The Bochum Survey of the Southern Galactic Disk: III. Complete Data Release

TL;DR

This paper presents the complete data release of the Bochum Survey of the Southern Galactic Disk, including extensive light curves, photometry, and variable star catalogues, enabling new research on stellar variability in the southern Galactic disk.

Contribution

It provides the final data set with up to 407 observations per field, including new variable star identifications and publicly available light curves and images, expanding previous surveys.

Findings

Identified 113,449 variable sources.

Discovered 77,592 new variables not in existing catalogues.

Released comprehensive light curves and photometry data.

Abstract

The Southern Galactic Disk Survey (GDS) monitored a mosaic of 268 fields along a $6^\circ$-wide stripe in the southern Galactic disk with simultaneous observations in $r'$ and $i'$ ($7^\mathrm{m} \lesssim r', i' \lesssim 18^\mathrm{m}$) from September 2010 to September 2019. The survey design and data characteristics, as well as first results in $r'i'$, were presented by Haas et al. (2012; Paper I). Hackstein et al. (2015a; Paper II) extended the photometry and analysis process, and introduced the first catalogue including photometry of all 268 fields in $UBVr'i'z'$ and $r'i'$ light curves comprising up to 272 observations per field made between September 2010 and May 2015. Here we describe our custom-made observational scheduler and conclude the GDS with $r'i'$ light curves of up to 407 observations per field until September 2019 and $UBVz'$ light curves for a fraction of the fields. $113\,449$ distinct sources are identified as variables. Together with Paper II, we identified $77\,592$ variables that are not listed in either the International Variable Star Index (VSX) or the cross-match catalogue by Gavras et al. (2023). All emerging catalogues, comprising light curves, photometry, and reduced images, are made publicly available via the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (GAVO).