MAIN CATALOGUE

Main Catalogue Description

WARNING : the field numbers of the Main Catalogue are not identical to those of the printed version as some useful information has been added.

The description of the data given below follows the order of the columns of the Hipparcos Input Catalogue. Further explanations, along with relevant information on how the data were collected and selected, are included in smaller type. Full names and references of all catalogues are given at the end of this introduction (page ). In general, the number of decimals retained provides an indication of the precision of the data.

• Fields 1-3: Hipparcos Input Catalogue (HIC) Identification
  • Field 1: Hipparcos Input Catalogue (HIC) running number
  • Field 2: Component(s) considered
  • Field 3: Satellite target in case of a joint entry
• Fields 4-11: Position (Equinox J2000.0)
  • Field 4: Right ascension (hours, minutes, and seconds, equinox J2000.0)
  • Field 5: Declination (degrees, minutes, and seconds, equinox J2000.0)
  • Field 6: Epoch for the position
  • Field 7: Mean error of the right ascension
  • Field 8: Mean error of the declination
  • Field 9: Source of position
  • Field 10: Right ascension (decimal degrees, equinox J2000.0)
  • Field 11: Declination (decimal degrees, equinox J2000.0)
• Fields 12-15: Other coordinates
  • Field 12: Galactic longitude
  • Field 13: Galactic latitude
  • Field 14: Ecliptic longitude
  • Field 15: Ecliptic latitude
• Fields 16-19: Position (Equinox B1950.0)
  • Field 16: Right ascension (equinox B1950.0, hours, minutes, and seconds)
  • Field 17: Declination (equinox B1950.0, degrees, minutes, and seconds)
  • Field 18: Right ascension (equinox B1950.0, decimal degrees)
  • Field 19: Declination (equinox B1950.0, decimal degrees)
• Fields 20-24: Proper Motion
  • Field 20: Proper motion in right ascension (equinox J2000.0)
  • Field 21: Proper motion in declination (equinox J2000.0)
  • Field 22: Mean error of the proper motion in right ascension
  • Field 23: Mean error of the proper motion in declination
  • Field 24: Source of proper motion
• Fields 25-31: Photometry
  • Field 25: Magnitude in the Hipparcos photometric system,
  • Field 26, 1st digit: Variability code
  • Field 26, 2nd digit: Photoelectric standard stars
  • Field 27: magnitude
  • Field 28: Error of magnitude
  • Field 29:
  • Field 30: Error of
  • Field 31: Source of photometry
• Fields 32-33: Spectral Type
  • Field 32: Spectral type and luminosity class
  • Field 33: Source of the spectral type data
• Fields 34-36: Parallax
  • Field 34: Parallax
  • Field 35: Probable error of parallax
  • Field 36: Type of parallax
• Fields 37-38: Radial Velocity
  • Field 37: Radial velocity
  • Field 38, 1st digit: Quality of radial velocity
  • Field 38, 2nd digit: Source of radial velocity
• Fields 39-44: Variability
  • Field 39: Variable star name
  • Field 40: Type of variability
  • Field 41: Period of variation
  • Field 42: magnitude at maximum luminosity
  • Field 43: magnitude at minimum luminosity
  • Field 44, 1st digit: Coded error of the magnitudes at maximum/minimum luminosity
  • Field 44, 2nd digit: Code specifying the magnitudes and colour given in fields 25, 27, 29
• Fields 45-50: Multiplicity
  • Field 45: CCDM number
  • Field 46: Components considered
  • Field 47: Position angle (degrees) between the components considered
  • Field 48: Separation (arcsec) between the components considered
  • Field 49: Magnitude difference between the components considered
  • Field 50: Information on orbital systems
• Fields 51-60: Identifications
  • Field 51: BD number
  • Field 52: CD number
  • Field 53: CPD number
  • Field 54: HD/HDE number
  • Field 55: FK5/FK5 Ext/FK4 Sup, or IRS (AGK3R/SRS) number
  • Field 56: AGK3/CPC number
  • Field 57: SAO number
  • Field 58-59: Other principal identifiers
  • Field 60: Other identifiers
• Fields 61: Miscellaneous Information
  • Field 61, 1st digit: Survey star and identification chart
  • Field 61, 2nd digit: Notes