Below are the full references, descriptions, and processing notes for each dataset.
The ATNF Pulsar Catalogue is the definitive global database of radio pulsars, maintained by the Australia Telescope National Facility. It is queried programmatically using the psrqpy Python library, which provides direct access to the catalogue's full parameter set.
Distances are primarily derived from pulsar dispersion measures (DM) combined with models of the Galactic free electron density. Objects without distance estimates, or with distances exceeding 20 kpc, or with |z| > 5 kpc above the Galactic plane, are excluded from the visualization.
The McGill Magnetar Catalogue is the primary reference for known and candidate magnetars. It is downloaded as a CSV from the official McGill URL and processed to extract positional and distance information.
Objects are classified as magnetar, candidate magnetar (marked with # in the catalogue), or pulsar with 2006 magnetar-like outburst (marked with ##). Two extragalactic magnetars (one in the LMC and one in the SMC) are identified by angular separation from the known centers of each galaxy.
The Magnificent Seven (M7) are seven nearby, thermally-emitting, radio-quiet isolated neutron stars discovered by ROSAT. Their precise equatorial coordinates were retrieved from the SIMBAD Astronomical Database.
Distances are derived from parallax measurements compiled in Table 1 of Motch et al. (2007), converted via d(pc) = 1000 / parallax(mas). For objects with distance ranges or asymmetric uncertainties, the midpoint of the reported range was used.
The eight confirmed Central Compact Objects included in this project were identified from the list curated by Andrea De Luca. CCO coordinates were retrieved from SIMBAD, and distances are adopted from their associated supernova remnants.
CCOs are young neutron stars found at the geometric centers of supernova remnants, characterized by purely thermal X-ray emission and anomalously weak magnetic fields. Their distances are typically derived from kinematic or association-based measurements of the host remnant, carrying uncertainties of 20 to 40%.