We present the fifth edition of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Quasar Catalog, which is based upon the SDSS Seventh Data Release. The catalog, which contains 105783 spectroscopically confirmed quasars, represents the conclusion of the SDSS-I and SDSS-II quasar survey. The catalog consists of the SDSS objects that have luminosities larger than M_i_=-22.0 (in a cosmology with H_0_=70km/s/Mpc, {Omega}_M_=0.3, and {Omega}_{Lambda}=0.7), have at least one emission line with FWHM larger than 1000km/s or have interesting/complex absorption features, are fainter than i~15.0, and have highly reliable redshifts. The catalog covers an area of ~9380deg^2^. The quasar redshifts range from 0.065 to 5.46, with a median value of 1.49; the catalog includes 1248 quasars at redshifts greater than 4, of which 56 are at redshifts greater than 5. The catalog contains 9210 quasars with i<18; slightly over half of the entries have i<19. For each object the catalog presents positions accurate to better than 0.1"rms per coordinate, five-band (ugriz) CCD-based photometry with typical accuracy of 0.03mag, and information on the morphology and selection method. The catalog also contains radio, near-infrared, and X-ray emission properties of the quasars, when available, from other large-area surveys. The calibrated digital spectra cover the wavelength region 3800-9200{AA} at a spectral resolution of ~2000; the spectra can be retrieved from the SDSS public database using the information provided in the catalog. Over 96% of the objects in the catalog were discovered by the SDSS. We also include a supplemental list of an additional 207 quasars with SDSS spectra whose archive photometric information is incomplete.
We present a catalog of 792 Fifth Data Release Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasars with optical spectra that have been observed serendipitously in the X-rays with the XMM-Newton. These quasars cover a redshift range of z=0.11-5.41 and a magnitude range of i=15.3-20.7. Substantial numbers of radio-loud (70) and broad absorption line (51) quasars exist within this sample. Significant X-ray detections at >=2{sigma} account for 87% of the sample (685 quasars), and 473 quasars are detected at >=6{sigma}, sufficient to allow X-ray spectral fits. For detected sources, ~60% have X-ray fluxes between F_2-10keV_=(1-10)x10^-14^erg/cm^2^/s. We fit a single power law, a fixed power law with intrinsic absorption left free to vary, and an absorbed power-law model to all quasars with X-ray signal-to-noise ratio >=6, resulting in a weighted mean photon index {Gamma}=1.91+/-0.08, with an intrinsic dispersion {sigma}_{Gamma}_=0.38.
A robust and extended characterization of the Point Spread Function (PSF) is crucial to extract the photometric information produced by deep imaging surveys. Here we present the extended PSFs of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), one of the most productive astronomical surveys of all time. By stacking ~1000 images of individual stars with different brightness, we obtain the bidimensional SDSS PSFs extending over 8 arcmin in radius for all the SDSS filters (u, g, r, i, z). This new characterization of the SDSS PSFs is near a factor of 10 larger in extension than previous PSFs characterizations of the same survey. We found asymmetries in the shape of the PSFs caused by the drift scanning observing mode. The flux of the PSFs is larger along the drift scanning direction. Following a reproducible science philosophy, we make all the PSF models and the used tools publicly available. Finally, we illustrate with an example how the PSF models can be used to remove the scattered light field produced by the brightest stars in the Coma Cluster central region. This particular example shows the huge importance of PSFs in the study of the low surface brightness Universe, especially with the upcoming of ultra-deep surveys such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) presents the first spectroscopic data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). This ninth data release (DR9) of the SDSS project includes 535,995 new galaxy spectra (median z ~ 0.52), 102,100 new quasar spectra (median z ~ 2.32), and 90,897 new stellar spectra, along with the data presented in previous data releases. These spectra were obtained with the new BOSS spectrograph and were taken between 2009 December and 2011 July. In addition, the stellar parameters pipeline, which determines radial velocities, surface temperatures, surface gravities, and metallicities of stars, has been updated and refined with improvements in temperature estimates for stars with T_eff_<5000K and in metallicity estimates for stars with [Fe/H]>-0.5. DR9 includes new stellar parameters for all stars presented in DR8, including stars from SDSS-I and II, as well as those observed as part of the SEGUE-2. The astrometry error introduced in the DR8 imaging catalogs has been corrected in the DR9 data products. The next data release for SDSS-III will be in Summer 2013, which will present the first data from the APOGEE along with another year of data from BOSS, followed by the final SDSS-III data release in 2014 December.
