2dF QSO Redshift (2QZ) Survey

The completed 2QZ is, by more than a factor of 50, the largest homogeneous QSO catalog ever constructed at these faint limits (b_J < 20.85) and high QSO surface densities (35 QSOs/deg²). As such, it represents an important resource in the study of the Universe at moderate-to-high redshifts. The survey area comprised 30 UKST fields, arranged in two 75 degrees by 5 degrees declination strips, one passing across the South Galactic Gap centered on Dec = -30 degrees (the SGP strip), and the other across the North Galactic Gap centered on Dec = 0 degrees (referred to in the reference paper as the equatorial strip, but also known as the NGP strip.

The total survey area is 721.6 deg², when allowance is made for regions of sky excised around bright stars. Spectroscopic observations of the input catalogue were made with the 2dF instrument at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT; the 2QZ sample) and the 6dF instrument at the UKST (the 6QZ sample). 2dF spectroscopic observations began in January 1997 and were completed in April 2002. Six-degree Field observations were performed over the period 2001 March-2002 September.

This online catalog was created by the HEASARC in October 2010 based on the machine-readable table 2qz.dat obtained from the CDS (their catalog VII/241). This is a service provided by NASA HEASARC .