Astrophysics (Index)About

double star designation

(systems and format of double star designators)

There are modern and traditional formats and prefixes for double star designation. Modern efforts such as the Washington Double Star Catalog (WDS) have standardized prefixes (using Latin letters for ease of use in databases and basic printing) usually indicating the discoverer, observatory, or old source astronomical catalog, whereas records going back 200 years used prefixes often consisting of Greek and/or Latin letters, commonly using the Greek equivalent of the credited discoverer's initial. The interest in double stars (as asterisms to serve as guide stars, and regarding movements evident over time) has led to many observations recorded in catalogs and journal letters and papers. These can be very useful for long-term studies of binary star orbits, and the proper motion of optical-double individuals, but using them presents challenges in interpreting both the old-style designators and old coordinates. Some major catalogs of double stars:

Stelle Doppie is an online database of double stars that includes WDS information as well as that from other sources.

Note that some astronomers (e.g., Aitken, Burnham, Dunlop, Herschel(s), and Struve(s)) discovered double stars and also produced catalogs of double stars including others' discoveries. Then it is necessary to be careful whether the designator-prefix indicates the general catalog versus specifically indicating one of their own discoveries: two designations with the same number but with the two different designator-prefixes are generally different stars. For example, "A 1248" (aka "Aitken 1248") is a double star discovered by Aitken, which is at J000006.64+752859.8, but "ADS 1248" is a different double star: one Aitken listed in the general double star catalog he assembled, and is at J013555.04+330319.57. I've seen stars wrongly-designated, apparently due to this kind of confusion.

