Smithsonian

Contributions to Astrophysics

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 2

5,000- AND 10,000-YEAR

STAR CATALOGS

by GERALD S. HAWKINS and SHOSHANA K. ROSENTHAL

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

Washington, D.C.

1967

Publications of the Astrophysical Observatory

This series, Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics, was inaugurated in 1956 to provide a proper communication for the results of research conducted at the Astrophysical Observatory of the Smithsonian Institution. Its purpose is the “increase and diffusion of knowledge” in the field of astrophysics, with particular emphasis on problems of the sun, the earth, and the solar system. Its pages are open to a limited number of papers by other investigators with whom we have common interests.

Another series, Annals of the Astrophysical Observatory, was started in 1900 by the Observatory’s first director, Samuel P. Langley, and was published about every 10 years. These quarto volumes, some of which are still available, record the history of the Observatory’s researches and activities. The last volume (vol. 7) appeared in 1954.

Many technical papers and volumes emanating from the Astrophysical Observatory have appeared in the Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. Among these are Smithsonian Physical Tables, Smithsonian Meteorological Tables, and World Weather Records.

Additional information concerning these publications may be secured from the Smithsonian Press, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

FRED L. WHIPPLE, Director,

Astrophysical Observatory,

Smithsonian Institution.

Cambridge, Mass.

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Contents

Publications of the Astrophysical Observatory

5,000- and 10,000-Year Star Catalogs

5,000-year star catalog

10,000-year star catalog

References

5,000- and 10,000-Year Star Catalogs

Gerald S. Hawkins[1] and Shoshana K. Rosenthal[2]

5,000-year star catalog

For various aspects of the history of science it is useful to have the positions of stars at various dates in history and prehistory. These positions are affected by the precession of the earth’s axis and by the proper motion of the stars. Corrections can be applied to the present positions to obtain the star coordinates at any other time. In this catalog star positions are given at intervals of 100 years for the period –2500 to +2500 (2501 B.C. to 2500 A.D.) for stars with visual magnitude brighter than + 2.99 (table 2).

Star positions and proper motion have been taken from the Fourth Fundamental Catalogue (FK4) published by the Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts, Heidelberg, and printed by G. Braun, Karlsruhe, 1963. When the position of a star was not available in the FK4 catalog, the quantities were obtained from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog, Smithsonian publication 4652. The stars are listed in order of increasing right ascension for the equinox of 1950 A.D. A list of star names is also given in table 1.

The effects of precession were allowed for, using the equations given in the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog. A derivation of these equations is given in the explanatory supplement to the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, 1961. These equations give the right ascension and declination of a star at any required date. The coordinates are with reference to the pole and vernal equinox of the particular date.

The effects of proper motion were computed following the equations given in the FK4 catalog. Only first-order terms were used for all stars except for the few stars listed in the FK4 catalog for which the effects of foreshortening are known.

[1] Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., and Boston University, Boston, Mass.

[2] Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Mass.

The stars are identified in the catalog by the standard abbreviations for the constellations and by the Greek letter. An identification number is given for each star. The number is either the designation of the FK4 catalog or the number in the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog. If the latter numeration is used, it is indicated with an asterisk. The visual magnitude of the star is given in parentheses.

Errors in the positions given in this 5000-year catalog will be introduced by uncertainties in the precessional constants and proper-motion values. The precessional correction does not take account of nutation and other periodic changes, but these periodic changes will probably be less than 1 minute of arc. The uncertainties in the determinations of proper motion will introduce errors, but even in the worst examples in the measurements of the FK4 catalog, the errors will not amount to more than 1 minute of arc in 4000 years. The values given in this catalog should, therefore, be reliable to within ±0.02°.

10,000-year star catalog

This catalog is an extension of the star positions given in the 5,000-year star catalog. The star positions have been obtained from the FK4 catalog and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog.

The stars are identified in the catalog by the standard abbreviations for the constellations and by the Greek letter. An identification number is given for each star. The number is either the designation of the FK4 catalog or the number in the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog. If the latter numeration is used, it is indicated with an asterisk. The visual magnitude of the star is given in parentheses.

Precession and proper-motion corrections have been applied over the time interval of this catalog, following the methods outlined in the preceding catalog. The maximum errors expected in the 5,000-year catalog were ±0.02°. This catalog covers a larger time span, and the uncertainties are therefore greater. It is estimated that the maximum errors are of the order ±0.5°.

Star coordinates are given at 500-year intervals in table 3, where the right ascension and declination are referred to the vernal equinox of the particular date. An identification list of star names is given in table 1. The period covered is —10,000 to 0 (10,001 to 1 B.C.).

References

FRICKE, W., and KOPFF, A.

1963. Fourth Fundamental Catalogue. Veröff. Astron. Rechen-Inst. Heidelberg, no. 10.

NAUTICAL ALMANAC

1961. Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Ephemeris and the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. Nautical Almanac Offices of the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

STAFF OF THE SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY

1966. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

TABLE 1.—A list of star names

TABLE 2.—The 5,000-year star catalog

TABLE 3.—The 10,000-year star catalog