
     SAGUARO ASTRONOMY CLUB DOUBLE STAR DATABASE VERSION 2.0
                dated  Thursday 1-3-1991

This  compilation  of  data  was  begun in  an  effort  to  provide  a 
comprehensive  observing list for use at the telescope.  This data  is 
released  for private use of anyone who wishes to use  this  database.  
Please do not sell this database in any form.

The  members of the Saguaro Astronomy Club (pronounced  sa-war-oh)  of 
Phoenix,  Arizona  have provided much of the effort  to  compile  this 
database.  However, it could not have been completed without the skill 
of a variety of people who are not SAC members.  Thank you to all.

Many members of our astronomy club have always enjoyed pretty multiple 
stars and in an effort to provide a large list of these objects,  this 
project  was begun.  We are not foolish enough to believe that  it  is 
complete,  but  it should be a good starting point for even  the  most 
avid amateur double star observer.

We  were lucky enough to receive a copy of the Washington Double  Star 
(WDS)  catalog from Paul Brown in Canada.  We wrote some  programs  to 
glean the best and brightest from that massive list and wound up  with 
the data which you have in this database.  The program was written  to 
get  all  stars  with magnitudes in the WDS that  included  a  primary 
brighter  than 9 and a secondary brighter than 13. If the stars had  a 
separation  2 arc seconds then the magnitudes had to match within  one 
magnitude.  The authors of the SAC double star database think this has 
given us a list which will be useful to owners of modest telescopes.

The  database  is  distributed in ASCII text  files  which  have  been 
compressed  using PKZip to save space.  See the READ-ME.TXT  file  for 
more  details  on  the contents of  the  distribution  diskettes.   We 
divided  the database by RA hour, into five separate files.   Each  of 
the  DBL20? data files has the same layout.  Fields are  separated  by 
commas.   Character  fields  are delimited with a  double  quotes.   A 
description of the fields and what data they contain follows:

          Database Format Summary:

    FIELD NAME       TYPE     WIDTH  
    Name             Char       8
    Star             Char      11
    RA               Char       7   (HH MM.M)
    Dec              Char       6   (+DD MM)
    Con              Char       3
    Comp             Char       4
    Mag1             Char       4
    Mag2             Char       4
    Sep              Num        5   (999.9)
    PA               Char       3
    Tirion           Char       8
    U2000            Char      15
    Spec             Char       3
    Year             Char       4
    ADS              Char       5
    Notes            Char      54
    ------------------------------
  ** Total **                 144


Details about each field follows:

Field Number: 1      Name: NAME          Size: 8 (Char)

  A   Aitken  R.G.        GLP Glasenapp  S.       PAN Pannuzzio  R.
  AC  Clark  Alvan        GRB Groombridge  S.     PLQ Paloque  E.
  AG  AG catalog          GYL Goyal  A.N.         POL Pollock  J.A.
  AGC Clark  A.G.         H   Herschel  W.        POP Popovic  G.
  ALD Alden  H.L.         HDO Harvard Obs.        POU Pourteau  A.
  ALI Ali  A.             HEI Heintz  W.D.        PRO Perth Obs.
  ARA Aravamudan  S.      HJ  Herschel  J.        PTT Pettitt  E.
  ARG Argelander  F.      HLD Holden  E.S.        PZ  Piazzi  G.
  B   Bos  W.H. van den   HLM Holmes  E.          R   Russell  H.C.
  BAL Baillaud  R.        HO  Hough  G.W.         RMK Rumker  C.
  BAR Barnard  E.E.       HRG Hargrave  L.        ROE Roe  E.D.
  BET Bertin  B.          HTG Hastings  C.S.      RST Rossiter  R.A.
  BHA Bhaskaran  T.P.     HU  Hussey  W.L.        S   South  J.
  BRD Bird  F.            HWE Howe  H.A.          SCJ Schjellerup  H.
  BRT Barton  S.G.        I   Innes  R.T.A.       SE  Secchi  A.
  BSO Brisbane Obs.       J   Jonckheere  R.      SEE See  T.J.
  BU  Burnham  S.W.       JC  Jacob  W.S.         SEI Scheiner  J.
  COO Cordoba Obs.        JSP Jessup  M.K.        SHJ South & Herschel
  COU Couteau  P.         KNT Knott  G.           SKI Skinner  A.N.
  CPO Cape Observatory    KU  Kustner  F.         SLR Sellors  R.P.
  D   Dembowski  E.       KUI Kuiper  G.P.        STF Struve  F.G.W.
  DA  Dawes  W.R.         L   Lewis  T.           STG Struve  G.
  DAW Dawson  B.H.        LAL Lalande  F. de      STI Stein  J.
  DON Donner  H.F.        LAM Lamont  J. von      STN Stone  O.
  DOO Doolittle  E.       LDS Luyten p.m.         STT Struve  O.
  DOR Dorpat Obs.         LEO Leonard  F.C.       THE The  P.S.
  DUN Dunlop  J.          LPO La Plata Obs.       UPT
  ES  Espin  T.E.         LV  Leavenworth  F.     VOU Voute  J.G.
  FIL Filipov  M.L.       MA  Madler  J.H.        WAK Walker  R.L.
  FIN Finsen  W.S.        MA  Mason  A.H.         WEI Weisse  M.
  FOX Fox  P.             MLB Milburn  W.         WG  Wrigley  R.W.
  GAL Gallo  J.           MLF Muller  F.          WHC Wilson  H.C.
  GAN Anderson  G.        MLL Mitchell  S.A.      WNC Winnecke  A.
  GAU Gauchet  P.L.       MLO Melbourne Obs.      WNO Washington Obs.
  GCB Giacobini  M.       MLR Muller  P.          WOR Worley  C.E.
  GLE Gale  W.F.          NZO New Zealand Obs.    WRH Wilson  R.H.
  GLI Gilliss  J.M.       OL  Olivier  C.P.


