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I/237 The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog, 1996.0 (Worley+, 1996)
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The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog, 1996.0
Worley C.E., Douglass G.G.
<US Naval Observatory (1996); Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 125, 523 (1997)>
=1997A&AS..125..523W
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ADC_Keywords: Stars, double and multiple ; Positional data
Description:
The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog, 1996.0 (WDS) is the
successor to the catalog of the same name dated 1984 <I/107>.
The WDS is intended to contain all known visual double stars for which
at least one differential measure has been published through the end
of 1995. It includes a discoverer code, the date of the first and last
observations, the number of observations, the position angle and
separation for the first and last observation, the magnitudes and
spectral types of the components (when available) the proper motion of
the system, Durchmusterung numbers of the components and notes for
further information.
Introduction:
The reader is reminded that the WDS is not inclusive of all pairs which
have been more casually noted, although it does, in fact, include some
of them. The data base upon which the present WDS rests consists of the
approximately 180000 measures transferred from the Lick Observatory in
1965, which, with few exceptions, covered the interval 1927-1963,
augmented by all subsequent measures (about 118000), and some 154000
pre-1927 means. These latter are the result of a continuing project to
build a truly comprehensive and complete data base. Thus, approximately
452000 individual means, representing over a million individual
observations, form the basic material from which the WDS is constructed.
We have not included a small amount of data because of unresolved
questions concerning it. The WDS contains 78100 double stars, counting,
as did the IDS, multiple components in the same system as separate
pairs. Comparison of the present catalog with its IDS predecessor will
reveal that a considerable number (about 1000) of previously catalogued
objects have been removed from the WDS in the process of editing the
data. The most common reason for removal is that the object is not
certainly double.
We wish to emphasize that the WDS is not intended to be an "astrometric"
catalog in the sense usually employed, but rather is to be considered a
finding list for observers, as well as serving as a notification of
which objects are known doubles or multiples, along with some basic
astrometric and astrophysical parameters. In addition, the WDS offers
information on the amount of motion and frequency with which a given
object has been observed, which is sufficient, in fact, to provide a
basis for the construction of observational programs. Finally, the data
can be used (with proper precautions) to analyze certain statistical
properties of visual double stars. Of course, as has been true for many
years, the individual measures of specific objects are available and
will be supplied to requesters provided that the amount of data desired
is reasonable.
File Summary:
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FileName Lrecl Records Explanations
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ReadMe 80 . This file
wds.doc 80 285 WDS Catalog Documentation
catalog.dat 84 78100 WDS Catalog
notes.dat 80 8396 Notes to the WDS
notesyns.dat 80 721 Notes (synonyms) to the WDS
refs.dat 74 2181 Discoverer References
disc.dat 50 65 Discoverer Codes (Additional)
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See also:
I/211 : CCDM (Components of Double and Multiple stars) (Dommanget+ 1994)
http://ad.usno.navy.mil/wds/wds.html : Washington Double Star Catalog
maintained at the U.S. Naval Observatory
Byte-by-byte Description of file: catalog.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 2 I2 h RAh *Right Ascension 2000 (hours)
3- 5 I3 0.1min RAdm *Right Ascension 2000 (minutes)
6 A1 --- DE- *Declination 2000 (sign)
7- 8 I2 deg DEd *Declination 2000 (degrees)
9- 10 I2 arcmin DEm *Declination 2000 (minutes)
11- 17 A7 --- DiscName *Discoverer Code & Number
18- 22 A5 --- Comp *Component Identification
24- 26 I3 a Date1 ?Date of first satisfactory
observation (+1000)
27- 29 I3 a Date2 ?Date of last satisfactory
observation (+1000)
30- 31 I2 --- NumObs *?Number of measures of the object
32- 34 A3 deg pa1 *Position Angle for Date1
35- 37 A3 deg pa2 *Position Angle for Date2
38- 42 F5.1 arcsec Sep1 *?Angular Separation for Date1
43- 47 F5.1 arcsec Sep2 *?Angular Separation for Date2
48- 52 F5.2 mag MagA ?Magnitude of component 1
53- 57 F5.2 mag MagB ?Magnitude of component 2
58- 66 A9 --- Sp *Spectral Types of Primary/Secondary
67- 70 I4 mas/a pmRA *?Proper Motion in Right Ascension
71- 74 I4 mas/a pmDE *?Proper Motion in Declination
75- 82 A8 --- DM *Durchmusterung Zone & Number
83- 84 A2 --- note *Notes
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Note on RAh, RAdm, DE-, DEd, DEm:
The positions given represent our best estimates of these values. Where
possible, these are based on the ACRS and PPM data, with proper motion
incorporated. (Code "p" in cols. 79-80).
Note on DiscName:
The discoverer, identified by a one-to-three letter code, and the
discoverer's number, if assigned. The reference list ("wdsref.dat")
should be consulted first to identify individuals. However, some
discoverer designations do not appear in this list, for various reasons,
and a supplementary list is provided (wdsrefa.dat").
Note on Comp:
Components, when the object has more than two. The Lick IDS scheme has
been discontinued, and components are now referred to by the
traditionally employed lower-case letters. The rather awkward upper-case
designations, e.g. ABXC, have been changed to the form AB-C, etc. We
have noted some confusion on the part of observers and students alike,
as to how to designate components in multiple systems. Traditionally,
these have been designated in order of separation, thus AB, AC,...., or
in the cases where close pairs are observed blended, AB-C, AB-D,.... In
some instances, differing resolution limits produce situations where
observations are intermixed, thus AC, AB-C, and so forth. (In all too
many cases, carelessness on the part of the observer does not permit us
to determine with certainty how the observation is to be interpreted).
