Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe beyond the Solar System (1

330 Pages·1978·91.74 MB·English

by  Robert Burnham Jr.

BURNHAMS
CELESTIAL HANDBOOK

An Observer's Guide to the Universe
Beyond the Solar System
Robert Burnham. Ir

In Three Volumes
Volume One Andromeda Through Cetus

Revised and Enlarged Edition
j BURNHAM’S
' CELESTIAL HANDBOOK

‘An Observer's Guide to the Universe
Beyond the Solar System

t ROBERT BURNHAM, JR.

Statf Member, Lewell Obseratory, 1998-1979

/ IN THREE VOLUMES
Volume One, Andvomeda-Cetus

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.
NEW YORK
‘Tho author takes grat pleasure in offering is
spretl thanks and appreciation to Flsbert A Lal,
‘hose unlageing terest and supp hes bled

rearuraby to mabe the Coll Hanabook

Frownueuc: The Creat Nebuls NCC 6611, some
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= THE CELESTIAL HANDBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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QUAPTER 2 = INRODUSTION veseesveseeneeeeeee 5
The 10ee Eehind che Celeseiat tenbook
UAETER 2. = NTRODUSING THE UNIVERSE senyeeee 13
wh CeTeat Tel Survey
‘ae Distance Seale of the Universe
GOMPIER 3 FUNDAMENTAL eNOWLEDCE FOR TE
BRE GUSERUER nn eennencecnesnennenss AS
Gaining,» Tuorking trosiodge” oF the
Heavens. 4s
‘The Constelistions: aprerent Notfons and
Seasonal changes. 46
Tie Celestial spreres Celestial Coordinates. 50
Precession. se
Dizectéone in the Sky. 3
Slieres! Tine, 3
fAagtler Measurement. oa
The Magnitude System: Apparent and
absotste Hagnstudes 6
Golox Indices. °
Bear Manes ond Desigoat ons. %0
Stor Atlases. is
Steller Spocttel Classes. 6
Ster Nortonss Proper Notion, 2edial a
Velsetey. Stellar eespereturcs. — §2
The WR Dingess. 33
Ster Distances. Distance lnies. °°
Double Stars, Vazieble Sears. 05 68
Classification of Nebulae and Calexies. a1
QUAPTER 4 — OW 10 USE THIS nOOK. were 98
The Aerengenent of the Celestia iardbock
Tema, Symbols, anc dbbeaviations Used.
CELESTIAL HANDB00R +s +s
COUSSRERATION TRDEK, VOLUME = es2
TNTRODUCTION

AvaTesm ASTHORONY — A PERSONAL VIEW
soe IDE4 SHIN THE CELESTIAL wODTOOK

on]

“aga Syfre ch Teale tat sees

ey
Rip Feeier cha grits atasrelce‘ets could tape to exe
INTRODUCTION.

‘TE DEA BEMIWD THE CELESTIAL HANDBOOK

Yet it sosetives happens, perhaps because of the
very reel aesthetic appeal of astroncmy and tie ainost ine
comprehensiole vastness of the Universe, that che more
solidly practical acd duller mentalities tend to see the
Study asian “escape from reality" - surely one of the most
thoroughly lopesided views ever propounded. The knoviedge
obtained from astrunocy has always been, aid will coneinue
to bo, of tae greatest practical velve. But, his apart,
pily the mode mfopie winds could igentigy Uecality" selely
ith the doings of nan on this planet. Contemporary civil |
ration, waarever its adventsgee anc achfevenents, i* cher |
Acterized by many Features wsich are, to put it very mildly |
GAequisting, to turn froz this tnevessingly aytificiel and
strangely alien world is to ascape from unrealicy; to re~
turn to the timeless world of the moentains, che sez, the
forest, and the stars is to retura tc sanity end truth,
‘ABOUT THIS 800K

There is no lack of astronomical Literature tocey:
con the contrary, the flood of new material is so great czar]
tthe canpiler of a good snail sstroronical libsary faces
sertous task. The chief problem, in fact, 1s te chocse
these items which will quickly become dog-eared under con-
tinual use, as contrasted to those which will quietly dis
sppear under an accumulation of dust on one's bookstelf.
Abteueatesl Literature may be broadly grated 2nto four
classes: popular works for the general reader, textbooks
for the student, techateal reports and bulletins fcr tle
professional worker, and guidebooks for che obsexver. 4
book of the first type can perform a valuable service if
well end accurately written, though the majority appear to
bbe oriented coward the casval reeder who is content to
study astronony fron his armchsir. Texthaoke alse deal very
sketchily with cbservational meters, ang the more techni
cal publications are suizable only for the advanced worker
The Celestial Handbook belongs iz the fourth category, and
4s being offered in the hope that it will fill » very real
gap in astronomical literature fer the obse:ver.

