Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Photometric map of interstellar reddening within 300 parsecs

Journal Article · · Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/190833· OSTI ID:6518552
An observational program is described which has as its goal a high resolution, three-dimensional survey of the dust component of the interstellar medium in the solar neighborhood. A network of approx.3450 bright A and F stars was established in the northern hemisphere with the intent that the stars act as probes for the detection of interstellar reddening. In conjunction with empirical calibrations by Crawford, uupsilonby..beta.. photometries yielded precise intrinsic colors and absolute magnitudes that, in turn, allowed the determination of the color excess and the position of each star in a rectangular coordinate system centered on the Sun. The results are summarized in a series of plots where several dust concentrations are readily apparent. In order of galactic longitude, these regions correspond to the inner portions of the Ophiuchus, Cepheus, and Taurus cloud complexes. A bridge of absorbing material, passing through Cassiopeia and Perseus, connects the latter two concentrations; the Ophiuchus complex extends into Aquila. These concentrations are characterized by small-scale irregularities both in density and spatial event. Comparison of the present results with previous investigations shows that this study provides a more definitive map of the spatial distribution of interstellar dust within several hundred parsecs of the Sun.
Research Organization:
Louisiana State University Observatory
OSTI ID:
6518552
Journal Information:
Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States) Vol. 50:4; ISSN APJSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Interstellar reddening of delta Cephei
Journal Article · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1975 · Publ. Astron. Soc. Pac.; (United States) · OSTI ID:7230328

Polarimetric study of the interstellar medium in Taurus Dark Clouds
Thesis/Dissertation · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1984 · OSTI ID:5800188

Carbon chemistry in interstellar clouds toward moderately reddened stars
Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Astrophys. J.; (United States) · OSTI ID:7023719