There are also many instances where later observations have revealed a
closer companion; these are designated Aa, Bb, etc. In a few cases
wider, later discoveries have also been so denoted.
Note on NumObs:
The number of measures of the object. When there are more than 99, the
number 99 is used. For smaller numbers of observations, the value in
these columns is intended to accurately reflect the actual number.
Note on pa1 and pa2:
Position angles in degrees for the dates listed in columns 24-29. For
some pairs, the discoverers have given only crude estimates, such as NF
or SP; in such cases these are listed. Position angles are unprecessed
in this catalog (i.e. they are for the mean date of observation).
Note on Sep1 and Sep2:
The distances in seconds of arc, and tenths, for the dates listed in
columns 24-29. Some separations are treated by the codes found in
columns 79-80, or in the Notes. In cases where there has been no
appreciable motion observed over the duration of observation, only one
position angle and separation is listed.
Note on Sp:
Spectral type of A, or of two components, if space permits. (See
"wdscat.doc" for discussion).
Note on pmRA and pmDE:
The components of the proper motion in seconds of arc per 1000 years, in
right ascension reduced to great circle, and in declination.
Specifically, this catalog lists 15mu(alpha)*cos(delta), where mu(alpha)
is in seconds of time, and mu(delta) is in seconds of arc. Both
quantities are reduced to a time unit of 1000 years. The exceptions are
those objects coded P, Q, and R, for which an explanation is given under
the description for Columns 79 and 80. + and - indicate eastward and
westward motions in Right Ascension, and + and - those north and south
in Declination.
Note on DM:
Durchmusterung number of the object in the system used by the Henry
Draper Catalogue: Bonn from +89 degrees to -22 degrees inclusive,
Cordoba from -23 degrees to -51 degrees inclusive, Cape Photographic
from -52 degrees to -89 degrees inclusive. When a star is not contained
in the Durchmusterung proper to its declination zone, but is contained
in another Durchmusterung, this is so indicated in the Notes. Other
components having different Durchmusterung numbers are also indicated in
the Notes ("notesmn.dat").
Note on note:
The following codes are contained in these columns:
N: Notes found in the Notes table.
O: Orbit. Where motion has exceeded 360 degrees, no
values are listed in the position angle and separation
columns. Orbits may be found in the "Fourth
Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars" (Worley
and Heintz, 1983), and in the Information Circulars
published by Commission 26 of the IAU, as well as
in the literature.
P: 100 year proper motion in right ascension.
Q: 100 year proper motion in declination.
R: 100 year proper motion in right ascension and
declination.
a: Pair appears in an appendix list, not part of the
discoverer's regular numbering system.
r: Pair was listed, but in a "rejected" list, not part
of the discoverer's regular numbering sequence.
s: Pair has other discoverer's designations and numbers
in the literature due to duplicate discovery.
We have given credit to the earliest discovery
observation (and correct identification) reported
in the literature. The List of Synonyms follows the
List of Additional Discoverers.
p: Coordinates and proper motions from the ACRS, PPM,
IRS, and FK5 catalogs.
6: Separation given in minutes of arc rather than se-
conds.
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: notes.dat, notesyns.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 2 I2 h RAh *Right Ascension 2000 (hours)
4- 7 F4.1 min RAm *Right Ascension 2000 (minutes)
9 A1 --- DE- *Declination 2000 (sign)
10- 11 I2 deg DEd *Declination 2000 (degrees)
13- 14 I2 arcmin DEm *Declination 2000 (minutes)
16- 23 A8 --- DiscName *Discoverer Code & Number
24 A1 --- Cont *[+] Continuation flag
25- 80 A56 --- Text *Text of Note
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Note on RAh, RAm, DE-, DEd, DEm:
The positions given represent our best estimates of these values. Where
possible, these are based on the ACRS and PPM data, with proper motion
incorporated. There may be several lines per system, see Cont
Note on DiscName:
The discoverer, identified by a one-to-three letter code (see wdsref.dat
and wdsrefa.dat for the meaning), and the discoverer's number, if
assigned. The reference list ("wdsref.dat") should be consulted first to
identify individuals. However, some discoverer designations do not
appear in this list, for various reasons, and a supplementary list is
provided ("wdsrefa.dat").
Note on Cont:
The + indicates that a continuation exists on the next line:
only the last line of the comment has this flag set to blank.
Note on Text:
We have extensively revised the Notes to include much more information
on orbital motion and multiplicity (including astrometric, photometric,
and spectroscopic), variability, composite spectra, etc. In the case
where an orbit exists for a pair, we give the period (P) and the
semi-major axis (a) in seconds of arc, plus an indication of the
direction of motion.
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: refs.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 3 A3 --- Disc Discoverer Code
4- 5 I2 --- RefNo Reference number of publication
7- 24 A18 --- Obs Observer(s)
25- 80 A56 --- Publ Publication reference for measures
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: disc.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 3 A3 --- Disc Discoverer Code
4- 80 A77 --- Obs Observer
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History:
* 02-Oct-1996: Catalogue prepared by G.G. Douglass [U.S. Naval Observatory]
* 26-Sep-1997: For 5 stars, the erroneous magnitudes were corrected
(concerns WDS J04497+1554, J06283+0155, J12500+4708, J19344+0824
and J23126+0241)
Acknowledgement:
The ADC thanks Dr. Douglass for not only forwarding the Washington
Double Star Catalog and the accompanying documentation in good shape
but also for forwarding a revised version correcting the few mistakes
discovered in the first version.
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(End) G. G. Douglass [U.S. Naval Observatory] 02-Oct-1996