MA-
- JOR AXIS, WHOLE; and MINOR AXIS, WHOLE are all accu-
- rate to 0.1 arcminutes, in general, and to 0.05
- arcminutes in some cases. A "0" in the final deci-
- mal place does NOT imply greater accuracy.
-
- MINOR AXIS, INNER PART Angular diameter along the minor axis of the bright
- inner part of the galaxy, in arcminutes, as given in
- the MCG (see the note under MAJOR AXIS, INNER PART)
- [bytes 58-63, format F6.2]
-
- SURFACE BRIGHTNESS Surface brightness of the inner part of the galaxy
- as listed in the MCG. This value is on a scale of
- 1-6, 1 being completely black and 6 barely visible.
- [bytes 64-65, format I2]
-
- MAJOR AXIS, WHOLE Angular diameter across the major axis of the entire
- galaxy as reported in the MCG, in arcminutes (see
- the note under MAJOR AXIS, INNER PART) [bytes 66-71,
- format F6.2]
-
- MINOR AXIS, WHOLE Angular diameter across the minor axis of the entire
- galaxy as reported in the MCG, in arcminutes (see
- the note under MAJOR AXIS, INNER PART) [bytes 72-77,
- format F6.2]
-
- DIAM. UNCERTAINTY FLAG ">" if the diameters in bytes 67-71 and 72-77 are
- lower limits, otherwise blank [byte 79, format A1]
-
- SURF. BRT., OUTER REG. 1 Surface brightness of the first outer region of the
- galaxy, on the MCG scale described from SURFACE
- BRIGHTNESS, above [byte 81, format I1]
-
- SURF. BRT., OUTER REG. 2 Surface brightness of the second outer region of the
- galaxy, on the MCG scale described from SURFACE
- BRIGHTNESS, above [byte 82, format I1]
-
- INCLINATION Estimated inclination of the principal plane to the
- line of sight, as stated in the MCG. The numbers
- 1-5 used in the computer-readable MERCG correspond
- to the Roman numerals I-V of the MCG. On this scale
- I(1) is face on, V(5) is edge on. [byte 83-84, for-
- mat I2]
-
- MAJOR AXIS, POSS BLUE Angular diameter along the major axis measured on
- the blue prints of the Palomar Observatory Sky Sur-
- vey (POSS) from the UGC, in arcminutes [bytes 85-90,
- format F6.2]
-
-
- Structure 6
-
-
-
-
- MINOR AXIS, POSS BLUE Angular diameter along the minor axis measured on
- the blue prints of the POSS from the UGC, in
- arcminutes [bytes 91-96, format F6.2]
-
- MAJOR AXIS, POSS RED Angular diameter along the major axis measured on
- the red prints of the POSS from the UGC, in
- arcminutes [bytes 97-102, format F6.2]
-
- MINOR AXIS, POSS RED Angular diameter along the minor axis measured on
- the red prints of the POSS from the UGC, in
- arcminutes [bytes 103-108, format F6.2]
-
- DIAMETER UNCERTAINTY A single-digit integer indicating the uncertainty in
- the diameters obtained from the POSS prints:
-
- 0 All values are certain
-
- 1 Blue POSS print values are uncertain
-
- 2 Red POSS print values are uncertain
-
- 3 Both blue and red POSS print values are uncer-
- tain
-
- [bytes 109-110, format I2]
-
- POSITION ANGLE Position angle from the UGC, in degrees [bytes
- 111-114, format I4]
-
- POS. ANGLE UNCERTAINTY A single-digit integer indicating the uncertainty in
- the position angle, as indicated in the UGC:
-
- 0 Position angle is certain
-
- 1 Position angle is uncertain
-
- 2 Face-on spiral (indicated in the UGC by paren-
- theses)
-
- 3 Assymetric system (indicated in UGC by square
- brackets)
-
- [bytes 115-116, format I2]
-
-
-
-
-
- 2.2.2 STRUCTURAL DETAILS
- _________________________
-
-
-
-
-
- Structure 7
-
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | Bytes FORTRAN Format Data Name |
- | |
- | 118 A1 General appearance |
- | 119 A1 Structure detail 1 |
- | 120 A1 Structure detail 2 |
- | 121 A1 Faint gal./sup. star |
- | 122 A1 Galaxy/star detail |
- | 123-124 I2 Number of nuclei |
- | 125 A1 Inner region detail |
- | 126 A1 Nuclear region detail 1 |
- | 127 A1 Nuclear region detail 2 |
- | 128 1X Blank |
- | 129 A1 Sep. symbol 1 |
- | 130 A1 No. of details 1 |
- | 131 A1 Gen. desc. 1 |
- | 132 A1 Structure detail 1a |
- | 133 A1 Structure detail 1b |
- | 134 A1 Structure detail 1c |
- | 135 A1 Uncertainty flag 1 |
- | 136 1X Blank |
- | 137 A1 Sep. symbol 2 |
- | 138 A1 No. of details 2 |
- | 139 A1 Gen. desc. 2 |
- | 140 A1 Structure detail 2a |
- | 141 A1 Structure detail 2b |
- | 142 A1 Structure detail 2c |
- | 143 A1 Uncertainty flag 2 |
- | 144 1X Blank |
- | 145 A1 Sep. symbol 3 |
- | 146 A1 No. of details 3 |
- | 147 A1 Gen. desc. 3 |
- | 148 A1 Structure detail 3a |
