Abstract Making use of the 2MASS Data Release, we have searched for near-infrared (JHK) counterparts to 268 blazars from Donato et al. and obtained 238 counterparts within 5'' in the area covered by 2MASS. It provides us a sample with infrared data several times larger than the previous one of the same kind. Based on our sample and the sample by Donato et al., we have compared in detail the properties of HBLs, LBLs and FSRQs from five aspects and found that HBLs are significantly different from LBLs and FSRQs while LBLs are not obviously different from FSRQs. Our results strongly support the division of BL Lac objects into the high-frequency peaked (HBL) and low-frequency peaked (LBL) objects introduced by Padovani & Giommi and show that HBLs and LBLs are two kinds of blazar having different physical properties.
Keywords BL Lacertae objects: general--- infrared: galaxies --- methods: statistical
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