The SIMBAD astronomical database provides basic data, cross-identifications, bibliography and measurements for astronomical objects outside the solar system.

SIMBAD can be queried by object name, coordinates and various criteria. Links to some other on-line services are also provided.

Use of SIMBAD service is free without any registration under ODbL licence. We request that users cite the original paper reference.

Basic search

Acknowledgment

If the Simbad database was helpful for your research work,
the following acknowledgment would be appreciated:

This research has made use of the SIMBAD database,
operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France

2000,A&AS,143,9 , "The SIMBAD astronomical database", Wenger et al.

*Statistics*
Simbad contains on 2025.04.16
20,232,179	objects
68,436,827	identifiers
447,450	bibliographic references
46,016,745	citations of objects in papers
0	acronyms described for Simbad

% %SIMBAD on the web: features

SIMBAD on the web: features

SIMBAD on the Web is the WWW interface to the SIMBAD database. It offers the following functionalities:

Query by identifiers and around identifiers
Query by coordinates, specifying the radius and the equinox
Query by bibcode and partial bibcode
Sampling with a set of physical criteria
Query by lists of objects, coordinates or bibcodes
Display charts for list of objects resulting from coordinates query

Moreover, the interface provides links with many other data services :

Links to the other CDS services: Tables in VizieR, giving access to the whole catalogued data, links to Aladin images, surveys and observatory logs.
Through the coordinates in basic data, you can query around an object, using a provided radius.
Identifiers are linked to the nomenclature dictionary, providing full description of original list, and, when available, offering direct access to the corresponding catalogue in the CDS catalogue service (VizieR and Bazaar)
Every bibcode is a link to the underlying bibliographic information, either at CDS, at ADS, or at the journal site when available. Links to the full text of paper are available in most cases.
For articles containing tables stored at CDS, the reference provides also a link to the table or catalogue.
A link to the Heasarc database (NASA/GSFC) is proposed when an object has identifiers in high energy catalogues.
IUE measurements contain an anchor which points to the spectra stored in the INES database.
The maps produced by coordinate queries are cliquable and return the object information from SIMBAD.

SIMBAD on the Web has all the functionalities provided by XSimbad, after the addition of list queries in March 2001. XSimbad software is thus not maintained any more.

CDS · Simbad · VizieR · Aladin · Catalogues · Nomenclature · Biblio · Tutorial · Developer's corner

SIMBAD Astronomical Database - CDS (Strasbourg)

SIMBAD on the web: features