- | 149 A1 Structure detail 3b |
- | 150 A1 Structure detail 3c |
- | 151 A1 Uncertainty flag 3 |
- | 152 1X Blank |
- | 153 A1 Sep. symbol 4 |
- | 154 A1 No. of details 4 |
- | 155 A1 Gen. desc. 4 |
- | 156 A1 Structure detail 4a |
- | 157 A1 Structure detail 4b |
- | 158 A1 Structure detail 4c |
- | 159 A1 Uncertainty flag 4 |
- | 160 1X Blank |
- | 161 A1 Sep. symbol 5 |
- | 162 A1 No. of details 5 |
- | 163 A1 Gen. desc. 5 |
- | 164 A1 Structure detail 5a |
- | 165 A1 Structure detail 5b |
- | 166 A1 Structure detail 5c |
- | 167 A1 Uncertainty flag 5 |
- | 168 1X Blank |
- | |
- | Figure 3. Catalog Record Format (2 of 4) |
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-
- Structure 8
-
-
-
-
- Bytes 118-122 are a coded description of the overall appearance of the gal-
- axy, in the system of the MCG. Descriptions of the MCG codes from the intro-
- duction to that catalog are included in this document in Appendix B, "MCG
- Symbols."
-
- GENERAL APPEARANCE Single-letter code describing the general appearance
- of the galaxy [byte 118, format A1]
-
- STRUCTURE DETAILS Two single-character codes, each describing a struc-
- tural detail. The code used in the computer-
- readable MERCG is listed below, with the
- corresponding MCG code to the right.
-
-
- A a 9 ->L Z z T t
- 5 ad 2 o 7 bi 6 ai
- W w M m 8 n 4 ?
- I i D d C c B b
- E e F f P p 1 A
-
-
- [bytes 119 and 120, both format A1]
-
- FAINT GAL./SUP. STAR Description (as in byte 118) of the faint galaxy
- seen in contact with the principal one, or "*" if a
- star is projected onto the image of the galaxy [byte
- 121, format A1]
-
- GALAXY/STAR DETAIL Structure of the faint galaxy (as in bytes 119 and
- 120), or inclination of the galaxy to the line of
- sight (as in bytes 83-84). If a superimposed star
- is indicated in byte 121, then this field contains a
- single-digit code indicating where the star image
- appears:
-
- 1 The star is projected onto the nuclear region of
- the galaxy.
-
- 2 The star is projected onto the outer region of
- the galaxy.
-
- 3 The star is "close-by" the galaxy.
-
- 4 The star may be projected onto the galaxy.
-
- [byte 122, format A1]
-
-
-
- Bytes 123-127 are a coded description of the bright inner region of the gal-
- axy, as listed in the MCG.
-
- NUMBER OF NUCLEI Number of galactic nuclei seen in contact [byte
- 123-124, format I2]
-
- Structure 9
-
-
-
-
- INNER REGION DETAIL Character code describing the inner region of the
- galaxy. The codes "N", "L", and "$" correspond to
- the MCG codes "N", "L", and "n", respectively.
- [byte 125, format A1]
-
- NUCLEAR REGION DETAIL Two single-character codes describing the structural
- detail of the nucleus. The codes used are the same
- as those described above for the overall appearance
- under STRUCTURE DETAILS, with the addition of "3" to
- represent the MCG symbol "()". [bytes 126 and 127,
- both format A1]
-
- OUTER PART Symbolic description of the appearance of the outer
- part of the galaxy from the MCG, broken down into as
- many as five different areas extending outward from
- the nucleus. The descriptions for all five areas
- are in the same format:
-
- SEP. SYMBOL Character used to separate symbols
- describing this area from those of
- the other areas. The characters "1"
- and "2" in the computer-readable file
- represent the MCG symbols ";;" and
- "->", respectively (the meanings of
- these symbols are described in Appen-
- dix B: "MCG Symbols"). [bytes 129,
- 137, 145, 153, and 161, all format
- A1]
-
- NO. OF DETAILS Number of structural details de-
- scribed by the GENERAL DESCRIPTION
- following. When this field contains
- 9, it "must be considered as a dupli-
- cation of symbols" in the GENERAL DE-
- SCRIPTION. [bytes 130, 138, 146,
- 154, and 162, all format A1]
-
- GEN. DESC. General description of the external
- areas of the galaxy. Each symbol
- used in the computer-readable MERCG
- is listed below with the correspond-
- ing MCG symbol to the right. The
- symbols in parentheses actually come
- from the cryllic alphabet and resem-
- ble backwards "S", "s", and/or "c"
- characters. Therefore "(s)" repres-
- ents a small backwards "s", and (s)+s
- represents a small backwards "s" con-
- catenated with the characters "+s"
- See the original hardcopy documenta-
- tion for the actual text symbols.
