NED-D: A Master List of Redshift-Independent Extragalactic Distances
(Version 17.1.0 May 2020)
As compiled by Ian Steer, Barry F. Madore,
and the NED Team
NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED)
California Institute of Technology
and
The Observatories
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Pasadena CA
With additional generous support from the Carnegie Institution of Canada
NED-D data files:
Overview
NED-D is an online compilation of redshift-independent extragalactic
distances found in an extensive search of the recently published
literature. Version 17.1.0 (May 2020) of NED-D provides
67624 distances to 7229 galaxies based on primary methods,
using standard candles such as Cepheids and Type Ia supernova, or standard
rulers such as globular cluster radii and masers. Also provided are 204941
distances for 141349 galaxies based on secondary methods (the Tully-Fisher
or Fundamental Plane relations, etc.). In total, NED-D V17.1.0 provides
272573 redshift-independent extragalactic distances for 147363 galaxies.
Users can access the results of this compilation of distances in two
independent ways:
-
On the Main Interface to NED the link labeled
Redshift Independent Distances allows one to retrieve distances for
individual galaxies within NED. For the Andromeda galaxy for example,
this request currently returns 407 distances based on 23
redshift-independent methods. Galaxy queries draw from the 233718
distances for 145283 galaxies and systems of galaxies that come from
sources that are both peer-reviewed and incorporated within the main
NED database.
-
The Galaxy Distances Tabulation (NED-D)
[Download]
contains all 272573 distances for all 147363 galaxies available,
including all distances incorporated within NED as above,
as well as distances from some peer-reviewed papers still to be
added to NED, plus distances found in conference proceedings or
preprints not generally found in the main NED database. The format
is CSV (comma-separated variable), appropriate for loading into most
database management systems. Table 1 describes
the structure of this tabular version of NED-D.
The methodology, content, and use of NED-D are described in an article for The Astronomical Journal by the NED Team (Steer et al. 2017).
Our primary gateways to the redshift-independent distance estimates published in the astronomical literature are the NASA/SAO Astrophysics Data System (ADS),
described by Kurtz et al. (2000), and the arXiv astronomical paper archive, described by Ginsparg (2011). Distances based on several dozen different
redshift-independent distance indicators, including primary and secondary indicators, are available.
Table 2 provides a complete listing.
If your research benefits from use of the redshift-independent distance estimates compiled in NED,
a citation to Steer et al. 2017 would be gratefully appreciated, in addition to the recommended acknowledgement of NED.
NED-D is designed to meet the need for an up-to-date and easy-to-use
tabulation of redshift-independent extragalactic distances published in
the precision era, broadly taken to be since 1990 and launch of the NASA
Hubble Space Telescope (HST). NED-D exists to support scientists, space
missions, and ground-based observatories in planning, interpretation, and
publication of research on galaxies, extragalactic distances, and cosmology.
NED-D is being maintained as part of NED core activities, with updated and
upgraded versions being made available on a regular basis.
Table 1: Structure of the tabular version of NED-D
| Field |
Label |
Description |
| 1 |
Exclusion Code |
Exclusion Code: indicates where "" (blank) which of the distances
from the master file are from peer-reviewed sources incorporated
within NED, and are both interactive within NED and available via the
Redshift Independent Distances query, and indicates by the letter "R"
and "N" which are among the distances not yet included in NED but
available in the NED-D tabulation. |
| 2 |
D |
Record index. |
| 3 |
G |
Object index. |
| 4 |
Galaxy ID |
NED "Preferred Object Name" for the host galaxy. |
| 5 |
m-M |
Distance Modulus expressed in mag. |
| 6 |
err |
Quoted (one-sigma) statistical (random) error on the distance modulus. |
| 7 |
D (Mpc) |
Metric distance (in units of Mpc). |
| 8 |
Method |
Distance indicator (method) used; see Table 2 for
explanations of the codes. |
| 9 |
REFCODE |
REFCODE for the originating paper publishing the distance. |
| Ancillary information of the various methods, such as added corrections, zero points, etc. |
| 10 |
SN ID |
Supernova Name: informs users only when distances are based on Type Ia
Supernova (SNIa), Type II Supernova optical (SNII optical), or Type II
Supernova radio (SNII radio) methods, stating which SN is referenced, easing
interactive comparison between NED-D and the author(s) data, which are most
often presented in SN order whether by date or name, rather than order of
galaxy host position, as given here. |
| 11 |
redshift (z) |
Redshift: appears only in cases where the distance modulus is published as a
"luminosity distance modulus", as provided mostly for Type Ia supernova (SNIa),
showing the target redshift used to transform each "luminosity distance
modulus" given to the corresponding "metric distance", via m-M(L) = [5
logD/(1+z)]/5. |
| 12 |
Hubble const. |
Hubble constant: appears only in cases where the Hubble constant assumed by the
author(s) differs from the default value of H = 70 km/s/Mpc used here and by the
Supernova Cosmology Project, the Supernova Legacy Survey and others, see for
example Astier et al. (2006), who round down the value of H = 72 km/s/Mpc from the
NASA HST Key Project final results by Freedman et al. (2001). |
| 13 |
Adopted LMC modulus |
LMC zero point: appears only in cases where the zero point assumed by the
author(s) differs from a fiduciary value of 18.50 mag. |
| 14 |
Date (Yr. - 1980) |
Reference Date |
| 15 |
Notes |
Notes distinguishing where necessary relevant measurement data. |
Figure 1. Growth in the number of individual redshift-independent distance estimates
(blue), and the galaxies with such estimates (red), is shown for both primary
indicators (thick lines) and secondary indicators (thin lines). Cumulative totals
are shown for the end of each five-year period, except the most recent period which
is current through 2014.
NED-D Historical Distances (pre-1930)
We have also collected, using similar procedures,
290 distances to galaxies published
before 1930. One of us (I.S.) has provided a
brief introduction to
these.
Hubble Tuning Fork Shown to Scale Using Distances from NED-D
Click on the image below for details.
References
- Astier, P. et al. 2006, Astron. & Astrophys., 447, 31
(
2006A&A...447...31A)
- Freedman, W. L. et al. 2001, Astrophys. J., 553, 47
(
2001ApJ...553...47F)
- Ginsparg, P. 2011, Nature, 476, 145
(
2011Natur.476..145G)
- Kurtz, M. J. et al. 2000, Astron. & Astrophys. Suppl. 143, 41
(
2000A&AS..143...41K)
- Steer, I. et al. 2017, Astron. J. 153, 37
(
2017AJ....153...37S)
|
