New Estimates of the Solar-Neighborhood Massive Star Birthrate and the Galactic Supernova Rate The birthrate of stars of masses >=10 Msolar is estimatedfrom a sample of just over 400 O3-B2 dwarfs within 1.5 kpc of the Sunand the result extrapolated to estimate the Galactic supernova ratecontributed by such stars. The solar-neighborhood Galactic-plane massivestar birthrate is estimated at ~176 stars kpc-3Myr-1. On the basis of a model in which the Galactic stellardensity distribution comprises a ``disk+central hole'' like that of thedust infrared emission (as proposed by Drimmel and Spergel), theGalactic supernova rate is estimated at probably not less than ~1 normore than ~2 per century and the number of O3-B2 dwarfs within the solarcircle at ~200,000.
Catalog of Galactic OB Stars An all-sky catalog of Galactic OB stars has been created by extendingthe Case-Hamburg Galactic plane luminous-stars surveys to include 5500additional objects drawn from the literature. This work brings the totalnumber of known or reasonably suspected OB stars to over 16,000.Companion databases of UBVβ photometry and MK classifications forthese objects include nearly 30,000 and 20,000 entries, respectively.
Secondary UVBY standards in the Harvard E-regions Photoelectric uvby photometry for 201 stars which are already UBV (RI)cstandards is presented. The photoelectric data are closely tied to theCousins uvby standards and the stars should be suitable for use asfainter (7-11 mag) secondary standards.
UBV photometry of E region standard stars of intermediate brightness Photometry data are given for 335 stars in the nine E regions.Observations were made using a photometer and filters on the 47 cmreflector at Cape Town. The stellar dispersions are summarized. Data arepresented in tabular form.