ie is, briefly, intendec to be a standard catalog
and datetied’ descriptive bandocok of the many thousands, of
objects availeble to observers with telescopes in the 2
inch v6 12-iuch ranges Tts realm 13 the ene-re Universe
beyond our own Soler System, and 1t deals with chose

;TRODUCTION

‘Twn IDEA REMIND THE CELESZTAI. HANDBOOK

fetestia: cbjocta witch are now populaely nom, ee "dorm
eee eentcest 1 can claim no originality for this idea, of
ee ee jehes euch sonks have been produced in the past,
ePEiken the most complete ane successful vas T.H-Wob)'s
Geekerrac ObsscrS for COMMON TELSSOOOES. Tada roxarkadle
fork, since 1962, hs been aveilable ina revised edition
Som power Peblications in Nee York, Nockiag else of con
temple value has been produced since, ro meet the needs
of tae modern observer.

‘side for the obvious fact that all the older books
Jace aov very much out o° date, there are a numer of other
feeaoons vay © conplste nev Celestial Handbook 1s needed.
ffo begin wich, che sacLier observing guides wore weittea
for the possessor of sho stenéard telescope of sbout 1900,
he slavste 2" retraccor. Todey"s average anateur telescope
fig w Gf to 12" instrument, oné the increasing svatlability
of good cuslity large collectors has opened up a vast new
leorii of desp-aiy oo]ects for the coder observer.

Secondly, the vast increase of ascronomical knowledge
Dee ee coorroae st itt of iocereet tn the tase
50 years. Older books concentrated heavily on such tela
tively local objects a> double stare and the brighter var!
ables. The nore spectacular star clusters and nebulae were
fiseladed, but descoripcions were often Linited co visual
Jappesrances because of the scarcity of facts, Galaxies as
Such vere aot mentioned at cli, since nocting vas know of
ie true nature of the "spiral nebulae". The sitvation ts
now radically different. if nothing else had hapvened tn
tits century, the final Adertiftearion of the spirals a2
lexternal galaxies was sufticient ¢o alse: our whole con
leeetion of the targs-scale festures of the Universe. We
Jean sow speak with eeasonable accuracy aot only of the
fistanees, nasoss, Leuperatutss, less os the celestial
pblests, but ehrougi the gcuvth of aaccupliyaies we cou
analyse cone of the plystcal processes at work ail beglt
to undeestand what eheao things joan from the viewpoint of
ths evelutionary history of the Universe, Surcly there bar

ever been any intallectusl adventure 20 equal this, and
leven the most casual observer 42 antitied to share some~
ching of ite wonder

The existence af the Celselal fandbook is a xesal:
Pf this gradusl widening of cur horizons, and reflects,
INTRODUCTION

‘hk IDEA DEMIND THE CELESTIAL, HANDBOOK

I believe, che interests and needs of today's amateur, The
book had its beginning about 2 dozen years ago, and acest
ed as an attezpt co keep facta in ordes tor ay’ oun vee, to
‘bring together into one plsce the dete fron nany diffecent
sources, to bridgo the gep between the elementary begins
nerls star books and che more technica! publications’ aad
to mintein permanently up-to-date guidebook by catscent
addition, correction, and revision, In 156 T joined che
Lowell Observatory staff, ard the resources of the cove!)
Ifbrary vere this made avellable, ns well a6 the supers
sollection of photographic plates nade with the 13-tnch
‘wide engle camera which discovered Pluto in 1940. In the
years between 1958 and 19€5 the Handbook more than doubled
4m size, and eventuelly grex to occupy feur thick loose
leat volumes, totaiting nearly 2300 page:

‘The work sow includes virtue:1y all the objects of
interest which appear on the present-day star atlases such
Jas Norton's and the new skalnate Pleso "Atles sell". ut
fue sinple catslog isting cen convey much of the real in:
terest end importance of many of the celestial wouders-
Detailed descriptions are necessary, anda very sim
atrect polity vas adopted: if an object was considered
Jwortty of a dataiice desesiption, {t was given ones Also,
Ja number of objects have been incleded which axe usvelly
regarded as being beyond the venge of anetest telescopes,
fost which appear to me eo ba of exceptional interests Suck
@ecistons, of course, depend very much upon one's persons
interests, and each observer would undoubtedly meke 2 some-
what different selection. Ky om choices are based upon
nore than thirty years of actual observing with instruments
ranging fron field glasses up to lerge obse=vetory reflec=
tors. T think that none of the fanous old favorites have
been neglected in thts boot, ard I hope that some objects
wit ¥¢ tneroduced to many observers for the first tines

