Bibcode
Saito, R. K.; Hempel, M.; Minniti, D.; Lucas, P. W.; Rejkuba, M.; Toledo, I.; Gonzalez, O. A.; Alonso-García, J.; Irwin, M. J.; Gonzalez-Solares, E.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Lewis, J. R.; Cross, N.; Ivanov, V. D.; Kerins, E.; Emerson, J. P.; Soto, M.; Amôres, E. B.; Gurovich, S.; Dékány, I.; Angeloni, R.; Beamin, J. C.; Catelan, M.; Padilla, N.; Zoccali, M.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Moni Bidin, C.; Mauro, F.; Geisler, D.; Folkes, S. L.; Sale, S. E.; Borissova, J.; Kurtev, R.; Ahumada, A. V.; Alonso, M. V.; Adamson, A.; Arias, J. I.; Bandyopadhyay, R. M.; Barbá, R. H.; Barbuy, B.; Baume, G. L.; Bedin, L. R.; Bellini, A.; Benjamin, R.; Bica, E.; Bonatto, C.; Bronfman, L.; Carraro, G.; Chenè, A. N.; Clariá, J. J.; Clarke, J. R. A.; Contreras, C.; Corvillón, A.; de Grijs, R.; Dias, B.; Drew, J. E.; Fariña, C.; Feinstein, C.; Fernández-Lajús, E.; Gamen, R. C.; Gieren, W.; Goldman, B.; González-Fernández, C.; Grand, R. J. J.; Gunthardt, G.; Hambly, N. C.; Hanson, M. M.; Hełminiak, K. G.; Hoare, M. G.; Huckvale, L.; Jordán, A.; Kinemuchi, K.; Longmore, A.; López-Corredoira, M.; Maccarone, T.; Majaess, D.; Martín, E. L.; Masetti, N.; Mennickent, R. E.; Mirabel, I. F.; Monaco, L.; Morelli, L.; Motta, V.; Palma, T.; Parisi, M. C.; Parker, Q.; Peñaloza, F.; Pietrzyński, G.; Pignata, G.; Popescu, B.; Read, M. A.; Rojas, A.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Ruiz, M. T.; Saviane, I.; Schreiber, M. R.; Schröder, A. C.; Sharma, S.; Smith, M. D.; Sodré, L. et al.
Bibliographical reference
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 537, id.A107
Advertised on:
1
2012
Journal
Citations
369
Refereed citations
336
Description
Context. The ESO public survey VISTA variables in the Vía
Láctea (VVV) started in 2010. VVV targets 562 sq. deg in the
Galactic bulge and an adjacent plane region and is expected to run for
about five years. Aims: We describe the progress of the survey
observations in the first observing season, the observing strategy, and
quality of the data obtained. Methods: The observations are
carried out on the 4-m VISTA telescope in the ZYJHKs filters.
In addition to the multi-band imaging the variability monitoring
campaign in the Ks filter has started. Data reduction is
carried out using the pipeline at the Cambridge Astronomical Survey
Unit. The photometric and astrometric calibration is performed via the
numerous 2MASS sources observed in each pointing. Results: The
first data release contains the aperture photometry and astrometric
catalogues for 348 individual pointings in the ZYJHKs filters
taken in the 2010 observing season. The typical image quality is
0.9 arcsec {-1.0 arcsec}. The stringent photometric and
image quality requirements of the survey are satisfied in 100% of the
JHKs images in the disk area and 90% of the JHKs
images in the bulge area. The completeness in the Z and Y images is 84%
in the disk, and 40% in the bulge. The first season catalogues contain
1.28 × 108 stellar sources in the bulge and 1.68
× 108 in the disk area detected in at least one of the
photometric bands. The combined, multi-band catalogues contain more than
1.63 × 108 stellar sources. About 10% of these are
double detections because of overlapping adjacent pointings. These
overlapping multiple detections are used to characterise the quality of
the data. The images in the JHKs bands extend typically 4
mag deeper than 2MASS. The magnitude limit and photometric quality
depend strongly on crowding in the inner Galactic regions. The
astrometry for Ks = 15-18 mag has rms 35-175 mas.
Conclusions: The VVV Survey data products offer a unique dataset to map
the stellar populations in the Galactic bulge and the adjacent plane and
provide an exciting new tool for the study of the structure, content,
and star-formation history of our Galaxy, as well as for investigations
of the newly discovered star clusters, star-forming regions in the disk,
high proper motion stars, asteroids, planetary nebulae, and other
interesting objects.
Based on observations taken within the ESO VISTA Public Survey VVV,
Programme ID 179.B-2002.
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