-
-
-
-
- Structure 10
-
-
-
-
- The meaning of these symbols are de-
- scribed in Appendix B, "MCG Symbols."
- S S T T
- C C L L
- H H 6 GAM
- 4 Sss @ r
- B B R R
- D D 2 s
- 9 l 5 (S)+S
- 3 (Sss) # (S)
- 1 (s) 8 (cc)
- 0 (s)+s
-
-
- [bytes 131, 139, 147, 155, and 163,
- all format A1]
-
- STRUCT. DET. Three single-character codes detail-
- ing the structure of the area, using
- the same symbols as in bytes 119 and
- 120, with the following additional
- codes:
-
- K Galaxy with sharp edges
-
- X Traces of structure
-
- Q Uncertainty in the number of arms
-
- [bytes 132-134, 140-142, 148-150,
- 156-158, and 164-166, all format A1,
- A1, A1]
-
- UNCERTAINTY FLAG Single-character code indicating
- uncertainty in structure details.
- The codes used in the computer-
- readable version and their MCG equiv-
- alents are listed below.
-
- 1 '
-
- 2 -
-
- 4 "structure uncertainty"
-
- 3 ( )
-
- 6 "structure incompleteness"
-
- 8 ->8
-
- R ->R
-
- [bytes 135, 143, 151, 159, and 167,
- all format A1]
- Structure 11
-
-
- 2.2.3 CLASSIFICATIONS, VELOCITIES, AND SPECTRAL DETAILS
- ________________________________________________________
-
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | Bytes FORTRAN Format Data Name Units |
- | |
- | 169 A1 Source of rev. Hubble class. |
- | 170 1X Blank |
- | 171 A1 Outer ring (rev. Hubble) |
- | 172-175 A4 Type (rev. Hubble) |
- | 176-177 A2 Peculiarities (rev. Hubble) |
- | 178 1X Blank |
- | 179-181 A3 Type (Morgan) |
- | 182-183 A2 Spectral class (Morgan) |
- | 184 A1 Peculiarities (Morgan) |
- | 185 1X Blank |
- | 186-193 A8 Hubble/van den Bergh class. |
- | 194 1X Blank |
- | 195 A1 Source of H/vdB class. |
- | 196-202 I7 Heliocentric rad. vel. km/sec |
- | 203-206 I4 Hel. rad. vel. reference |
- | 207-213 I7 Corrected rad. vel. km/sec |
- | 214-217 I4 Corr. rad. vel reference |
- | 218-221 I4 Rotational velocity km/sec |
- | 222-227 F6.2 r(H) (see below) |
- | 228 1X Blank |
- | 229 A1 r(H) uncertainty |
- | 230-233 I4 Rot. vel. reference |
- | 234-236 I3 First supernova date |
- | 237-239 I3 Second supernova date |
- | 240-241 I2 Number of supernovae |
- | 242-245 I4 Number of H II regions |
- | 246-249 I4 H II region reference |
- | 250-255 F6.2 Integrated U-B magnitudes |
- | 256-259 I4 U-B reference |
- | 260-264 F5.2 Integrated B-V magnitudes |
- | 265-268 I4 B-V reference |
- | 269-274 F6.2 Face-on U-B magnitudes |
- | 275-279 F5.2 Face-on B-V magnitudes |
- | 280 1X Blank |
- | 281-282 A2 Integral spectrum |
- | 283-287 F5.1 Flux density, 178 MHz janskys |
- | 288-291 I4 Reference, 178 MHz |
- | 292-296 F5.1 Flux density, 780 MHz janskys |
- | 297-300 I4 Reference, 780 MHz |
- | 301-305 F5.2 Flux density, 1400 MHz janskys |
- | 306-309 I4 Reference, 1400 MHz |
- | 310-314 F5.2 Flux density, 2700 MHz janskys |
- | 315-318 I4 Reference, 2700 MHz |
- | 319-323 F5.2 Flux density, 5000 MHz janskys |
- | 324-327 I4 Reference, 5000 MHz |
- | |
- | |
- | Figure 4. Catalog Record Format (3 of 4) |
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-
- Structure 12
-
-
-
-
- Bytes 169-177 describe the de Vaucouleurs classification of the galaxy, as
- found in the source indicated in byte 169.
-
- SOURCE OF REV. HUBBLE CLASS. Single-character code indicating the source of
- the revised Hubble (de Vaucouleurs) classification.
