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Abd Al-Rahman Al-Sufi and His Book of the Fixed Stars: a Journey of Re-Discovery
ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following reference: Hafez, Ihsan (2010) Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi and his book of the fixed stars: a journey of re-discovery. PhD thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/28854/ The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owner of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please contact [email protected] and quote http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/28854/ 5.1 Extant Manuscripts of al-Ṣūfī’s Book Al-Ṣūfī’s ‘Book of the Fixed Stars’ dating from around A.D. 964, is one of the most important medieval Arabic treatises on astronomy. This major work contains an extensive star catalogue, which lists star co-ordinates and magnitude estimates, as well as detailed star charts. Other topics include descriptions of nebulae and Arabic folk astronomy. As I mentioned before, al-Ṣūfī’s work was first translated into Persian by al-Ṭūsī. It was also translated into Spanish in the 13th century during the reign of King Alfonso X. The introductory chapter of al-Ṣūfī’s work was first translated into French by J.J.A. Caussin de Parceval in 1831. However in 1874 it was entirely translated into French again by Hans Karl Frederik Schjellerup, whose work became the main reference used by most modern astronomical historians. In 1956 al-Ṣūfī’s Book of the fixed stars was printed in its original Arabic language in Hyderabad (India) by Dārat al-Ma‘aref al-‘Uthmānīa. -
Incidental Tables
Sp.-V/AQuan/1999/10/27:16:16 Page 667 Chapter 27 Incidental Tables Alan D. Fiala, William F. Van Altena, Stephen T. Ridgway, and Roger W. Sinnott 27.1 The Julian Date ...................... 667 27.2 Standard Epochs ...................... 668 27.3 Reduction for Precession ................. 669 27.4 Solar Coordinates and Related Quantities ....... 670 27.5 Constellations ....................... 672 27.6 The Messier Objects .................... 674 27.7 Astrometry ......................... 677 27.8 Optical and Infrared Interferometry ........... 687 27.9 The World’s Largest Optical Telescopes ........ 689 27.1 THE JULIAN DATE by A.D. Fiala The Julian Day Number (JD) is a sequential count that begins at Noon 1 Jan. 4713 B.C. Julian Calendar. 27.1.1 Julian Dates of Specific Years Noon 1 Jan. 4713 B.C. = JD 0.0 Noon 1 Jan. 1 B.C. = Noon 1 Jan. 0 A.D. = JD 172 1058.0 Noon 1 Jan. 1 A.D. = JD 172 1424.0 A Modified Julian Day (MJD) is defined as JD − 240 0000.5. Table 27.1 gives the Julian Day of some centennial and decennial dates in the Gregorian Calendar. 667 Sp.-V/AQuan/1999/10/27:16:16 Page 668 668 / 27 INCIDENTAL TABLES Table 27.1. Julian date of selected years in the Gregorian calendar [1, 2]. Julian day at noon (UT) on 0 January, Gregorian calendar Jan. 0.5 JD Jan. 0.5 JD Jan. 0.5 JD Jan. 0.5 JD 1500 226 8923 1910 241 8672 1960 243 6934 2010 245 5197 1600 230 5447 1920 242 2324 1970 244 0587 2020 245 8849 1700 234 1972 1930 242 5977 1980 244 4239 2030 246 2502 1800 237 8496 1940 242 9629 1990 244 7892 2040 246 6154 1900 241 5020 1950 243 3282 2000 245 1544 2050 246 9807 Century years evenly divisible by 400 (e.g., 1600, 2000) are leap years. -
Stars and Their Spectra: an Introduction to the Spectral Sequence Second Edition James B
Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-89954-3 - Stars and Their Spectra: An Introduction to the Spectral Sequence Second Edition James B. Kaler Index More information Star index Stars are arranged by the Latin genitive of their constellation of residence, with other star names interspersed alphabetically. Within a constellation, Bayer Greek letters are given first, followed by Roman letters, Flamsteed numbers, variable stars arranged in traditional order (see Section 1.11), and then other names that take on genitive form. Stellar spectra are indicated by an asterisk. The best-known proper names have priority over their Greek-letter names. Spectra of the Sun and of nebulae are included as well. Abell 21 nucleus, see a Aurigae, see Capella Abell 78 nucleus, 327* ε Aurigae, 178, 186 Achernar, 9, 243, 264, 274 z Aurigae, 