IAU01429
Presentation type requested: EITHER
THE NEARBY UNIVERSE REVEALED - 2MASS
Thomas Jarrett
IPAC/Caltech
Using twin ground-based telescopes, the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) scanned both equatorial hemispheres, resolving more than 1.5 million galaxies in the (1 - 2.2 micron) near-infrared bands. The resultant Extended Source Catalog (XSC) embodies both photometric and astrometric whole sky uniformity, revealing large scale structures in the local Universe and extending our view into the Milky Way's dust-obscured "Zone of Avoidance". The XSC represents a uniquely unbiased sample of "normal" galaxies due to the fact that the near-infrared is particularly sensitive to the underlying (dominant) stellar mass component of galaxies. Accordingly, the XSC is employed in large measure by several long-term projects, including the CfA, Cornell and 6DF redshift surveys, as well as projects focused on the internal structures (e.g., bars and bulges) and the surface brightness properties (e.g., Tully-Fisher) of nearby galaxies. Here we present the basic properties of the XSC, including astrometry, photometric sensitivity and number counts, size distribution, colors, surface brightness and morphology. We illustrate the spatial clustering properties, ranging from interacting galaxies to groups and clusters, and finally to the largest supercluster "cosmic web" spanning the sky.
Huchra John , Schneider Steven , Cutri Roc , Chester Thomas
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