- Only two codes are used:
-
- U UGC
-
- R RC1
-
- [byte 169, format A1]
-
- OUTER RING [byte 171, format A1]
-
- TYPE [bytes 172-175, format A4]
-
- PECULIARITIES [bytes 176-177, format A2]
-
-
-
- Bytes 179-181 describe the type of the galaxy according to Morgans classi-
- fication scheme, as listed in the RC1 and RC2.
-
- TYPE [bytes 179-181, format A3]
-
- SPECTRAL CLASS [bytes 182-183, format A2]
-
- PECULIARITIES [byte 184, format A1]
-
-
-
- Bytes 186-193 describe either the Hubble classification of this galaxy from
- the UGC or the van den Bergh classification from the RC1. Byte 195 indicates
- which of these two classifications is listed here.
-
- If the Hubble classification is present, this field breaks down as follows:
-
- GALAXY TYPE Each code used in the computer-readable MERCG is
- listed below with the corresponding UGC code to the
- right:
-
- E E 3 Dwarf I
- SB SB SO SO
- 1 Dwarf I I
- 5 Dwarf P 4 Dwarf E
- E0 E0 SR S(R)
- S1 SBO S2 SB(r)
- 2 Dwarf S S3 SBO(R)
- S S S4 S(R)O
- P P
-
-
- [bytes 186-187, format A2]
-
- Structure 13
-
-
-
-
- STRUCTURE DETAILS The computer-readable MERCG codes and the corre-
- sponding UGC symbols are listed below:
-
- A a 1 a-b
- B b 2 b-c
- C c 3 cd
- D d
-
- [byte 188, format A1]
-
- ADDITIONAL SYMBOLS These characters include special symbols used to
- modify the characteristics indicated. The UGC sym-
- bol appears to the right:
-
-
- : : 1 ? / / 2 [] 3 -
-
-
- [byte 189, format A1]
-
- GALAXY TYPE, CONTINUED Continuation of the type started in bytes 186-187
- using the same codes [bytes 190-191, format A2]
-
- STRUCT. DET., CONTD The same codes are used here as for byte 188.
- [bytes 192, format A1]
-
- LUMINOSITY CLASS [byte 193, format A1]
-
-
-
- For the van den Bergh classification, the format differs:
-
- TYPE [bytes 186-187, format A2]
-
- STRUCTURE DETAILS [byte 188, format A1]
-
- PECULIARITIES Or additional symbols [byte 189, format A1]
-
- SPIRAL ARMS Characteristics of the spiral arms [bytes 190-192,
- format A3]
-
- LUMINOSITY CLASS [byte 193, format A1]
-
- SOURCE OF CLASS. Source of the classification described in bytes
- 186-193 [byte 195, format A1]
-
-
-
- HELIOCENTRIC RAD. VEL. Heliocentric radial velocity in km/sec [bytes
- 196-202, format I7]
-
- HEL. RAD. VEL. REF. Source reference number for the heliocentric radial
- velocity in bytes 196-202 [bytes 203-206, format I4]
-
-
- Structure 14
-
-
-
-
- CORRECTED RAD. VEL. Radial velocity corrected for the solar motion, in
- km/sec [bytes 207-213, format I7]
-
- CORR. RAD. VEL. REF. Source reference number for the corrected velocity
- in bytes 207-213 [bytes 214-217, format I4]
-
- ROTATIONAL VELOCITY km/sec/kpc [bytes 218-221, format I4]
-
- R(H) On the rotation curve, the distance from the center
- to the bending point. If the reference cited in
- bytes 231-233 is reference 11, this is in units of
- arcminutes. If reference 12 is cited, this is in
- kpc. [bytes 222-227, format F6.2]
-
- R(H) UNCERTAINTY ">" if the value in bytes 223-227 represents a lower
- limit. Otherwise, this field is blank. [byte 229,
- format A1]
-
- ROT. VEL. REFERENCE Rotational velocity reference code number; either
- 11, 12, or blank [bytes 230-233, format I4]
-
- FIRST SUPERNOVA DATE Last two digits of the year in which the first
- supernova was observed in this galaxy [bytes
- 234-236, format I3]
-
- SECOND SUPERNOVA DATE Last two digits of the year in which the second
- supernova was observed [bytes 237-239, format I3]
-
- NUMBER OF SUPERNOVAE Total number of supernovae observed in this galaxy
- [bytes 240-241, format I2]
-
- NUMBER OF H II REGIONS [bytes 242-245, format I4]
-
- H II REGION REFERENCE Code number of the reference for the HII regions of
- bytes 242-245 [bytes 246-249, format I4]
-
- INTEGRATED U-B Integrated U-B color, in magnitudes [bytes 250-255,
- format F6.2]
-
- U-B REFERENCE Coded reference to the color in bytes 250-255 [bytes
