<p><a href="http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/db-perl/W3Browse/w3table.pl?tablehead=name=bsc5p&amp;Action=More%20Options" rel="nofollow">BSC5p</a> may be a nice database to start with.</p>

<p>The parallax (check according box) and vmag will provide a basis for the calculation of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_magnitude" rel="nofollow">absolute visual magnitude</a>. The absolute visual magnitude may be lower (star may be absolutely brighter), if the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_%28astronomy%29" rel="nofollow">extinction</a> isn't negligible.</p>

<p>1/parallax is a good estimate for the distance. Take this distance as an approximate for the luminosity distance, if you can assume negligible extinction. Now calculate the visual magnitude of the star at 10 parsec distance to get the absolute visual magnitude.</p>

<p>Example: Alp1Cen (HR 5459) has vmag -0.01, and parallax 0.751 arc seconds. Therefore the distance is about 1/0.751 = 1.33 parsec. We get absolute visual magnitude
$$ M=m-5\cdot (\mbox{log}_{10}D_L - 1)=-0.01-5\cdot (\mbox{log}_{10}1.33 - 1)=4.37.$$</p>

<p><a href="http://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/course/Notes/section2/spectraltemps.html" rel="nofollow">An overview of absolute magnitude and spectral types</a>.</p>

<p>More detailed discussion, and tables can be found in <a href="http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/374/4/1549.full.pdf" rel="nofollow">this paper</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://xoomer.virgilio.it/hrtrace/Sk.htm" rel="nofollow">More tables</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8963.html" rel="nofollow">This book</a> seems to contain a table with values as of 2009, which is cited <a href="http://www.handprint.com/ASTRO/specclass.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T14:00:07.027Z
Thanks. It is a good catalog to begin with, but bsc5p is observational data which may be affected by many different factors. We do not know whether an OIII star's 'typical' mag. How to know an OIII star's theoretical absolute magnitude?
questionhang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T01:17:40.550Z
There is not a name for the table in your link. If it is famous, I can cite it. I know there is a Schmidt-Kaler catalog（1982），but I can not find it on line.
questionhang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T01:33:14.020Z
@questionhang I've been looking about OIII data, but those are rare; OIII stars are blue giants, with absolute magnitude below -5. This paper contains some data (p.1553): http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/374/4/1549.full.pdf It's also referencing Schmidt-Kaler, but they say, data differ a bit.
Gerald
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T02:08:58.447Z
Thank you. This kind of thing is what I am looking for. But it seems people did not cite that MNRAS paper much. Maybe I still need the traditional schmidt-kaler catalog.
questionhang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T02:13:54.793Z
@questionhang This (http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8963.html) seems to be a bit more up-to-date, but it's not free. I've provided a link to a cite of the relevant table in the answer.
Gerald
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T02:26:21.713Z
haha,you are professional. I have this book. I just need a catalog which people use much.
questionhang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T06:40:35.747Z
Thank you,Gerald. I missed your `This book seems to contain a table with values as of 2009, which is cited here.` It is very difficult to find sk's catalog. I do not know why vizier do not include it.
questionhang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T11:08:50.660Z
2014-03-04T02:06:32.717Z
2014-03-04T02:06:32.717Z
Gerald
<p>Is there any star atlas someone recommends?<br/></p>

<p>Then for some kind of star with a definite spectral type, we can know its absolute magnitude.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T18:57:38.690Z
There are a number of stellar catalogues each with their own ranges and applications (e.g. nearby stars above a given luminosity threshold). Could you elaborate on what you need the catalogue for?
christopherlovell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T01:20:30.190Z
I need to know the absolute magnitude for a specified stellar type. Then I can use the color index(or SED) which I get from the observational data to infer the stellar type for my sources.
questionhang
<star>
star atlas with absolute magnitude and spectral type
questionhang
# star atlas with absolute magnitude and spectral type

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-03)

Is there any star atlas someone recommends?

Then for some kind of star with a definite spectral type, we can know its absolute magnitude.

**Tags:** star

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There are a number of stellar catalogues each with their own ranges and applications (e.g. nearby stars above a given luminosity threshold). Could you elaborate on what you need the catalogue for?  
> **username_0**: I need to know the absolute magnitude for a specified stellar type. Then I can use the color index(or SED) which I get from the observational data to infer the stellar type for my sources.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-03-03. Score: 3

[BSC5p](http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/db-perl/W3Browse/w3table.pl?tablehead=name=bsc5p&Action=More%20Options) may be a nice database to start with.

The parallax (check according box) and vmag will provide a basis for the calculation of the [absolute visual magnitude](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_magnitude). The absolute visual magnitude may be lower (star may be absolutely brighter), if the [extinction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_%28astronomy%29) isn't negligible.

1/parallax is a good estimate for the distance. Take this distance as an approximate for the luminosity distance, if you can assume negligible extinction. Now calculate the visual magnitude of the star at 10 parsec distance to get the absolute visual magnitude.

Example: Alp1Cen (HR 5459) has vmag -0.01, and parallax 0.751 arc seconds. Therefore the distance is about 1/0.751 = 1.33 parsec. We get absolute visual magnitude
$$ M=m-5\cdot (\mbox{log}\_{10}D\_L - 1)=-0.01-5\cdot (\mbox{log}\_{10}1.33 - 1)=4.37.$$

[An overview of absolute magnitude and spectral types](http://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/course/Notes/section2/spectraltemps.html).

More detailed discussion, and tables can be found in [this paper](http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/374/4/1549.full.pdf).

[More tables](http://xoomer.virgilio.it/hrtrace/Sk.htm).

[This book](http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8963.html) seems to contain a table with values as of 2009, which is cited [here](http://www.handprint.com/ASTRO/specclass.html).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks. It is a good catalog to begin with, but bsc5p is observational data which may be affected by many different factors. We do not know whether an OIII star's 'typical' mag. How to know an OIII star's theoretical absolute magnitude?  
> **username_0**: There is not a name for the table in your link. If it is famous, I can cite it. I know there is a Schmidt-Kaler catalog（1982），but I can not find it on line.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 I've been looking about OIII data, but those are rare; OIII stars are blue giants, with absolute magnitude below -5. This paper contains some data (p.1553): http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/374/4/1549.full.pdf It's also referencing Schmidt-Kaler, but they say, data differ a bit.  
> **username_0**: Thank you. This kind of thing is what I am looking for. But it seems people did not cite that MNRAS paper much. Maybe I still need the traditional schmidt-kaler catalog.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 This (http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8963.html) seems to be a bit more up-to-date, but it's not free. I've provided a link to a cite of the relevant table in the answer.  
> **username_0**: haha,you are professional. I have this book. I just need a catalog which people use much.  
> **username_0**: Thank you,username_2. I missed your `This book seems to contain a table with values as of 2009, which is cited here.` It is very difficult to find sk's catalog. I do not know why vizier do not include it.  

---

