Bibcode

The Bibcode is a unique 19-character identifier used to reference astronomical literature. It was developed by the Astronomy and Astrophysics Library of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and is now widely used in astronomical databases and services, including NASA's Astrophysics Data System (ADS). The format of a Bibcode is designed to be compact and easily parsable. It consists of four components: the year of publication, the first four letters of the journal name (or an abbreviation for books/proceedings), the volume number, and the first page number of the article. For example, a Bibcode might look like 2001A&A...369..339B, where 2001 is the year, A&A represents the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, 369 is the volume, and 339 is the starting page. The Bibcode system provides a standardized and unambiguous way to locate and cite scientific papers, facilitating easier access to research information within the astronomical community and preventing confusion that can arise from variations in journal titles or page numbering. It is a crucial tool for researchers, astronomers, and anyone working with astronomical publications.