MK Standard Stars Online

These pages contain a table of most of the MK standards, grouped by spectral type and luminosity class.

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There are multuple sections for standards, segregated by the observatory and/or resolution of the spectra.
3.6 Angstrom resolution spectra from Dark Sky Observatory
1.8 Angstrom resolution spectra from Dark Sky Observatory
1.8 Angstrom resolution spectra from Steward Observatory 90"
2.6 Angstrom resolution spectra from CTIO 1.5m

Important Information

All Spectra from Dark Sky Observatory were aquired using the Gray/Miller Spectrograph mounted on
the .8M telescope Appalachian State University.
Data were reduced using IRAF and hand-rectified with the help of xmk14 (Gray)
and/or was approximately flux corrected and normalized.

All Spectra from Steward Observatory (VATT) were aquired using the Steward Observatory 90"

All Spectra from CTIO were observed on the 1.5m telescope on the cassegrain spectrograph
Data were reduced using IRAF and is wavelength and flux calibrated.

Understand that use of these data files for spectral classification requires that the
spectra to be classified be exactly or close to the same resolution and width of the standards provided:

(DSO 3.6 A resolution, ~3900A - ~5500A)
(DSO 1.8 A resolution, ~3900A - ~4600A)
(SO 90" 1.8 A resolution, ~3800A - 5000A)
(CTIO 1.5m 2.6 A resolution, ~3800A - 5200A)

For DSO data:
Spectra qualified by (rec) are rectified spectra (usually for early types)
Spectra qualified by (nor) have an approximate flux correction (only for CCD sensitivity)
and are normalized (usually for later types)

For CTIO and Steward Observatory :
files of type ".cal" are only wavelength calibrated.
files of type ".nor" are flux calibrated and normalized.
files of type ".nfx" are flux calibrated, normalized, and photometrically corrected

It is recommended that a program such as xmk14 be used to compare observed spectra with the
standards so both spectra can be superimposed on top of each other, and small
differences can be noticed.