177, 186 Acrux, see Alpha Crucis Z Aurigae, 186, 269* Adhara, see Epsilon Canis Majoris AB Aurigae, 255 Albireo, 26 Alcor, 26, 177, 241, 243, 272* Barnard’s Star, 129–130, 131 Aldebaran, 9, 27, 80*, 163, 165 Betelgeuse, 2, 9, 16, 18, 20, 73, 74*, 79, Algol, 20, 26, 176–177, 271*, 333, 366 80*, 88, 104–105, 106*, 110*, 113, Altair, 9, 236, 241, 250 115, 118, 122, 187, 216, 264 a Andromedae, 273, 273* image of, 114 b Andromedae, 164 BDþ284211, 285* g Andromedae, 26 Bl 253* u Andromedae A, 218* a Boo¨tis, see Arcturus u Andromedae B, 109* g Boo¨tis, 243 Z Andromedae, 337 Z Boo¨tis, 185 Antares, 10, 73, 104–105, 113, 115, 118, l Boo¨tis, 254, 280, 314 122, 174* s Boo¨tis, 218* 53 Aquarii A, 195 53 Aquarii B, 195 T Camelopardalis, -
The Astronomicalsociety Ofedinburgh
The AstronomicalSociety ofEdinburgh Journal 40 - December 1999 Harry Ford's modified Scotch Mount From the President - Alan Ellis 2 Cheap Astrophotography - a Variation on the Theme - Harry Ford 3 Scottish Astronomy Weekend - Dave Gavine 4 Leonids 1999 - Lorna McCalman 6 Other Observations - Dave Gavine 7 Popular Astronomy Class 7 Special Section on the Solar Eclipse of August 11 1999 8 Including "TheGreatHungarianEclipse" by GrahamYoung, plus reports from GerryTaylor, DaveGavine, MauriceFrank and GrahamRule James Melvill sees a great Comet in 1577 - Dave Gavine 13 Book Review - "The Young Astronomer" by Harry Ford 14 Scottish Astronomers' Group - Graham Rule 14 Published by the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh, City Observatory, Calton Hill, Edinburgh for circulation to members. Editor: Dr Dave Gavine, 29 Coillesdene Crescent, Edinburgh From the President Welcome to Edition 40 of the Society’s Journal. We have to thank Dave Gavine for editing this edition - and the other 39! Unfortunately, Dave has great difficulty in getting members to contribute articles so please consider writing about your astronomical interests whatever they might be - from reviews of books you have enjoyed to observations you have made. We have had quite a good year what with the eclipse and the Leonids - although the weather could have been a little more helpful for both these events. Charlie Gleed and Jim Douglas have continued to work on the Earlyburn site and we hope to start using it in the evenings soon - weather permitting. Recently the Observatory has featured in a BBC Scotland TV series in which Brian Kelly (formerly Dundee’s City Astronomer) may be seen sitting on the roof of the Playfair Building in a pink inflatable plastic arm-chair talking about aspects of astronomy. -
Introduction to Astronomical Photometry, Second Edition
This page intentionally left blank Introduction to Astronomical Photometry, Second Edition Completely updated, this Second Edition gives a broad review of astronomical photometry to provide an understanding of astrophysics from a data-based perspective. It explains the underlying principles of the instruments used, and the applications and inferences derived from measurements. Each chapter has been fully revised to account for the latest developments, including the use of CCDs. Highly illustrated, this book provides an overview and historical background of the subject before reviewing the main themes within astronomical photometry. The central chapters focus on the practical design of the instruments and methodology used. The book concludes by discussing specialized topics in stellar astronomy, concentrating on the information that can be derived from the analysis of the light curves of variable stars and close binary systems. This new edition includes numerous bibliographic notes and a glossary of terms. It is ideal for graduate students, academic researchers and advanced amateurs interested in practical and observational astronomy. Edwin Budding is a research fellow at the Carter Observatory, New Zealand, and a visiting professor at the Çanakkale University, Turkey. Osman Demircan is Director of the Ulupınar Observatory of Çanakkale University, Turkey. Cambridge Observing Handbooks for Research Astronomers Today’s professional astronomers must be able to adapt to use telescopes and interpret data at all wavelengths. This series is designed to provide them with a collection of concise, self-contained handbooks, which covers the basic principles peculiar to observing in a particular spectral region, or to using a special technique or type of instrument. The books can be used as an introduction to the subject and as a handy reference for use at the telescope, or in the office. -
