The DFBS Spectroscopic Database and the Armenian Virtual Observatory
The Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS) is the digitized version of the famous Markarian Survey. It is the largest low-dispersion spectroscopic survey of the sky, covering 17,000 square degrees at galactic latitudes |b|>15. DFBS provides images and extracted spectra for all objects present in the FBS plates. Programs were developed to compute astrometric solution, extract spectra, and apply wavelength and photometric calibration for objects. A DFBS database and catalog has been assembled containing data for nearly 20,000,000 objects. A classification scheme for the DFBS spectra is being developed. The Armenian Virtual Observatory is based on the DFBS database and other large-area surveys and catalogue data.
Optical Identifications of IRAS Point Sources. Galaxies. VI
A sixth list of objects from the BIG (Byurakan—IRAS galaxies) sample is given: 87 galaxies identified with 60 point sources from the IRAS Point Source Catalog. The identifications were based on the Digital Sky Survey (DSS), the First Byurakan Survey, blue and red maps from the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, and infrared fluxes at 12, 25, 60, and 100 µm in the region of +65° ≤ δ ≤ +69° and 9h15m ≤ α ≤ 14h00m with an area of 111 deg2. We determined the optical coordinates of the identified galaxies, their departures from the IR coordinates, and their V magnitudes, morphological types, angular sizes, and position angles. The objects have optical magnitudes in the range of 12m.5-21m.5 and angular sizes in the range of 2″-29″. Finder charts from the DSS are given for these objects.
Infrared Astronomical Satellite
The objective of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) is to produce an unbiased all-sky survey in the wavelength region between 8 and 120 um. Using a 60 cm diameter helium cooled telescope and detector arrays which are essentially zodiacal light background photon noise limited, heretofore unprecedented sensitivity can be achieved. The optical design, the focal plane layout and expected performance of the current design concept are discussed.