Input Catalogue

The entire scientific programme of the Hipparcos mission (including the satellite's sky scanning and its attitude determination) was based upon the 'Hipparcos Input Catalogue', the compilation of the 120,000 stars forming the pre-defined observing programme. In spite of its complexity, and the state-of-the-art positional and photometric information for each star necessary before launch, the Input Catalogue functioned perfectly. All results to date have confirmed the positional and photometric performances around which the catalogue was defined.

The 7-volume catalogue, compiled by the Input Catalogue Consortium, was published as ESA SP-1136 in March 1992. A CD-ROM version with extensive interrogation, sampling, and mapping facilities was released in August 1994.

The files containing the Hipparcos Input Catalogue data (including introduction and annex) are available from the CDS, Strasbourg.

A complete description of the compilation and properties of the Hipparcos Input Catalogue can be found in Volume 2 of the 3-volume publication ESA SP-1111 'The Hipparcos Mission: Pre-Launch Status'.

Further details of the scientific properties of the Input Catalogue are described in papers in Volume 258 of Astronomy & Astrophysics (1992), in particular those by C. Turon et al., A&A, 258, 74; H. Jahreiss et al., A&A, 258, 82; and M. Grenon et al., A&A, 258, 88.