NEAR-INFRARED (JHK) PHOTOMETRY OF 131 NORTHERN GALACTIC CLASSICAL CEPHEIDS

Near-infrared photometric measurements for 131 Northern Galactic Cepheids are presented. The Cepheid light curves are sampled with an average of 22 measurements per star fully covering the phase of each Cepheid. The J, H, and K light curves for each Cepheid were uniformly interpolated to find the intensity mean magnitudes within each band. The results are consistent within +/- 1% for 26 stars in common with previous studies. This paper is the first in a projected series of two papers which will provide additional fundamental data for Cepheids in the Galaxy, namely, NIR photometry and line-of-sight extinction. In the course of this project, 93 additional variables were fortuitously observed within the Cepheid program fields, 82 of which have previously not been identified.