Double & Multiple Stars, and How to Observe Them

✍ Scribed by James Mullaney

• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 138
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Written specially for practical amateur astronomers who not only want to observe, but want to know and understand the details of exactly what they are looking at. Presents an up-to-date detailed description of the objects, their physics and their evolution (part one); and then (part two) to consider how to observe and record them successfully. Delivers a wealth of information for all levels of amateur observers, from the beginner to the experienced; it is equally fascinating for practical astronomers, and also for those who simply want to find out more about these unusual star systems.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 9
Part I All About Double and Multiple Stars......Page 11
The Joys of “Seeing Double”......Page 12
Demise of a Once-Vital Field of Astronomy......Page 15
Optical versus Physical Doubles......Page 18
Common Proper Motion (CPM) Pairs......Page 20
Visual Binaries......Page 21
Astrometric Binaries......Page 23
Spectroscopic Binaries......Page 25
Eclipsing Binaries......Page 26
Multiple Star Systems......Page 28
Cataclysmic Binaries......Page 30
Frequency and Distribution of Double Stars......Page 32
The Genesis of Binary Stars......Page 33
Distances of Double Stars......Page 34
Double Stars and The Mass–Luminosity Relation......Page 36
Mass Exchange in Contact Binaries......Page 37
Stellar Mergers......Page 38
A Two-Minute Binary?......Page 39
Planetary Systems......Page 40
Part II Observing Double and Multiple Stars......Page 42
Training the Eye......Page 43
Sky Conditions......Page 45
Star Testing and Collimation......Page 47
Record Keeping......Page 49
Personal Matters......Page 50
Refracting Telescopes......Page 51
Reflecting Telescopes......Page 52
Catadioptric Telescopes......Page 54
Eyepieces......Page 55
Star Diagonals......Page 56
Barlow Lenses......Page 57
Micrometers......Page 58
Photographic, Video and CCD Imaging Systems......Page 61
Star Atlases and Catalogues......Page 63
Miscellaneous Items......Page 64
6 Observing Projects......Page 68
Color Studies......Page 69
Resolution Studies......Page 72
Micrometer Measurements......Page 75
Orbit Calculation and Plotting......Page 79
New Pair Survey......Page 81
Founding a Double Star Observers’ Society......Page 82
7 Double and Multiple Star Observing Lists......Page 83
One Hundred Showpiece Double and Multiple Stars......Page 84
Reporting and Sharing Observations......Page 93
Pleasure versus Serious Observing......Page 95
Aesthetic and Philosophical Considerations......Page 96
1 Constellation Names and Abbreviations......Page 99
2 Double Star Designations......Page 102
3 Double and Multiple Star Working List......Page 109
4 Telescope Limiting Magnitude and Resolution......Page 129
5 The Measurement of Visual Double Stars......Page 131
About the Author......Page 135
D......Page 136
P......Page 137
Y......Page 138