COSMOS is an astronomical survey designed to probe the formation and evolution of galaxies as a function of cosmic time (redshift) and large scale structural environment. The survey covers a 2 square degree equatorial field with imaging by most of the major space-based telescopes (Hubble, Spitzer, GALEX, XMM, Chandra) and a number of large ground based telescopes (Subaru, VLA, ESO-VLT, UKIRT, NOAO, CFHT, and others). Over 2 million galaxies are detected, spanning 75% of the age of the universe.
This catalog contains the measurements presented in:
1. Scarlata, Carollo, Lilly et al 2007, ApJS, 172, 406 (i.e., the Zurich Estimator of Structural Type [ZEST] catalog; measurements down to a limiting magnitude of I_AB=24. ZEST measurements for galaxies with half-light radii < 0 .17" are unreliable, especially for galaxies with a steep light profile)
2. Sargent, Carollo, Lilly et al 2007, ApJS, 172, 434 (i.e., Single-Sersic GIM2D fits; measurements down to a limiting magnitude of I_AB=22.5;formal GIM2D fits are also listed for approx. 2650 compulsory zCOSMOS-Bright x-ray, radio, etc. sources with I_AB > 22.5 - however, the quality of the fits deteriorates for sources substantially fainter than ~I_AB~23)
This v1.0 catalog is based on the May 2006 release of Alexie Leauthaud's ACS catalog (cut at the limits mentioned above).