SIMBAD references

We investigate the mid-infrared detection of active galactic nucleus (AGN) in nearby galaxies and the effects of contamination by starlight and dust emission from the host galaxy. We used a sample of ∼14,000 nearby galaxies from the z = 0 Multiwavelength Galaxy Synthesis to study the effect of isolating the galaxy center on AGN detection. We identify 39 known AGN and 9 additional previously selected AGN candidates using color selection in WISE Bands 1 and 2. Most AGN identified using the smallest apertures around the nucleus are lost from the WISE color selection at larger aperture radii. This suggests that when low spatial resolution or integrated galaxy measurements are used to identify AGN in the mid-IR, lower luminosity AGN may go undetected due to contamination from the galaxy's dust emission and starlight.