The number of objects listed is wel. over 7600, af
which many Sundreds ara given additional detelied descrip-
sions. The Lock is 11lustrated by more than 250 photageesi-
ic plates, collected fron nary aifterent observatories, and]
Js fine selection of che work of some teateur astroqpiotor
lgraphere bas been included. There are also several tundred
finder charte, orbit diagrena, geaphs and tables of vesiaus
evpes =

and

INTRODUCTION

(UWE IDEA HEMIND THE CELE:

HANDBOOK

ee ean are
ated i es Hating Sue de timate
i ota ioe ari
INTRODUCTION

(ME IDEA BEKIND THE CELESTIAL HANCBOOK

INTRODUCTION

‘rR IDEA BEHIND TIT CELESTIAL, waxDsuOR

A, By and C. This is a reflection on the present state of
Knowledge. dany astronoatcal facts depend spon very precise
and dificult measureneats of very tiny quantities, auch as
the parallax of a star, aid there is always « good margin
of error. Osher astronomical questions renain frackly
‘controversial, and the dest authorities differ in thetr
interpretasions. [¢ vould be a rash astronomer indeed wto
ould claim absolute exactness in geen matters as the pre~
Cise distance of Polaris or the King Nebula, the exact size
or luminzeity of Antares, or the exact orbital period of
Zeta dquatil, Aad in euch enignatie objects as Tpstion
Ruriges, $3 Gygni, and 30273, it is best to admit at once
hae we do not know exactly gat fe going on. We have Just
Feathed the point where we ase boginning to find out what
the question are, and what sethoda may bo used to otudy
the problem, The Universe zenaina — a7 it robsbly alway
will aa svacone ayetery, and Nevton's great Ocean of
Truth etitl lise undiscovered before us. fat Int se wake no]
apology for thin. Mich of the fascination of astrowony lics|
in the fact that there are still so many unknomne, so cay
pugeles and ayateries yet to be solved. May 4 aways be

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
he Celestial Handbook ie a collection of data fron 2
rest umber of separate sources. No cne person could, in

S dozen 1ifetines, accomplish more than a small Fractien
of the research viet 1a represented by the Intornation
contained in this book. Any compiler of such = vor is,

of ecessity, forced to rely upon the studies and :nvesti~
gacione of Licerally hindreds of other obvervees, both of
fhe pest and present. In nearly thirty yeurw of observing
Tinaye ucluully suea, at one tine ox another, posscbly hals|
bf the colestial objects Listed herein, and cho viouel
escriptions are largely the results cf my om recorde
Asics From this, my chief tas hae been the collection,
Checking, aad Lacer-compariaoy of axes.

‘The chief sonree-haois of Infornaticn are Listed ix
the classified Mblingraphy. te addition, the publications
acy different cbservatoriss were checked each month
for the presence of any new information relevant to the
project, wintle both the Astrosoniea™ Journal and the Astro-|

eee iatopeation Gotaiaed fron any of these current sources
ae oe ie snforaations Dut Ut should se cbviowe that a
Pe ees cecvrn could bo exoantnd, covrectecy apd
Peet eto mire call'a helt scecthara? Miere 1
cree cir. cease ptacncts te sa tnige
FO a sence of (ales for thle hock = tat fina
MR eeeetasccs tk cintcioes ater ot 2p ssticome

“Reto Bancon)

Flsestate, arizona
loctober, i976
SPLENDOR GF THE HEAVENS: ]
1s the vou reaches of the Unietse modern felescopes revel many vstes |

2

=—
[intRoovciNe THE universe
ou. 2

7 CELESTIAL SURVEY
IG DISTANCE SCALE OP THE UNIVERSE

We are tegimiag @ Journey.

PE Will be a Journey Hoch arrange and wonderful. zn
ur sous of the Universe ve shail travel” the vast. capty
lous.ceys ol liniciosa space and explore the inchasted
Peiimcdess of crestion. fare, in ce Jerk usnkswyn Lmen=
ity ot the teavens, ve stall mect with glociey beyond
astciption and witness scenes of inexpressible aplenlor.
fetta grant Slack gulfe cf apace an In tho renin of the
ffecastsbie tars, ve chail find uyatesice and rondore
Retest et tan ov cotcrn to Tart, we shell e=y
Es cesenber someting ef vhat ve have eared hast the
fiserediole Universe which ts ovr hone.

et us now prepare for our josrncy. We shall neec,
feiest of oll, a imaginary spacecraft wich can teaver at
ny desized spesé—no matcer haw incredible (@ imersibie),
fitz reason for ENte will som be seen, If we linte cur.
selves 0 speeds wisch axe "possible," our joursey to even
relatively near regions of space vill requize a period of
fintota ages, and, ve sinply haven't the tines Ye mest ofsd]
aqssp ovrecives with ebnoraatiy sensitive eyes whlch con
fieeeiy'aee sah detec at wold ortisaraiy Se revnied
poly by many hours’ exposure of the phatogrepstc plates
shail elzo cate along one of the world's largess relescopes|
So that va ney otill better view the pessine scener).

