Burnham Double Star Catalogue
Encyclopedia
The Burnham Double Star Catalogue (BDS) is a catalogue
of double star
s within 121° of the celestial North Pole
. It was published in two parts by the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1906, under the title A General Catalogue of Double Stars Within 121° of the North Pole. The first part gives coordinates, designations, and magnitudes for 13,665 pairs of double stars, comprising almost all double stars discovered before 1906. The second part contains measures, notes, and references to publications for each pair. Its publication was a stimulus to double star observation.
The BDS was compiled by Sherburne Wesley Burnham
, who worked on it sporadically for 36 years, starting in 1870. He first submitted it to the Smithsonian Institution
, but it was rejected. In 1874, it was scheduled to be printed at the United States Naval Observatory
, but the typesetting was interrupted midway and the type destroyed. In 1886 the Smithsonian changed its mind and offered to publish it, but Burnham had become discouraged and did not accept the offer. Burnham worked at Lick Observatory
for four years starting in 1888. After leaving in 1892, he revised the manuscript of his catalog for five years; the Carnegie Institute published it nine years later.
By the time Burnham retired from Yerkes Observatory
, he had accumulated material for a revision of his catalogue. This eventually formed part of the 1932 Aitken Double Star Catalogue
(ADS), the successor to the BDS.
Star catalogue
A star catalogue, or star catalog, is an astronomical catalogue that lists stars. In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. There are a great many different star catalogues which have been produced for different purposes over the years, and this article covers only some...
of double star
Double star
In observational astronomy, a double star is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope. This can happen either because the pair forms a binary star, i.e...
s within 121° of the celestial North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
. It was published in two parts by the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1906, under the title A General Catalogue of Double Stars Within 121° of the North Pole. The first part gives coordinates, designations, and magnitudes for 13,665 pairs of double stars, comprising almost all double stars discovered before 1906. The second part contains measures, notes, and references to publications for each pair. Its publication was a stimulus to double star observation.
The BDS was compiled by Sherburne Wesley Burnham
Sherburne Wesley Burnham
Sherburne Wesley Burnham was an American astronomer.He worked at Yerkes Observatory. All his working life, he served during the day as a court reporter and was an amateur astronomer, except for four years as a full-time astronomer at Lick Observatory.He served as a military stenographer in the...
, who worked on it sporadically for 36 years, starting in 1870. He first submitted it to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, but it was rejected. In 1874, it was scheduled to be printed at the United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
, but the typesetting was interrupted midway and the type destroyed. In 1886 the Smithsonian changed its mind and offered to publish it, but Burnham had become discouraged and did not accept the offer. Burnham worked at Lick Observatory
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
for four years starting in 1888. After leaving in 1892, he revised the manuscript of his catalog for five years; the Carnegie Institute published it nine years later.
By the time Burnham retired from Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The observatory, which calls itself "the birthplace of modern astrophysics," was founded in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes...
, he had accumulated material for a revision of his catalogue. This eventually formed part of the 1932 Aitken Double Star Catalogue
Aitken Double Star Catalogue
The Aitken Double Star Catalogue, or ADS, is a star catalogue of double stars. It was compiled by Robert Grant Aitken and published in 1932 in two volumes, under the name New general catalogue of double stars within 120° of the North Pole. It contains measurements of 17,180 double stars north of...
(ADS), the successor to the BDS.
External links
- A General Catalogue of Double Stars Within 121° of the North Pole, Part I, Sherburne Wesley Burnham, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1906.
Full text of Part I online at Google Books.