Hot Stars As Targets for Intensity Interferometry
Hot Stars as Targets for Intensity Interferometry Hannes Jensen Lund Observatory, Sweden Aims • Given recent progress in phase interferometry: which should be the prime observational targets for II? • What is least difficult to observe? • Starting point for observing programs, white papers, etc. Selection Criteria What makes a target suitable for II? • Bright High above background noise level, moonlight etc. • Hot S/N improves greatly with target temperature • Astronomically interesting Features on a (sub)milliarcsecond level. Deformation due to rapid rotation, pulsation, disks, winds, etc. The Bright Star Catalogue The Bright Star Catalogue contains the ~9000 brightest stars. Temperatures Effective temperatures were approximated with a polynomial fit to values from [Bessel et al, 1998, A&A333]. ~2600 objects are hotter than 9000 K and brighter than V=7 Final selection • 34 stars exist with (Teff > 9000 K ∧ V < 2) ∨ T eff > 25000 K • A few other interesting objects were added • Angular diameters from the CHARM2 compilation. [Richichi et al., 2005, A&A431, 773] Selected objects Temperature vs. apparent magnitude of selected stars. Circle size indicates angular diameter where available. 1 mas List of Objects Angular Rot. vel.* Name Spec. class Teff [K] V [mag] Notes size (mas) [km/s] Achernar, HR 472 1.9 250 B3Ve 15000 0.46 High rotational velocity, Be-star Rigel, HR 1713 2.4 30 B8Iab 9800 0.12 Emission line star, SN candidate Lambda Lep, HR 1756 70 B0.5IV 28000 4.29 Bellatrix, HR 1790 0.7 60 B2III 21000 1.64 Variable star Elnath, HR 1791 -
Three Editions of the Star Catalogue of Tycho Brahe*
A&A 516, A28 (2010) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201014002 & c ESO 2010 Astrophysics Three editions of the star catalogue of Tycho Brahe Machine-readable versions and comparison with the modern Hipparcos Catalogue F. Verbunt1 andR.H.vanGent2,3 1 Astronomical Institute, Utrecht University, PO Box 80 000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands e-mail: [email protected] 2 URU-Explokart, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80 115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands 3 Institute for the History and Foundations of Science, PO Box 80 000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands Received 6 January 2010 / Accepted 3 February 2010 ABSTRACT Tycho Brahe completed his catalogue with the positions and magnitudes of 1004 fixed stars in 1598. This catalogue circulated in manuscript form. Brahe edited a shorter version with 777 stars, printed in 1602, and Kepler edited the full catalogue of 1004 stars, printed in 1627. We provide machine-readable versions of the three versions of the catalogue, describe the differences between them and briefly discuss their accuracy on the basis of comparison with modern data from the Hipparcos Catalogue. We also compare our results with earlier analyses by Dreyer (1916, Tychonis Brahe Dani Scripta Astronomica, Vol. II) and Rawlins (1993, DIO, 3, 1), finding good overall agreement. The magnitudes given by Brahe correlate well with modern values, his longitudes and latitudes have error distributions with widths of 2, with excess numbers of stars with larger errors (as compared to Gaussian distributions), in particular for the faintest stars. Errors in positions larger than 10, which comprise about 15% of the entries, are likely due to computing or copying errors. -
Observer's Handbook 1986
