home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Joint Education Initiative
/
Joint Education Initiative.iso
/
astronmy
/
readme.bsc
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1990-06-23
|
2KB
|
60 lines
YALE CATALOGUE OF BRIGHT STARS
by
Jaylee Mead
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
The Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars is probably the most
frequently used star catalogue available today. It first
appeared over 50 years ago as a publication of the Yale
University Observatory. It is a compilation of the most commonly
needed observed data for the 9,110 brightest stars. These stars
are all brighter than 6.5 visual magnitude and at an optimum
observing site with ideal seeing conditions would be visible to
the naked eye (that is, without a telescope or binoculars).
In order to cross-identify these stars with other star
catalogues, the identification numbers and names are given where
appropriate. If the star is a double star or if it is a variable
star, such information is also included.
In order to know where to find these stars on the sky, the
position coordinates for 1900 and 2000 are listed, along with
galactic coordinates (i.e., the position with respect to the
plane of the Milky Way). Information relating to the brightness,
temperature, motions, and distance of each star is also given.
Remarks and notes are coded when additional data is available.
As a group, these stars are the most thoroughly studied by
astronomers because of their brightness and therefore ease of
observation. Furthermore, they have been studied for the longest
period of time and therefore much is known about them from other
catalogues and from the astronomical literature.
1