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The Durchmusterung (DM) Catalogs
What are they?
A series of catalogs, starting with the Bonner Durchmusterung (BD), initially researched by F.W.A. Argelander, 1859-62, using the 78-mm telescope in Bonn, Germany. Other catalogs later extended the range of sky covered.

  • Bonner DM (BD): +89 to -01 degrees declination
  • Suedlicher (Southern) DM (SD): -02 to -23 degrees
  • Cordoba DM (CoD or CD): -22 to -90 degrees
  • Cape Photographic DM (CPD or CP): -18 to -90 degrees
The last of these was a surveying effort using photographic plates which would provide a permanent record.

The catalog numbers are still widely used in astronomy literature. They take the form, CC +ZZ NNNNN (CC= catalog, +ZZ= zone, NNNNN= number), for example, BD +25° 1584.

Reference: http://xml.gsfc.nasa.gov/archive/catalogs/1/1122/