Finally, we aball soqutve sone beiefing on the dts-
Rance scale sad on our joumer. if we vere to travel to
Nev York, for tnstance, ine would want to"kncw chat he
kstence co be coverec as 00 or #00 or 1200 atlecs bse
his tnforsation woule scazcely tr af sey velue 12 we bad
Ro Aden of tha meaning of the fem Mattes” Now, on oor
festa, we shall fine that the celestiai. ctecances ace 0
ineredibay vast chat to express then in niles wourd se tke
fgivisg the distance eo. cong Cong in néilionths of ar inchs
Ses e shell require o new distaxce endt—the Light veer,
Ligne HOES 12, Rothing particvlary complicated about. the
Lists years 31° radiant energs, as we say cemenber fron
ish sclooi piysice, travels at che same velocity, comnon}
este? te repoed of Light." “"his velocity 1s the greatest
fore $0 fhe Universe and appears tzon all” know facts to
Be the uitince velocity possible. ite ptoole of this’ Ike
a the abstruse ceain of sclstiviscic “aschensties. witch

Ys are prepared to tackles For che ments ve shall
A cOmDESrLaL SURI
accept as 2 tact the peincigle thae the velocity of Tisha]
cennot be exceeded, except, oF course, in the insgination,
The speed of Leght'ts close to °68,300 utles par” aecores

At chis speed ve eculd soevel scves tines eround ele Earth
fn one seconde. he could seavts tue soon in less than tos
fsucendey the fm dn alght almites, and ell the planeta ie
‘fer houses Sveveling for a yea ac tide speedy we woul
Gover # distance of slisheiy lesa than six teller ot tes
find we would find eureelwes ahout @ quarter of che way
the peasant. stars

Tighe year, theny te ssapty che distance that Lishe

{ea yearcslightly lose then” sin teititen alles,

Ine of distancessot a urtt of rime
Ets points we aust passe belefly to make sor
acteopt, sowever Inacequete, to undersea! the {mplication
fof such’ an enomnus ofatance sie ighe goers at
Ine “cannot euap-in sone degroe-the chilling sassress ox
[pressed iy such # conzept, ne shall never have ave the
Eee hegtes: notion of tie auele of the Usiverses Cor staid
say be Jolze! toto’ sone degree of conpresension 3y av
Seatenense as "It would soguise over 130,000 yents to cove
the sasber of miles 19 one Light gear,” uc tee final &
pression is sesli one of. Sneospretensioly insge neabers
renee ay attend the old aad "classic “scale” model
fnethod. |

he Caxth 18 a plaset, ove of nine celestvely small
nodten seveiving shout a "typical soc: of seer we call tha
ene These sbjectsy together with a number’ of sealie
osies, mate op the’ "Sais: System” cue em fenlldar corse:
oF the'thiverse. he distance ¢f the Fash fren the Sent
fuprocinitely $9 ‘ftlion niles, or svort, elgst. Light
fninutes," a distance which we will dignliyy hy m speci
Eitle, the fastranonteal ance" (AU). Tie nose remsce
planet, Fist, fs 40 tines core distanc froc tle som chat
fre sce, and se. we vay sey teat, the aiscance of ato to
about 0 At. “The dtenater of the planetary systen 19 ¢hce
seme @0 AU,

One Tight yenr 12 equel to 62,000 At

Soe Lge year ts equal to 69,00
ene starz ts cod Tight sears Oistatey G22 1s shose 290,004
fv, oF sone 7,000 times che Wistance of Flute, Toe 1g
oa'21sto reaches tne Larth in 31 hovce; fase the nenvest
ter fe requiten 4.3 penree

+ the nearest of

gee renee Se ar ane teste
Ftiipation scay-tcc alt the atare ara, on che everege]
eam

Amed with this knowledge, let us nov enter our imag-
isety spacecraft and iausch surselves out aaproxiuately one
fpiltion 1ight years from the Eerth. In reality even a bea
vé Light would require more than ten thousand 1:fetimes to
Estverse sush a distance, Tse aiming of ave spacecraft
ors mot especially matter, for the general Features of

[PF surroundings would appear the sare, regardless of the