The present catalog is a subset of the data release 4 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), restricted to primary and secondary photo objects (i.e. objects from PhotoPrimary of PhotoSecondary tables) and restricted to the columns described in the "Byte-by-Byte" description below. The complete SDSS data release 4 catalog is available from http://www.sdss.org/dr4/ The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will map in detail one-quarter of the entire sky, determining the positions and absolute brightnesses of more than 100 million celestial objects. It will also measure the distances to more than a million galaxies and quasars. Apache Point Observatory, site of the SDSS telescopes, is operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC). Funding for the SDSS has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, the Max Planck Society, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The SDSS is a joint project of The University of Chicago, Fermilab, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Japan Participation Group, The Johns Hopkins University, the Korean Scientist Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), New Mexico State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the United States Naval Observatory, and the University of Washington. All details about ADSS at http://www.sdss.org/dr4/
The present catalog is a subset of the data release 6 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), restricted to primary and secondary photo objects (i.e. objects from PhotoPrimary of PhotoSecondary tables) and restricted to the columns described in the "Byte-by-Byte" description below. The complete SDSS data release 6 catalog is available from http://www.sdss.org/dr6/. Compared to data release 5 (Cat. II/276), this subset includes in addition the redshift and its error (for the 880680 sources observed spectroscopically), and the proper motions. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will map in detail one-quarter of the entire sky, determining the positions and absolute brightnesses of more than 100 million celestial objects. It will also measure the distances to more than a million galaxies and quasars. Apache Point Observatory, site of the SDSS telescopes, is operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC). Funding for the SDSS has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, the Max Planck Society, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The SDSS is a joint project of The University of Chicago, Fermilab, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Japan Participation Group, The Johns Hopkins University, the Korean Scientist Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), New Mexico State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the United States Naval Observatory, and the University of Washington. All details about SDSS at http://www.sdss.org/dr6/
The present catalog is a subset of the data release 7 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), restricted to primary and secondary photo objects (i.e. objects from PhotoPrimary of PhotoSecondary tables) and restricted to the columns described in the "Byte-by-Byte" description below. The complete SDSS data release 7 catalog is available from http://www.sdss.org/dr7/. Compared to data release 6 (Cat. II/282), this subset includes in addition the 'clean' flag. This seventh release represents the completion of the SDSS Legacy project, which consists of an imaging survey in five bands (ugriz) over a contiguous 7646 sq.degrees high-latitude elliptical region in the Northern Galactic Cap, plus an additional 750 sq.degrees in the Southern Galactic Cap, together with spectroscopy of complete samples of galaxies and quasars covering about 8200 sq.degrees. The total imaging area in the Legacy survey is 8423 sq.degrees. Funding for the SDSS has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, the Max Planck Society, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The SDSS is a joint project of The University of Chicago, Fermilab, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Japan Participation Group, The Johns Hopkins University, the Korean Scientist Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), New Mexico State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the United States Naval Observatory, and the University of Washington. Apache Point Observatory, site of the SDSS telescopes, is operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC). All details about SDSS-DR7 at http://www.sdss.org/dr7/
The present catalog is a subset of the third data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), restricted to primary and secondary photo objects (i.e. objects from PhotoPrimary of PhotoSecondary tables) and restricted to the columns described in the "Byte-by-Byte" description below. The complete SDSS data release 3 catalog is available from http://www.sdss.org/dr3/ The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will map in detail one-quarter of the entire sky, determining the positions and absolute brightnesses of more than 100 million celestial objects. It will also measure the distances to more than a million galaxies and quasars. Apache Point Observatory, site of the SDSS telescopes, is operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC). Funding for the SDSS has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, the Max Planck Society, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The SDSS is a joint project of The University of Chicago, Fermilab, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Japan Participation Group, The Johns Hopkins University, the Korean Scientist Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), New Mexico State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the United States Naval Observatory, and the University of Washington. All details about ADSS at http://www.sdss.org/dr3/
The present catalog is a subset of the data release 5 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), restricted to primary and secondary photo objects (i.e. objects from PhotoPrimary of PhotoSecondary tables) and restricted to the columns described in the "Byte-by-Byte" description below. The complete SDSS data release 5 catalog is available from http://www.sdss.org/dr5/ The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will map in detail one-quarter of the entire sky, determining the positions and absolute brightnesses of more than 100 million celestial objects. It will also measure the distances to more than a million galaxies and quasars. Apache Point Observatory, site of the SDSS telescopes, is operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC). Funding for the SDSS has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, the Max Planck Society, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The SDSS is a joint project of The University of Chicago, Fermilab, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Japan Participation Group, The Johns Hopkins University, the Korean Scientist Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), New Mexico State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the United States Naval Observatory, and the University of Washington. All details about ADSS at http://www.sdss.org/dr5/