Task Force  

THE DATABASE OF MOSCOW ASTRONOMICAL PLATE COLLECTION AND MAINTENANCE 

OF THE GENERAL CATALOGUE OF VARIABLE STARS

(Institute of Astronomy and Sternberg Institute, led by N. Samus)

     Members:

• Samus Nikolaj N.
• Antipin S.V.
• Vereschagin Sergej V.
• Durlevich O.V.
• Zharova A.V.
• Kazarovets Elena V.
• Kireeva Natalya N.
• Mironov A.V.
• Pastukhova Elena N.
• Sat Lyudmila A.

• compiling electronic catalogs of Moscow astronomical plate collection, submitting them to the specialized international database, providing access to them by Internet;
• developing optimal techniques of scanning astronomical photographic plates using available instruments;
• scanning the astronomical plate collections of the Sternberg Institute and Zvenigorod Observatory, starting with the most valuable plates;
• studying possible ways of providing users with direct access to electronic plate scans;
• systematic updating of the GCVS information, maintenance of the updated on-line version of the catalogue, periodic releases for the CDS.

•  an electronic catalog of several thousands of plates of the Sternberg Institute's collection has been compiled;
•  a draft operator's manual for scanning Sternberg Institute's plates with the CREO EverSmart Supreme scanners has been prepared;
•  scanning Moscow and Zvenigorod plates has been started in Zvenigorod, scanning Sternberg Institute's plates has been started in Moscow in a trial mode;
•  the scanning laboratory in Zvenigorod has developed its Internet site;
•  equipment needed to keep and process data and to provide access to data obtained in the process of scanning has been purchased;
•  the main part of the work on preparation of the 78th Name List of Variable Stars has been finished;
•  the work on complete identification of GCVS stars with positional catalogs using finding charts, which took several years, has been completed. As a result, virtually all GCVS stars now have coordinates precise enough for automatic identifications.

•  large-scale scanning of Sternberg Institute's plate collection in Moscow;
•  submitting several catalogs of Moscow astronomical plate collections to the specialized international database;
•  revision of astrophysical GCVS information for several constellations;
•  preparation of the 79th Name List of Variable Stars;
•  presentation, for the IAU approvement, of suggested changes in the classification system of variable stars to be used in the GCVS and of future plans on variable-star catalogs