- 256-259, format I4]
-
- INTEGRATED B-V Integrated B-V color, in magnitudes [bytes 260-264,
- format F5.2]
-
- B-V REFERENCE Coded reference to the color in bytes 260-264 [bytes
- 265-268, format I4]
-
- FACE-ON U-B "Integrated face-on (U-B)o color" from the RC1 or
- RC2, in magnitudes [bytes 269-274, format F6.2]
-
- FACE-ON B-V "Integrated face-on (B-V)o color" from the RC1 or
- RC2, in magnitudes [bytes 275-279, format F5.2]
-
-
- Structure 15
-
-
-
-
- INTEGRAL SPECTRUM [bytes 281-282, format A2]
-
- FLUX DENSITY, 178 MHZ Radio flux density observed at 178 MHZ, in janskys
- [bytes 283-287, format F5.1]
-
- REFERENCE, 178 MHZ Coded reference to the flux density at 178 MHz
- [bytes 288-291, format I4]
-
- FLUX DENSITY, 780 MHZ Radio flux density observed at 780 MHz, in janskys
- [bytes 292-296, format F5.1]
-
- REFERENCE, 780 MHZ Coded reference to the flux density at 780 MHz
- [bytes 297-300, format I4]
-
- FLUX DENSITY, 1400 MHZ Radio flux density observed at 1400 MHz, in janskys
- [bytes 301-305, format F5.2]
-
- REFERENCE, 1400 MHZ Coded reference to the flux density at 1400 MHz
- [bytes 306-309, format I4]
-
- FLUX DENSITY, 2700 MHZ Radio flux density observed at 2700 MHz, in janskys
- [bytes 310-314, format F5.2]
-
- REFERENCE, 2700 MHZ Coded reference to the flux density at 2700 MHz
- [bytes 315-318, format I4]
-
- FLUX DENSITY, 5000 MHZ Radio flux density observed at 5000 MHz, in janskys
- [bytes 319-323, format F5.2]
-
- REFERENCE, 5000 MHZ Coded reference to the flux density at 5000 MHz
- [bytes 324-327, format I4]
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Structure 16
-
-
-
-
- 2.2.4 MULTIPLE SYSTEM AND INTERACTION DETAILS
- ______________________________________________
-
-
-
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | Bytes FORTRAN Format Data Name Units |
- | |
- | 328-331 I4 Nearby cluster number |
- | 332 1X Blank |
- | 333 A1 CCG flag |
- | 334 1X Blank |
- | 335 A1 Markarian list flag |
- | 336 1X Blank |
- | 337 A1 Isolated galaxy flag |
- | 338 1X Blank |
- | 339 A1 Isolated pair flag |
- | 340 1X Blank |
- | 341 A1 Byurakan nuclear type |
- | 342 1X Blank |
- | 343 A1 Emission line flag |
- | 344-345 I2 Companion code |
- | 346 1X Blank |
- | 347 A1 Multiple mem. designation |
- | 348-351 I4 Comp. MCG number |
- | 352-353 I2 Degree of isolation |
- | 354-355 I2 Number interacting |
- | 356 1X Blank |
- | 357 A1 Interaction flag |
- | 358-359 I2 Interaction type |
- | 360-361 I2 Distortion type |
- | 362-365 F4.1 Ang. separation arcminutes |
- | 366-367 I2 Number of faint comp. |
- | 368-369 I2 Component code |
- | 370-372 I3 MCG number/magnitude |
- | 373-376 F4.1 Ang. distance arcminutes |
- | |
- | |
- | |
- | Figure 5. Catalog Record Format (4 of 4) |
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-
- NEAR-BY CLUSTER NUMBER Near-by cluster number in the CGCG, as taken from
- the UGC, if the galaxy is within the outline of the
- indicated cluster [bytes 328-331, format I4]
-
- CCG FLAG "1" if this galaxy is listed in the CCG, otherwise
- blank [byte 333, format A1]
-
- MARKARIAN LIST FLAG "1" if this galaxy is contained in Markarians lists
- of galaxies, otherwise blank [byte 335, format A1]
-
-
-
- Structure 17
-
-
-
-
- ISOLATED GALAXY FLAG "1" if this galaxy is in the "Catalogue of Isolated
- Galaxies", otherwise blank [byte 337, format A1]
-
- ISOLATED PAIR FLAG "1" if this galaxy is in the "Catalogue of Isolated
- Pairs of Galaxies", otherwise blank [byte 339, for-
- mat A1]
-
- BYURAKAN NUCLEAR TYPE Byurakan classification of the galactic nucleus (see
- reference number 50) [byte 341, format A1]
-
- EMISSION LINE FLAG "1" if reference number 54 indicates that the spec-
- trum contains emission lines [byte 343, format A1]
-
-
-
- Bytes 344-353 contain coded information on the membership of this galaxy in
- a double or multiple system.
