How to access the Chandra Source Catalog Release 2.1

The CSCview Java application is the main interface for accessing the Chandra Source catalog.

The CSCview application facilitates comprehensive searches of the entire CSC 2.1 and previous releases (2.0, 1.1, and 1.0). The application provides access to the data products: both the database tables (e.g., master, stacked, per observation detection) and file-based data products (e.g., full-field, regions). CSCview can be used for a detailed search across multiple tables, to select specific columns, or to set specific search criteria, including cone searches and cross-matches.

For more information see the CSCview guide.

The web interface allows a basic search using a cone search or a cross-match with a list of coordinates.

The web interface search is equivalent to the default master-search query in CSCview. We recommend using this tool for basic summaries of master source properties. The resulting table can be downloaded as a VOTable, TSV, or CSV file. The interface also allows the sensitivity limit estimates for the queried region of the sky to be obtained.

The Simple Cross-Match interface is a web application that provides direct access to a basic set of properties for master sources located within a user-specified radius around a given position or target name ("Single Cone") or multiple positions in the sky ("Crossmatch"). Limiting sensitivity values are also returned for the searched position(s) if located within the footprint of CSC 2.1.

For more information see the Quick Search guide.

CSC 2.1 WWT interface is a visual, interactive page that uses the American Astronomical Society's World Wide Telescope tool to explore the sky coverage and source properties of the Chandra Source Catalog.

This interface visualizes the stack outlines and lists the associated observations of each stack, visualizes the sources detected in each stack, and provides basic properties for those sources. We recommend using this interface for visual access to the catalog or quick access to the basic properties of individual master sources.

The CIAO contributed-script package contains the search_csc and obsid_search_csc tools for searching the CSC. These scripts provide common "command-line" access services but do not replicate all the functionality provided by CSCview.

For more information see the Scripts guide.

CSC 2.1 can be accessed using Virtual Observatory interfaces.

There is support for Cone Search, Table Access Protocol, Simple Image Access Protocol, and general queries with the Astronomical Data Query Language. Access can be via direct calls to the services, with tools like curl and wget, or from your favourite language with packages like PyVO, the Python interface to the Virtual Observatory.

For more information see the Virtual Observatory guide.