Data added in the Database in July, August, September 2005

This page informs on the progress made in the inclusion of new data in the database.

Data added in 2005: April - June   |   January - March

 

2005 September 30

The compilation by Chen et al. (2003, AJ 125, 1397) has been included in the database. This catalogue includes mean values for the age, reddening, distances and metallicity for 119 open clusters from the literature.

 

2005 September 29

When implementing the complete data base to the new server (switching from SunOS to AIX), I recognized, how robust and well written the routines from Jean-Claude are, not calling for any changes in most of the programmes. In this process, we found some minor bugs which are now all fixed. In addition, I am constantly improving the performance of several routines. You still have all the functions from WEBDA running as you are used to it. There might only minor changes in the layout.

I would like to give you an overview of the few "severe" changes which were made, not because the old routines are not good enough, but the server in Vienna required different programmes running. If you find any bugs or malfunction routines, do not hesitate to contact me. It is impossible to test all programmes under all conditions.

  • The Plot-routines are now based on Gnuplot 4.0. An OpenSource programme with a powerful community and many developers. I will include new versions as soon as they are stable.
  • The Graphic-files are now in the .png format.
  • Retrieving archive files is now via http.
  • Jean-Claude already mentioned the new Isochrone and CMD plots.

    I will try to guarantee the high quality of WEBDA in the future. Jean-Claude did a great job which is deeply appreciated by the community. And I am certain that we will see a lot of forthcoming papers by Jean-Claude in the near future.

    If you still miss some useful tools or features, please contact me. I would like also to recall that the next steps should be the implementation of clusters in the Magellanic Clouds .

     

    2005 September 26

    The database has been transferred to the Institute of Astronomy of the University of Vienna.
    From now on, Dr Ernst Paunzen and collaborators will develop and maintain WEBDA.

    The new URL is https://webda.physics.muni.cz/

    Most of the interface is identical, however new facilities have already been developed by Dr Paunzen:

    The maintenance of the database takes more and more time. It would be very useful if the open-cluster community could help the Vienna group
    1. by providing new data and table directly to Ernst Paunzen (epaunzen@physics.muni.cz) which would save of lot of time spent in searching or requesting new data,

    2. by providing cross-identification with previous numbering systems. Without the cross-identifications, it would have no sense to build a database. With the increasing number of CCD studies, this task becomes more and more complex and time consuming, although performant tools have been developed.

    I hope you will support and appreciate the work done by Ernst Paunzen at Vienna and that WEBDA will continue to be best source of information on open clusters.

     

    I would like to thank all colleagues who have sent me a copy of their data and permitted to make them available them through the Web site.

    I would like to thank especially Brian Skiff, who provided since several years extensive lists of J2000 coordinates. Much of the database content results from his work.

    I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Daniel Lechaire, from the Institute of Astronomy of the University of Lausanne, who has assumed during many years several tasks in connection with the database: entering data in the computer from published papers, old and recent, scanning identification maps, measuring XY positions, which finally permitted to develop one of the facilities I like most: to query the database from scanned or plotted maps.

    Finally I am very grateful to Ernst Paunzen for his proposal to continue the development of WEBDA and the enthousiasm he put in the installation and improvement of the interface. I wish him much pleasure and satisfaction in this job.

    WEBDA has been used as primary material for several thesis, its use has been very often acknowledged in papers. I think the project has filled its goals. It can be improved. This is the task of the new group, and of all persons interested in this beautiful subject: star clusters.

    Jean-Claude Mermilliod

     

    2005 September 23

    NGC 2225

    Data from Carraro G., et al. 2005, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 362, 649 (2005MNRAS.362..649C) Notes : New cluster in the database.

    NGC 2262

    Data from Carraro G., et al. 2005, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 362, 649 (2005MNRAS.362..649C) Notes : New cluster in the database.

    Czernik 32

    Data from Carraro G., et al. 2005, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 362, 649 (2005MNRAS.362..649C) Notes : New cluster in the database.

    Ruprecht 61

    Data from Carraro G., et al. 2005, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 362, 649 (2005MNRAS.362..649C) Notes : New cluster in the database.

     

    2005 September 21

    Haffner 18

    Data from Moreno-Corral M.A., et al. 2005, Rev. Mex. Astron. Astrofis. 41, 69 (2005RMxAA..41...69M)

     

    2005 September 20

    NGC 6882

    Data from Hintz E.G., Rose M.B. 2005, Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 117, 955 (2005PASP..117..955H)

     

    2005 August 31

    Ruprecht 91

    Data from Turner D.G., et al. 2005, Astron. J. 130, 1194 (2005AJ....130.1194T)

     

    2005 August 25

    The number of measurements for the UBV photoelectric data has been restored, on the basis of the GCPD catalogue of UBV photometry.

    The uvby mean data have been updated on the basis of the GCPD catalogue of mean data for the Strögren system.

     

    2005 August 22

    Data from Kharchenko N.V., et al. 2005, Astron. Astrophys. 438, 1163 (2005A&A...438.1163K)

    The table of cluster parameters has been introduced in the database (COCD) and links have been established with the original postscript pages of the Open Cluster Diagram Atlas (OCDA), both from the table and from each cluster page.

     

    2005 August 15

    NGC 1647

    Data from Zdanavicius J., et al. 2005, Baltic Astron. 14, 179 (2005BaltA..14..179Z)

     

    2005 August 11

    Alpha Persei

    Data from Lodieu N., et al. 2005, Astron. Astrophys. 436, 853 (2005A&A...436..853L)

     

    2005 August 10

    NGC 6520

    Data from Carraro G., et al. 2005, Astron. J. 130, 635 (2005AJ....130..635C) Notes Stars with |X| < 250 and |Y| < 250, V < 18.50 and B-V < 3.5 were selected from the entire catalogue. Additional stars corresponding to the fainter ones observed by Kjeldsen and Frandsen were added. The whole set has been numbered sequentially. The new numbering system (3634 stars) replaces the previous one (145*).
    The original datafile form Carraro et al. can be obtained from the data archives.

     


    epaunzen@physics.muni.cz
    Jean-Claude.Mermilliod@obs.unige.ch
    Last Update: 2005 October 06