  In preparation for the advent of the Allen Telescope Array, the SETI
Institute has the need to greatly expand its former list of ~2000 targets
compiled for Project Phoenix, a search for extraterrestrial technological
signals. In this paper we present a catalog of stellar systems that are
potentially habitable to complex life forms (including intelligent life), which
comprises the largest portion of the new SETI target list. The Catalog of
Nearby Habitable Systems (HabCat) was created from the Hipparcos Catalogue by
examining the information on distances, stellar variability, multiplicity,
kinematics and spectral classification for the 118,218 stars contained therein.
We also make use of information from several other catalogs containing data for
Hipparcos stars on X-ray luminosity, CaII H&K activity, rotation, spectral
types, kinematics, metallicity, and Stroemgren photometry. Combined with
theoretical studies on habitable zones, evolutionary tracks and third body
orbital stability, these data were used to remove unsuitable stars from HabCat,
leaving a residue of stars that, to the best of our current knowledge, are
potentially habitable hosts for complex life. While this Catalog will no doubt
need to be modified as we learn more about individual objects, the present
analysis results in 17,129 Hipparcos "habstars" near the Sun (75% within 140
pc), ~2200 of which are known or suspected to be members of binary or triple
star systems.