OBSERVER’S HANDBOOK 1986 EDITOR: ROY L. BISHOP THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA CONTRIBUTORS AND ADVISORS A l a n H. B a t t e n , Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, 5071 W. Saanich Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V8X 4M6 (The Nearest Stars). L a r r y D. B o g a n , Department of Physics, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada B0P 1X0 (Configurations of Saturn’s Satellites). Terence Dickinson, R.R. 3, Odessa, ON, Canada K0H 2H0 (The Planets). David W. Dunham, International Occultation Timing Association, P.O. Box 7488, Silver Spring, MD 20907, U.S.A. (Lunar and Planetary Occultations). Alan Dyer, Queen Elizabeth Planetarium, 10004-104 Ave., Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 0K1 (Messier Catalogue, Deep-Sky Objects). Fred Espenak, Planetary Systems Branch, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Centre, Greenbelt, MD, U.S.A. 20771 (Eclipses and Transits). M arie Fidler, The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 136 Dupont St., Toronto, ON, Canada M5R 1V2 (Observatories and Planetaria). Victor Gaizauskas, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Solar Activity). R o b e r t F. G a r r is o n , David Dunlap Observatory, University of Toronto, Box 360, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada L4C 4Y6 (The Brightest Stars). Ian H alliday, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Miscellaneous Astronomical Data). W illiam Herbst, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, U.S.A. 06457 (Galactic Nebulae). H e l e n S. H o g g , David Dunlap Observatory, University of Toronto, Box 360, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada L4C 4Y6 (Foreword). -
Observer's Handbook 1989
OBSERVER’S HANDBOOK 1 9 8 9 EDITOR: ROY L. BISHOP THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA CONTRIBUTORS AND ADVISORS Alan H. B atten, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, 5071 W . Saanich Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V8X 4M6 (The Nearest Stars). L a r r y D. B o g a n , Department of Physics, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada B0P 1X0 (Configurations of Saturn’s Satellites). Terence Dickinson, Yarker, ON, Canada K0K 3N0 (The Planets). D a v id W. D u n h a m , International Occultation Timing Association, 7006 Megan Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770, U.S.A. (Lunar and Planetary Occultations). A lan Dyer, A lister Ling, Edmonton Space Sciences Centre, 11211-142 St., Edmonton, AB, Canada T5M 4A1 (Messier Catalogue, Deep-Sky Objects). Fred Espenak, Planetary Systems Branch, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Centre, Greenbelt, MD, U.S.A. 20771 (Eclipses and Transits). M a r ie F i d l e r , 23 Lyndale Dr., Willowdale, ON, Canada M2N 2X9 (Observatories and Planetaria). Victor Gaizauskas, J. W. D e a n , Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Solar Activity). R o b e r t F. G a r r i s o n , David Dunlap Observatory, University of Toronto, Box 360, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada L4C 4Y6 (The Brightest Stars). Ian H alliday, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Miscellaneous Astronomical Data). W illiam H erbst, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, U.S.A. 06457 (Galactic Nebulae). Ja m e s T. H im e r, 339 Woodside Bay S.W., Calgary, AB, Canada, T2W 3K9 (Galaxies). -
1949–1999 the Early Years of Stellar Evolution, Cosmology, and High-Energy Astrophysics
P1: FHN/fkr P2: FHN/fgm QC: FHN/anil T1: FHN September 9, 1999 19:34 Annual Reviews AR088-11 Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 1999. 37:445–86 Copyright c 1999 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved THE FIRST 50 YEARS AT PALOMAR: 1949–1999 The Early Years of Stellar Evolution, Cosmology, and High-Energy Astrophysics Allan Sandage The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 Key Words stellar evolution, observational cosmology, radio astronomy, high energy astrophysics PROLOGUE In 1999 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the initial bringing into operation of the Palomar 200-inch Hale telescope. When this telescope was dedicated, it opened up a much larger and clearer window on the universe than any telescope that had gone before. Because the Hale telescope has played such an important role in twentieth century astrophysics, we decided to invite one or two of the astronomers most familiar with what has been achieved at Palomar to give a scientific commentary on the work that has been done there in the first fifty years. The first article of this kind which follows is by Allan Sandage, who has been an active member of the staff of what was originally the Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories, and later the Carnegie Observatories for the whole of these fifty years. The article is devoted to the topics which covered the original goals for the Palomar telescope, namely observational cosmology and the study of galaxies, together with discoveries that were not anticipated, but were first made at Palomar and which played a leading role in the development of high energy astrophysics. -
