NED - NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database


            _A_d_d_r_e_s_s:
               NED c/o IPAC
               MS 100-22
               California Institute of Technology
               Pasadena, CA 91125

            _E_m_a_i_l: ned@ipac.caltech.edu

            _P_h_o_n_e: (818) 397-9503


            _D_e_s_c_r_i_p_t_i_o_n

            The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database  (NED)  is  an  ongoing
            project to organize a broad range of published extragalactic
            data into a computer-based central archive designed for fast
            and flexible query via electronic networks.

            The June 1992 version of NED provides positions, names,  and
            basic  data  for more than 200,000 extragalactic objects, as
            well as related  bibliographic  references  and  notes  from
            catalogs  and  other  publications. It forwards to the user,
            upon request, files containing the data retrieved  during  a
            session.   It also allows users to view the contents of some
            major catalogs and to browse the abstracts of  recent  arti-
            cles  of  extragalactic interest from several major journals
            (including A&A, AJ, ApJ, IAU Circulars, MNRAS,  PASP,  their
            Letters  and  Supplements).  The current release also intro-
            duces the capability of searches filtered  by  object  types
            (e.g.  find galaxies only, or exclude infrared sources), and
            provides the first phase of detailed  data  collection  from
            catalogs and the literature.

            NED is an object-oriented database, meaning that all  infor-
            mation  is  organized  around  a master list of astronomical
            objects (such as galaxies, groups of galaxies,  quasars  and
            radio  sources) obtained from detailed cross-identifications
            among some thirty major catalogs.  Additional  catalogs  are
            being  folded  in  continually.   Objects can be selected by
            _________________________
            The information in this section is provided  in  accor-
            dance  with the copyright notice appearing at the front
            of this guide.




            August 5, 1992              NNSC       Section 3.21,  Page 1








            name (a high-level name interpreter is built into the inter-
            face),  or  by  vicinity,  either to a named object, or to a
            position on the sky.

            _N_e_t_w_o_r_k _A_c_c_e_s_s

            You may access the NED service over Internet,  provided  you
            have a VT100 terminal or VT100 emulation software.

            On Internet, a connection to IPAC may be  set  up  with  the
            command: "telnet ned.ipac.caltech.edu"

            Once you are connected to IPAC and  prompted  for  a  login,
            respond with: "NED"

            No password is needed.   From  this  point,  the  system  is
            self-documenting,  especially through the Help utilities and
            the "control-h" key sequence.  First-time users may want  to
            read  the  Tutorial  in  the  first  screen presented by the
            interface.

            _W_h_o _C_a_n _U_s_e _t_h_e _R_e_s_o_u_r_c_e

            Available at no charge  to  the  international  astronomical
            community.

            _M_i_s_c_e_l_l_a_n_e_o_u_s

            This work is carried out by the Jet  Propulsion  Laboratory,
            California  Institute of Technology, under contract with the
            National Aeronautics and Space Administration  (Astrophysics
            Division, Science Operations Branch).

               George Helou (818) 584-2928
               Barry Madore (818) 584-2912
               Marion Schmitz (818) 584-2994
               Harold Corwin (818) 584-2937














            August 5, 1992              NNSC       Section 3.21,  Page 2