Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch
Encyclopedia
The Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch (abbrev. B.A.J.) is an astronomical ephemeris
almanac
and the longest publication series in astronomy
. It was a compendium of ephemerides of all large Solar system
bodies and of fundamental stars which define the celestial reference system.
The B.A.J. series began in 1776 and continued until 1960 when it was included into the international edition of the Astronomical Ephemeris and of Apparent Places of Fundamental Stars (APFS). This merger was decided in 1959 by the IAU
.
At least the Yearbook had a volume of about 500 pages; starting in 1907 it contained accurate apparent places
of the first international fundamental catalogue which was compiled for astrometry
; later these data were actualized within the framework of the Catalogues of Fundamental Stars FK3 and FK4.
In the 1940s the Almanac was edited in co-operation with the Astronomisch-Geodätisches Jahrbuch of the Recheninstitut in Heidelberg
, Germany, which was merged also into the IAU editions like other national almanacs.
Ephemeris
An ephemeris is a table of values that gives the positions of astronomical objects in the sky at a given time or times. Different kinds of ephemerides are used for astronomy and astrology...
almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
and the longest publication series in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. It was a compendium of ephemerides of all large Solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
bodies and of fundamental stars which define the celestial reference system.
The B.A.J. series began in 1776 and continued until 1960 when it was included into the international edition of the Astronomical Ephemeris and of Apparent Places of Fundamental Stars (APFS). This merger was decided in 1959 by the IAU
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
.
At least the Yearbook had a volume of about 500 pages; starting in 1907 it contained accurate apparent places
Apparent places
The wrong place of an object is the position in space as seen by the observer. Because of physical and/or geometrical effects it has a deviation from the "true position"....
of the first international fundamental catalogue which was compiled for astrometry
Astrometry
Astrometry is the branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. The information obtained by astrometric measurements provides information on the kinematics and physical origin of our Solar System and our Galaxy, the Milky...
; later these data were actualized within the framework of the Catalogues of Fundamental Stars FK3 and FK4.
In the 1940s the Almanac was edited in co-operation with the Astronomisch-Geodätisches Jahrbuch of the Recheninstitut in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany, which was merged also into the IAU editions like other national almanacs.
External links
- http://www.ari.uni-heidelberg.de/publikationen/baj/ – Astrononomisches Rechen-Institut Heidelberg (ARI)
- http://www.ari.uni-heidelberg.de/publikationen/baj/baj1776/baj1776.htm – EditionEditionIn printmaking, an edition is a number of prints struck from one plate, usually at the same time. This is the meaning covered by this article...
sseite der ersten Ausgabe (1774)