Astronomical catalogue

An astronomical catalogue is a systematic list of celestial objects and their measured or descriptive properties, compiled from observations. It identifies objects consistently so they can be compared and studied.

Astronomical object: A naturally occurring physical entity or structure in the universe, such as a star, planet, or galaxy. Catalogues organize observations of these objects into searchable records.
Messier catalogue: A list of nebulae and star clusters compiled by Charles Messier to distinguish them from comets. Its compact set of bright deep-sky objects became a widely used observing list.
Astronomical survey: A planned program of observations that systematically examines a defined region or population of the sky. Surveys provide the observations from which many catalogues are assembled.
SIMBAD: An astronomical database that provides identifiers, bibliographic references, and basic data for astronomical objects beyond the Solar System. It uses catalogue records to connect an object's names, properties, and literature.
General catalogue: A catalogue designed to cover a broad range of objects or properties rather than one narrowly defined class. Broad coverage contrasts with catalogues restricted to particular source types.
Astrometry: The branch of astronomy that measures the positions and motions of celestial objects. Precise coordinates let catalogues distinguish and relocate objects.
Henry Draper Catalogue: A stellar catalogue that classifies hundreds of thousands of stars by their spectra. It established a large-scale application of spectral classification in catalogue form.
Source extraction: The process of detecting and measuring astronomical sources in images. Image processing converts survey frames into candidate catalogue entries.
VizieR: An online service for searching and retrieving published astronomical catalogues and tables. It makes catalogue data from many surveys available in a common discovery interface.
Star catalogue: A catalogue whose entries primarily describe stars and their measured properties. Stellar catalogues are a major specialized subset of astronomical catalogues.

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