SS source#

Measured and predicted single-epoch quantities for detections associated with known small bodies.

Schema: SSSource table

Access#

The SS source table is accessible via the TAP and Butler services.

Recommended access service: TAP

TAP#

Citation: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory (2026); Legacy Survey of Space and Time Data Preview 2: SSSource searchable catalog https://doi.org/10.71929/rubin/3382548 [BibTeX]
Table name: SSSource
Columns: 39
Rows: 8,136,150

Butler#

Citation: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory (2026); Legacy Survey of Space and Time Data Preview 2: ss_source dataset type https://doi.org/10.71929/rubin/3382547 [BibTeX]
Dataset type: (‘ss_source’, {}, ArrowAstropy)
Format: Parquet
Number of Butler datasets: 1

Description#

A DP2 “Solar System source” is a signal-to-noise ratio > 5 moving object detection in a difference image that has been associated with a previously known small body.

Each row in the SSSource table represents a one-to-one positional association between a DiaSource and the predicted position of a known small body. The table combines selected measured astrometry and photometry with ephemeris quantities predicted from an MPC orbit using Sorcha (see Merritt et al. 2025 and Holman et al. 2025). The DP2 SSSource table does not include unassociated detections, and its ephemeris quantities are not a Rubin-derived orbit solution.

The association used a 1-arcsecond radius without positional uncertainties or photometric information. The input catalog was a 2026 March 13 MPC orbit snapshot restricted to observational arcs longer than two days. Small bodies discovered later than this date are not represented in the DP2 tables. No comets were associated in the DP2 tables, because the input MPC orbit catalog did not contain them. For further information on the algorithm and selection effects, see the source detection and association documentation.

The table can be joined to the DiaSource table for the complete detection record and quality fields (including flux measurements) using the diaSourceId unique identifier, and joined to the SSObject table on ssObjectId for object-level summaries. The designation column is the object’s unpacked primary provisional designation.

The diaDistanceRank column is 1 for every delivered row and should not be used as an association-quality or ambiguity metric. For quality filtering, use the measured-minus-predicted offsets together with DiaSource reliability information and consistency with the predicted magnitude.

Processing#

The SS source table is the result of Solar System processing (SSP).

Tutorials#

See the 200-level catalog Tutorials for a notebook on the SS source table.