William Pendry Bidelman (1918-2011)
William Pendry Bidelman (1918–2011)1 Howard E. Bond2 Received ; accepted arXiv:1609.09109v1 [astro-ph.SR] 28 Sep 2016 1Material for this article was contributed by several family members, colleagues, and former students, including: Billie Bidelman Little, Joseph Little, James Caplinger, D. Jack MacConnell, Wayne Osborn, George W. Preston, Nancy G. Roman, and Nolan Walborn. Any opinions stated are those of the author. 2Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; [email protected] –2– ABSTRACT William P. Bidelman—Editor of these Publications from 1956 to 1961—passed away on 2011 May 3, at the age of 92. He was one of the last of the masters of visual stellar spectral classification and the identification of peculiar stars. I re- view his contributions to these subjects, including the discoveries of barium stars, hydrogen-deficient stars, high-galactic-latitude supergiants, stars with anomalous carbon content, and exotic chemical abundances in peculiar A and B stars. Bidel- man was legendary for his encyclopedic knowledge of the stellar literature. He had a profound and inspirational influence on many colleagues and students. Some of the bizarre stellar phenomena he discovered remain unexplained to the present day. Subject headings: obituaries (W. P. Bidelman) –3– William Pendry Bidelman—famous among his astronomical colleagues and students for his encyclopedic knowledge of stellar spectra and their peculiarities—passed away at the age of 92 on 2011 May 3, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was Editor of these Publications from 1956 to 1961. Bidelman was born in Los Angeles on 1918 September 25, but when the family fell onto hard financial times, his mother moved with him to Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1922. -
A Brief History of Cosmology
Carnegie Observatories Astrophysics Series, Vol. 2: Measuring and Modeling the Universe, 2004 ed. W. L. Freedman (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press) A Brief History of Cosmology MALCOLM S. LONGAIR Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK Abstract Some highlights of the history of modern cosmology and the lessons to be learned from the successes and blind alleys of the past are described. This heritage forms the background to the lectures and discussions at this Second Carnegie Centennial Symposium, which cele- brates the remarkable contributions of the Carnegie Institution in the support of astronomical and cosmological research. 1.1 Introduction It is a great honor to be invited to give this introductory address at the Second Carnegie Centennial Symposium to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the Obser- vatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. I assume that the point of opening this meeting with a survey of the history of cosmology is not only to celebrate the remarkable achievementsof modern observational and theoretical cosmology, but also to provide lessons for our time, which may enable us all to avoid some of the errors that we now recognize were made in the past. I am bound to say that I am not at all optimistic that this second aim will be achieved. I recall that, when I gave a similar talk many years ago with the same intention, Giancarlo Setti made the percipient remark: Cosmology is like love; everyone likes to make their own mistakes. By its very nature, the subject involves the confrontation of theoretical speculation with cosmological observations, the scepticism of the hardened observer about taking anything a theorist says seriously, the problems of pushing observations to the very limits of techno- logical capability, and sometimes beyond these, resulting in dubious data, and so on.