(astronomy,double stars,designation)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_star#Designations
https://www.handprint.com/ASTRO/bineye2.html
http://www.astro.gsu.edu/wds/Webtextfiles/wdsnewref.txt
http://www.astro.gsu.edu/wds/Webtextfiles/wdsnewnotes_main.txt
http://www.astro.gsu.edu/wds/
https://computer-ease.com/darkskies/multiple.htm
https://www.stelledoppie.it/
PrefixExample  
ββ 860discoverer(Burnham)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherburne_Wesley_Burnham
ΦΦ 332discoverer(Finsen)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Stephen_Finsen
AA 1248or "Aitken 1248"(discoverer)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Grant_Aitken
ACAC 2or "A.C.", discoverer's initialshttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1857MNRAS..17..257C/abstract
ARGARG 1discoverer(Argelander)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_Argelander
BB 1871discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1974MNSSA..33...60F/abstract
BALBAL 746discoverer(Baillaud) or Bail 746https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1944AnBes...3...33B/abstract
BARBAR 61discoverer(Barnard) or Ba 61https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Emerson_Barnard
BAZBAZ 4or Baize 4, discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1927JO.....10..149B/abstract
BRSBRS 5discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stimson_Joseph_Brown
BrsOBrsO 14Brisbane Observatoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Brisbane#Astronomer
BRTBRT 1204or Barton 1204, discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1926AJ.....36..155B/abstract
BSOBSO 14Brisbane Observatoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Brisbane#Astronomer
CHECHE 45discoverer(Chevalier)https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislas_Chevalier
COOCOO 70or "Cor 70", Cordoba Observatoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_National_Observatory
COPCOP 3discoverer(Copeland)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Copeland
COUCOU 79discoverer(Couteau)http://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1967JO.....50...33C/abstract
CPOCPO 6or Cape 6, observatoryhttp://www.royalobservatorygreenwich.org/articles.php?article=915
DADA 6discoverer(Dawes)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1864MNRAS..24..117D/abstract
DAWDAW 35discoverer(Dawson)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1924AJ.....35..147D/abstract
DjuDju 9discoverer(Djurkovic)http://www.astro.gsu.edu/wds/lin2/lnotes.html
DonDon 520discoverer(Donner)https://cds.unistra.fr/cgi-bin/Dic-Simbad?Don
DooDoo 35discoverer(Doolittle)https://www.jstor.org/stable/40692229
EDGEDG 2discoverer(D.W. Edgecomb)https://books.google.com/books?id=LPU0AQAAIAAJ&pg=RA12-PA14-IA1&lpg=RA12-PA14-IA1&dq=%22w+edgecomb%22+astronomer
ENGENG 11discoverer(Engelmann)https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Engelmann
ESES 964discoverer(Espin)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1907MNRAS..67..194E/abstract
EspEsp 42discoverer(Espin)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1907MNRAS..67..194E/abstract
FINFIN 332or Finsen 332, discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Stephen_Finsen
FOXFOX 134discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Fox_(astronomer)
FRKFRK 11discoverer(Franks)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sadler_Franks
GALGAL 307or Gallo 307, discovererhttps://historiadelaastronomia.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/joaquin-gallo-monterrubio/
GICGIC 57discoverer(Giclas)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_L._Giclas
GLEGLE 2discoverer(Gale)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Frederick_Gale
GLPGLP 9discoverer(Glasenapp)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Glazenap
GNTGNT 1discoverer(Grant)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Grant_(astronomer)
GSHGSH 1discoverer(Glaisher)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Glaisher
GYLGYL 73discoverer(Goyal)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1958AJ.....63..147G/abstract
HDOHDO 127or "Hd 127", Harvard College Observatory
HEIHEI 812discoverer(Heintz)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu//abs/2006BAAS...38.1274A/abstract
HLDHLD 250discoverer(E.S. Holden)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_S._Holden
HLMHLM 19discoverer(Holmes)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Holmes_(astronomer)
HLNHLN 18discoverer(Frank Holden)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993QJRAS..34..113A/abstract
HoHo 229discoverer(G.W. Hough)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Hough
HrgHrg 107discoverer(Hargrave)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Hargrave
HuHu 667discoverer(Hussey)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hussey_(astronomer)
HWEHWE 13discoverer(H.A. Howe)https://www.google.com/books/edition/Catalogue_of_50_New_Double_Stars/_lY0AQAAIAAJ
HynekHynek 1authorhttps://findingaids.library.northwestern.edu/agents/people/1473
HZGHZG 2discoverer(Hertzsprung)http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Hertzsprung/index.html
II 7discoverer(Innes)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1896JBAA....6..261I/abstract
JJ 900discoverer(Jonckhèere)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jonckhèere
JCJC 2or "Jac 2", discoverer(Jacob)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Stephen_Jacob
JEFJEF 1discoverer(Jeffers)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Jeffers
JOYJOY 1discoverer(Joy)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Harrison_Joy
JSPJSP 561discoverer(Jessup)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1937MmRAS..65...51R/abstract
KNTKNT 4or Kn or Knott(discoverer)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1895MNRAS..55..195./abstract
KOKO 2or Koenigstuhl(observatory)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg-Königstuhl_State_Observatory
KRKR 60or Kruger(Krüger, discoverer)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1891AN....127..289B/abstract
KUKU 3discoverer(Kustner)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1915AnDea...1...44F/abstract
KUIKUI 75or Kpr, author(Kuiper)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Kuiper
LL 15discoverer(Lewis)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992JBAA..102...95W/abstract
LAMLAM 5discoverer(Lamont)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_von_Lamont
LAULAU 1discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_E._Lau
LEOLEO 34or Leon(discoverer)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_C._Leonard
LPOLPO 25observatoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Plata_Astronomical_Observatory
LUYLUY 6219discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Jacob_Luyten
MCAMCA 14discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978PASP...90..288M/abstract
MelbMelb 3Melbourne Obs. discoveryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Observatory
MILMIL 1discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1948MNRAS.108...49./abstract
MLBMLB 1discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._H._E._C._Espin
MlbOMlbO 4Melbourne Obs. discoveryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Observatory
MLFMLF 2discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Muller_(astronomer)
MLOMLO 4Melbourne Obs. discoveryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Observatory
MLRMLR 391discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001C%26T...117...10C/abstract
MTLMTL 2CDdiscovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ormsby_M._Mitchel
NZONZO 52observatoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_doubles
OLOL 244discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Pollard_Olivier
OPIOPI 2discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu//abs/1972IrAJS..10...50O/abstract
PLQPLQ 3or Paloque(discoverer)https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observatoire_de_Toulouse
POLPOL 4discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arthur_Pollock
POUPOU 1931discovererhttp://www.jdso.org/volume8/number4/Smith_v8_p243.pdf
PRYPRY 3discovererhttp://www.nastro.org.uk/rev-jevon-james-muschamp-perry.html
PRZPRZ 3discovererhttps://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Przybyllok
PTTPTT 19discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1962PASP...74..495N/abstract
PZPZ 4discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Piazzi
RR 230or "Russ 230", discoverer(Russell)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1892MmRAS..50...57R/abstract
RMKRMK 13discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Ludwig_Christian_Rümker
ROEROE 47discovererhttp://pme-math.org/2515-2
RSTRST 127or Rossiter(discoverer)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1937MmRAS..65...27R/abstract
SS 451or "South 451", discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_South
SCJSCJ 7discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Schjellerup
SESE 1discoverer(Secchi)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_Secchi
SEESEE 53or λl, discoverer(See)https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1898AJ.....18..188S/abstract
SEISEI 1007discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu//abs/1915ApJ....41....1F
SHBSHB 1discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Martin_Schaeberle
SKISKI 4discovererhttp://www.klima-luft.de/steinicke/ngcic/persons/skinner.htm
SLRSLR 1discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1893MNRAS..54..123R/abstract
SMASMA 101discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Marshall_Smart
SMYSMY 4discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Smyth
STST 1discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1939PAAS....9Q.232S/abstract
SteinStein 2031discovererhttp://www.jdso.org/volume2/number4/Daley3.pdf
STHSTH 2or H 2, discoverer(H. Struve)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_von_Struve
STNSTN 2discoverer(Stone)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ormond_Stone
SWISWI 1discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_A._Swift
SYOSYO 1Sydney Observatoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Observatory
UPTUPT 1discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winslow_Upton
VOUVOU 24discoverer(Voûte)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Voute
WEBWEB 2discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_William_Webb
WEIWEI 17discoverer(Weisse)https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Weisse
WGWG 1discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruric_Wrigley
WNCWNC 4or Winnecke 4, discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnecke_Catalogue_of_Double_Stars
WNOWNO 6Washington Naval Observatoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Naval_Observatory
WRDWRD 1discovererhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1985IrAJ...17...98B/abstract
WRHWRH 39discovererhttps://baas.aas.org/pub/2020i0323/release/1
WZWZ 4discovererhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Wilhelm_Wirtz

Referenced by pages:
Catalogue of Southern Double Stars
double star
rare designator prefixes
stellar designation
Index