-
- COMPANION CODE Single-digit number indicating the presence of a
- companion galaxy, with or without an MCG number. If
- there is no companion, this field is blank. The
- following codes are used:
-
- 1 The companion has an MCG number.
-
- 2 The companion has no MCG number.
-
- 3 More than one galaxy is described by a single
- MCG number.
-
- [byte 344-345, format I2]
-
- MULT. MEM. DESIGNATION Single-character code giving information about this
- galaxys membership in a multiple system:
-
- 1 Brightest member of a multiple system
-
- K One of the fainter members of a multiple system
-
- 2 Member of a binary system
-
- D Another member of a binary system
-
- 3 Brightest member of a ternary system
-
- T One of the fainter members of a ternary system
-
- [byte 347, format A1]
-
- COMP. MCG NUMBER MCG number of the component (in the same field) in-
- dicated by "1" in byte 345, otherwise blank [bytes
- 348-351, format I4]
-
-
-
- Structure 18
-
-
-
-
- DEGREE OF ISOLATION Degree of isolation of a pair of galaxies, as indi-
- cated in reference 57. The integer codes used and
- the reference 57 equivalents are listed below.
-
- 1 + , +
-
- 2 - , -
-
- 3 + , -
-
- 4 - , +
-
- [bytes 352-353, format I2]
-
-
-
- Bytes 354-365 contain coded information of the existence and type of inter-
- action features.
-
- NUMBER INTERACTING Integer number of members observed to be interacting
- [byte 354-355, format I2]
-
- INTERACTION FLAG Single-character code indicating the certainty of
- interaction:
-
- B Evident interaction
-
- Q Suspected interaction
-
- [byte 357, format A1]
-
- INTERACTION TYPE Single-digit integer code indicating the type of
- interaction observed:
-
- 1 Galaxies connected by a bar
-
- 2 Galaxies connected by a spiral arm
-
- 3 Galaxies in contact
-
- 4 Galactic nuclei in contact
-
- 5 Nest of galaxies
-
- 6 Chain of galaxies
-
- 7 Galaxies embedded in a common nebulous envelope
-
- 8 Interaction at a distance
-
- 9 Blended galaxies
-
- [byte 358-359, format I2]
-
-
- Structure 19
-
-
-
-
- DISTORTION TYPE Single-digit integer code indicating the type of
- distortion (if any) of the galaxys form:
-
- 1 Tail
-
- 2 Unusual branched feature, e.g., a jet, streamer,
- or plume
-
- 3 Halo
-
- 4 Clear evidence of structure distortion
-
- 7 Galaxies embedded in a common nebulous envelope
-
- [byte 360-361, format I2]
-
- ANG. SEPARATION Angular separation, in arcminutes [bytes 362-365,
- format F4.1]
-
-
-
- Bytes 366-376 contain coded information about the existence of faint compo-
- nents.
-
- NUMBER OF FAINT COMP. Number of faint components in the multiple system
- [byte 366-367, format I2]
-
- COMPONENT CODE Single-digit integer indicating the type of compo-
- nent:
-
- 1 Faint component with an MCG number
-
- 2 Faint component without an MCG number
-
- 3 Nearby faint galaxy
-
- 4 Questionable object (a star or a defect) near
- the galaxy
-
- [bytes 368-369, format I2]
-
- MCG NUMBER/MAGNITUDE Two-digit integer containing either the MCG number
- of the component, if byte 369 contains "1", other-
- wise the magnitude of the nearest component [bytes
- 370-372, format I3]
-
- ANG. DISTANCE Angular distance to the nearest companion, in
- arcminutes [bytes 373-376, format F4.1]
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Structure 20
-
-
-
-
- 2.3 REFERENCES (FILE 2 OF 2)
- _____________________________
-
-
- This file lists the full forms of the 253 references cited by number in the
- main catalog file.
-
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | Bytes FORTRAN Format Data Name |
- | |
- | 1- 3 I3 Reference number |
- | 4-65 A62 Reference text |
- | 66-80 A15 Reference subject |
- | |
- | |
- | Figure 6. Reference Record Format |
- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-
- REFERENCE NUMBER Code number by which the reference is cited in the
- data file [bytes 1-3, format I3]
-
- REFERENCE TEXT The full form of the reference. When necessary, ad-
- ditional records are used to contain the full text.
- Continuation records are distinguished by having
- blanks in bytes 1-3. [bytes 4-65, format A62]
-
- REFERENCE SUBJECT Brief description of the subject of the reference.
