ra | right ascension in degrees |
dec | declination in degrees |
designation | Jhhmmssss+ddmmsss |
j_m_k20fe | J magnitude |
h_m_k20fe | H magnitude |
k_m_k20fe | K magnitude |
r_k20fe | semi-major axis in arcseconds |
from the User's Guide to the 2MASS All-Sky Data Release, section 2_3a. Extended Source Catalog Column Descriptions
The following table contains brief descriptions of the parameters provided for each source in the 2MASS All Sky Release XSC. The table is organized according to the broad function and utility of the parameters: positional information, photometric information, and source quality information. For XSC flag parameters, the meaning of each possible flag value is given, along with some practical information on their usage.
The XSC contains 389 columns of information per source (most of which is photometry.) Because extended sources are much more complicated than a point source, it takes many more parameters to characterize them. Some parameters are required to describe the spatial extent of a source, and many more are required to characterize the photometry. In addition to a number of standard measures of photometry, the xsc also reports the magnitude as measured in a number of different fixed-size apertures. The columns are described in the tables below. We have separated the columns according to their basic function and utility.
Photometry algorithms and performance, "Large Aperture Photometry: Profile Fitting, Isophotal & Total Mags," is discussed here. The XSC FAQ and Primer, "How to Use the 2MASS XSC -- FAQ Sheet," is here.