January 2025 Release Highlights

Database Restructuring and Software Updates

  • The next phase in the evolution of NED's data system has been completed, including updates to the database structure, query software, and user interface.
  • Database relations for photometry, references and external links have been restructured (refactored).
  • New search functions have been rewritten using a micro-services design to access these newly refactored database tables.
  • The user interface has been updated to call the new micro-services, and query results now have cleaner and more compact data presentations, including improvements to column labeling and tooltips in several tabs in the results page returned from a By Name object search: Photometry, References, and External Links.
  • Search results containing multiple objects (in refcode, cone) now include both decimal degrees and sexagesimal representation of coordinates.
  • The updated micro-service and UI to perform a cone search for objects near an input name or position bring back support for IAU style inputs and optional redshift constraints.
  • The refactored database enabled improvements to data presentation in the Photometry & SED tab:
    • Photometry (SED) and Spectral Lines are now in separate tables (tabs)
    • both flux density and flux (with their uncertainties) are provided in the SED table
    • the default SED now plots flux (nuF_nu) rather than flux density (F_nu) on the Y axis, and users can plot different quantities using the Firefly Plot Parameters screen
    • simplification of labeling
    • many labels for telescopes, instruments, and filters have been unified, with further improvements in progress.
  • External Links have been updated.
  • In the tabs containing Coordinates and Redshifts in a single object query result, tables containing individual measurements located below the fiducial data are displayed (open) by default, no longer hidden requiring clicking on the show/hide widget.
  • A new version of the IPAC Firefly UI software library used in the interactive tables and graphics of NED (also used by IRSA, NASA Exoplanet Arcihve and the Rubin Science Portal) provides a modernized look and feel and supports dark mode.
  • This release contained errors in the Galactic Extinctions Table for Detailed information for Named Objects; the problem was resolved on Feb 7 2200 UTC. The Extinction Calculator itself was not affected.

For highlights in previous releases, please see Archived Release Notes.

Last Change: 2025-03-11