- When necessary this field also continues into the
- next record. [bytes 66-80, format A15]
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Structure 21
-
-
-
-
- 3.0 HISTORY
- ____________
-
-
-
- 3.1 REMARKS AND MODIFICATIONS
- ______________________________
-
-
- "Merged Catalogue of Galaxies" (MERCG) was received by the Astronomical Data
- Center (ADC), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, from the Centre de Donnees
- Astronomiques, Strasbourg (CDS), in December 1986. The tape contained four
- files: one of catalog data, one of references, one of remarks, and one of
- notes. The last two files have been incorporated into this document in their
- entirety. An editor was used to delete the character "*" from the code num-
- ber field of continuation records in the reference file, and to perform minor
- reformatting of some records in order to preserve the format described in
- "References (File 2 of 2)."
-
- A FORTRAN program was run to check the validity of each field according to
- its data type and value. A number of typographical errors were discovered in
- the data file. N. Kogoshvili was contacted by letter and kindly supplied the
- necessary corrections. All changes made to the catalog file are listed in
- Appendix A, "Corrections to the Computer-Readable Version."
-
-
-
- 3.2 REFERENCES TO THE DOCUMENTATION
- ____________________________________
-
-
- Kogoshvili, N. 1986, unpublished documentation distributed with the cata-
- log by the Centre de Donnees Stellaires.
-
- Kogoshvili, N. 1987, private communication.
-
- Vorontsov-Velyaminov, B. A., Krasnogorskaja, A., and Arkhipova, V. P.
- 1962-68, "Morphological Catalogue of Galaxies" (6 volumes; Moscow).
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- History 22
-
-
-
-
- APPENDIX A. CORRECTIONS TO THE COMPUTER-READABLE VERSION
- ________________________________________________________
-
-
-
- As mentioned in "History," a FORTRAN program run on the MERCG to check the
- validity of each field revealed a number of typographical errors in the cata-
- log file. N. Kogoshvili kindly supplied the necessary corrections which have
- been made to the data. Following is a list of all records affected and the
- changes made.
-
-
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- | | | |
- | | | |
- | MERCG |Record | Correction |
- | Number |Number | |
- | | | |
- | | | |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |+09-12-001 |3998 |"." in bytes 125, 132, 138, and 139 and an |
- | | |unrecognizable character in byte 118 were all changed |
- | | |to blanks. |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |+09-12-003 |4000 |"." in bytes 118 and 139 was replaced by a blank. |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |+07-32-019 |9306 |The symbol "L" in byte 162 was shifted right one byte |
- | | |to the blank byte 163. Byte 162 was filled with a |
- | | |blank. This was done to enable the field in byte 162 |
- | | |to be read with a FORTRAN I1 format, as in all other |
- | | |records. |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |+04-27-051 |5439 |The value "1" in byte 355 was changed to "2". |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |-01-08-026 |5522 |The value "7" in byte 82 was changed to "6". |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |-02-33-089 |7733 |An unrecognizable character in byte 131 was changed |
- | | |to "D". |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |-02-35-004 |7816 |"." in byte 190 was changed to a blank. |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |-02-35-005 |7817 |"." in byte 145 was changed to a blank. |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |-05-04-028 |0889 |An erroneous declination of -37 degrees was corrected |
- | | |to -27 degrees, the value listed in the MCG. |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
- |-05-26-006 |1291 |An erroneous declination of -38 degrees was corrected |
- | | |to -28 degrees, the value listed in the MCG. |
- +------------+-------+------------------------------------------------------+
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Appendix A. Corrections to the Computer-Readable Version 23
-
-
-
-
- APPENDIX B. MCG SYMBOLS
- _______________________
-
-
-
- Following is a description of the various codes used in the MCG to detail the
- structure and appearance of galaxies in that catalog. This information has
- been taken from the English introduction to the "Morphological Catalogue of
- Galaxies. Part I." (Vorontsov-Velyaminov and Krasnogorskaja 1962).
-
- Quotes in this section are from Vorontsov-Velyaminov and and Krasnogorskaja
- 1962).
-
- Some of the symbols dscribed here can not be represented in computer-readable
- form. These symbols include the following: the greek letter gamma, which
- will be represented by "GAM"; an arrow pointing towards the right, which will
- be represented by "->"; and several letters from the cryllic alphabet. The
- cryllic letters resemble the letters "S", "s", and "c" but facing backwards
- instead. They are represented in the following text by enclosing them in pa-
- rentheses. Please refer to the original hardcopy documentation for the MERCG
- for the actual text symbols.
-
-
-
- The galaxies are divided into four general groups:
-
- E Elliptical galaxy
-
- F Flattened galaxy (in general this indicates a highly inclined galaxy
- with no discernable form)
-
- Fs Flattened galaxy in which is also seen the end of a spiral arm
-
- G Small galaxy, difficult to describe
-
-
-
- Following this general breakdown is a description of the galaxy in terms of
- zones extending outward from the nucleus. Individual details of structure
- are separated by special symbols which also serve to indicate the general re-
- lationship between structural details:
-
- , Separates details of the same zone
-
- ; Separates details of different zones
-
- ;; "Indicates that the outer details are completely detached from the inner
- ones"
-
- -> Indicates that the preceding detail tends to blend into the next
-
-
-
-
-
- Appendix B. MCG Symbols 24
-
-
-
-
- The following codes are used to indicate the presence of various structural
- details. They are listed roughly in order from the nucleus outward.
