The Cambridge Double Star Atlas

by Bruce MacEvoy, Wil Tirion (Illustrator)

Overview

The Cambridge Double Star Atlas is back! It is the first and only atlas of physical double stars that can be viewed with amateur astronomical instruments. Completely rewritten, this new edition explains the latest research into double stars, and looks at the equipment, techniques and opportunities that will enable you to discover, observe and measure them. The target list has been completely revised and extended to 2500 binary or multiple systems. Each system is described with the most recent and accurate data from the authoritative Washington Double Star Catalog, including the HD and SAO numbers that are most useful in our digital age. Hundreds of remarks explain the attributes of local, rapidly changing, often measured or known orbital systems. The color atlas charts by Wil Tirion have been updated to help you easily find and identify the target systems, as well as other deep-sky objects. This is an essential reference for double star observers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781316430514
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/10/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	60 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Bruce MacEvoy is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and member of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. A lifelong astronomer and member of the Sonoma County Astronomical Society, he has studied double stars intensively since 2006. He has lectured on double star astronomy in California and Hawaii, developed database software to edit the Washington Double Star Catalog, and has observed over 5,300 double star systems from his observatory near Sebastopol, California. He was formerly a senior research psychologist with SRI International and Director of Research for Yahoo! He also curates one of the largest websites devoted to astronomical topics, www.handprint.com/ASTRO/.
Wil Tirion is a full-time uranographer. He is famous among the amateur astronomy community for the numerous atlases and star charts he has created. Among his other successful books for Cambridge University Press are Sky Atlas 2000.0 (co-published with Sky Publishing), The Cambridge Star Atlas, The Monthly Sky Guide, and A Walk Through the Heavens. A full list of Wil Tirion's publications are available on his website: www.wil-tirion.com.

Table of Contents

Preface; What are double stars?; The binary orbit; Double star dynamics; Stellar mass and the binary life cycle; The double star population; Detecting double stars; Double star catalogs; Telescope optics; Preparing to observe; Helpful accessories; Viewing challenges; Next steps; Appendices: target list; Useful formulas; Double star orbits; Double star catalogs; The Greek alphabet.

Editorial Reviews

"This comprehensive update of a popular star atlas amongst the double star community is to be welcomed. The catalogue has also been extensively and logically revised with more accessibility for the amateur telescope as the guiding theme."
R. W. Argyle, Director, Webb Society Double Star Section, and author of Observing and Measuring Visual Double Stars

"The Cambridge Double Star Atlas has long been a valuable resource to double star observers. This second edition has a much more detailed introduction describing binary stars, their orbits and properties, observing tools, and techniques. The double star target list has been expanded to include more information about each double star such as position angle, spectral types, and distances. Even if you already have the first edition, this second edition is a worthwhile upgrade."
R. Kent Clark, Editor, Journal of Double Star Observations

From the Publisher