-
- N Large nucleus
-
- n Small nucleus
-
- e Following "N" or "n", indicates elongation of the nucleus
-
- (N) "Overexposed image with traces of structure" resembling "N"
-
- Subscript n With "N" or "n", indicates nebulosity of the nucleus
-
- H Halo or haze
-
- Hp "Very assymetrical or disturbed haze"
-
- D Disk
-
- D- Incomplete disk
-
- L Lens
-
- Vorontsov-Velyaminov and Krasnogorskaja note that "no sharp
- boundary exists between faint H and D, D and L, [or]
- bright L and N."
-
- R Single ring
-
- RR Several rings
-
- R- Incomplete ring
-
- D->R The disk becomes brighter at the rim, producing a ring effect.
-
- B Short bar with no nucleus
-
- B- Very short bar
-
- BB Long bar
-
- BBB Very long bar
-
- 2B Bar seen on both sides of an "N" or "L" galaxy
-
- "N; 2B" indicates the bar is relatively faint. "N, 2B" indi-
- cates the bar and nucleus are of comparable brightness.
-
- S or (S) Indicate long spiral arms opening in a clockwise or counter-
- clockwise direction, respectively. These symbols are preceded
- by the number of arms observed; for example, two arms opening
- clockwise would be represented by "2S".
-
- s or (s) Indicate short spiral arms
-
- Appendix B. MCG Symbols 25
-
-
-
-
- SS or (SS) Indefinite number of spiral arms
-
- SS or (SS) Spiral arms with an indefinite direction of winding
-
- S The arms wind in opposite directions.
-
- Sss Branching spiral arms
-
- (c) Single arc
-
- (cc) Several arcs
-
- r Ray
-
- GAM Spiral arms that emerge in a manner resembling the greek let-
- ter gamma
-
- GAM->R Indicates that the gamma arms tend to form a ring
-
- 2S->8 Spiral arms extending back into the nucleus to form a figure
- eight
-
- S->R Spiral arm transforms into a ring
-
- (N), SS or (F); ss Indicates that the ends of a flat system are visible
-
- D, (2S) Spiral arms suspected in a "D" galaxy
-
- L, (2s) Spiral arms suspected in an "L" galaxy
-
- 2l The galaxy has two wings ("It must be the flattened component
- seen nearly edgewise.")
-
- P Indefinite patch
-
- A Absorption features
-
- T Tail
-
- C Connecting filament between interacting galaxies
-
- + * Superimposed star on the image of the galaxy
-
-
-
- The symbols of the next group are used to qualify those previously listed:
-
- m Massive
-
- f Filamentary
-
- w Wide
-
- t Tight arms
-
- Appendix B. MCG Symbols 26
-
-
-
-
- o Open arms
-
- z Arms starting at right angles to a bar
-
- ->8 Transition to figure eight or loop
-
-
-
- Additionally, the degree of patchiness or resolution of a particular detail
- is indicated by the codes "a", "b", "c", "d", and "i". The letters "a-d"
- represent decreasing patchiness, with "a" being smooth and "d" very patchy.
- The letter "i" indicates irregularity. Combinations of these such as "ab" or
- "bc" used to represent intermediate steps in the progression in the MCG have
- been shortened to the one letter representing the greater degree of
- patchiness. Kogoshvili (1987) notes that this was done by agreement with B.
- A. Vorontsov-Velyaminov, for technical reasons.
-
- The code "p" (distinct from "P") denotes deformity in a specific detail and
- NOT peculiarity in general.
-
- Repetition of lower-case letters and "!" are used to accentuate the corre-
- sponding quality. A symbol in parentheses indicates that the detail is only
- suspected.
-
-
- In the introduction to Part III of the MCG, Vorontsov-Velyaminov and Arhipova
- note two changes made to the above system:
-
- The symbol "(SSS)" is introduced to indicate numerous indefinite spiral
- arms while "(SS)" is reserved for a small number of indefinite arms.
- This distinction has NOT been carried over into the MERCG.
-
- Details that are generally smooth but with bright condensations that
- would otherwise cause the detail to be classified as "d" or "i" are now
- described by a combination of symbols, such as "ai", "ad", or "bi".
-
-
-
- Finally, Vorontsov-Velyaminov and Kranogorskaja note that:
-
- The clear scheme of our description in practice is spoiled by the vague
- appearance of many galaxies and by the multitude of transition cases.
- Sometimes the same appearance can be described by different symbols of
- adjacent meaning. For instance "N; 2la" can be the more detailed de-
- scription of an "F" galaxy seen edge on. "D, (ss)" can be considered
- a "Db" etc.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Appendix B. MCG Symbols 27