If the object was not listed in a preceding catalog, we used the  Star 
designation.

Field Number: 2      Name: STAR          Size: 11 (Char)
Designations  by which this pair may be known. The same  abbreviations 
as the CON field are used in this field.  Generally, this will be  the 
Bayer  or  Flamsteed designations.  However, there are  some  variable 
star designations and proper names in this field.


Field Number: 3      Name: RA            Size: 7 (Char)
Epoch 2000 position in hours and minutes of Right Ascension.


Field Number: 4     Name:  DEC           Size: 6 (Char)
Epoch 2000 position in Declination degrees and minutes.

Field Number: 5     Name:  CON           Size: 3 (Char)
Constellation in which the object is found in IAU format, given in the 
table  below.   Only  upper case abbreviations are used  for  ease  of 
programming using case-sensitive commands.

ANDROMEDA           AND                 LACERTA             LAC
ANTLIA              ANT                 LEO                 LEO
APUS                APS                 LEO MINOR           LMI
AQUARIUS            AQR                 LEPUS               LEP
AQUILA              AQL                 LIBRA               LIB
ARA                 ARA                 LUPUS               LUP
ARIES               ARI                 LYNX                LYN
AURIGA              AUR                 LYRA                LYR
BOOTES              BOO                 MENSA               MEN
CAELUM              CAE                 MICROSCOPIUM        MIC
CAMELOPARDALIS      CAM                 MONOCEROS           MON
CANCER              CNC                 MUSCA               MUS
CANES VENATICI      CVN                 NORMA               NOR
CANIS MAJOR         CMA                 OCTANS              OCT
CANIS MINOR         CMI                 OPHIUCHUS           OPH
CAPRICORNUS         CAP                 ORION               ORI
CARINA              CAR                 PAVO                PAV
CASSIOPEIA          CAS                 PEGASUS             PEG
CENTAURUS           CEN                 PERSEUS             PER
CEPHEUS             CEP                 PHOENIX             PHE
CETUS               CET                 PICTOR              PIC
CHAMAELEON          CHA                 PISCES              PSC
CIRCINUS            CIR                 PISCES AUSTRINUS    PSA
COLUMBA             COL                 PUPPIS              PUP
COMA BERENICES      COM                 PYXIS               PYX
CORONA AUSTRALIS    CRA                 RETICULUM           RET
CORONA BOREALIS     CRB                 SAGITTA             SGE
CORVUS              CRV                 SAGITTARIUS         SGR
CRATER              CRT                 SCORPIUS            SCO
CRUX                CRU                 SCULPTOR            SCL
CYGNUS              CYG                 SCUTUM              SCT
DELPHINUS           DEL                 SERPENS             SER
DORADO              DOR                 SEXTANS             SEX
DRACO               DRA                 TAURUS              TAU
EQUULEUS            EQU                 TELESCOPIUM         TEL
ERIDANUS            ERI                 TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE TRA
FORNAX              FOR                 TRIANGULUM          TRI
GEMINI              GEM                 TUCANA              TUC
GRUS                GRU                 URSA MAJOR          UMA
HERCULES            HER                 URSA MINOR          UMI
HOROLOGIUM          HOR                 VELA                VEL
HYDRA               HYA                 VIRGO               VIR
HYDRUS              HYI                 VOLANS              VOL
INDUS               IND                 VULPECULA           VUL
          

Field Number: 6      Name: COMP            Size: 4 (Char)
If this is a multiple system, which components of the triple (or more) 
are  in this record.  For instance, if this field has ABXD  then  this 
field  of  data  applies  to the star system  D  in  relation  to  the 
brightest pair in this multiple star AB.

Field Number: 7      Name: MAG1           Size: 4  (Char)
Magnitude of the primary star.

Field Number: 8      Name: MAG2           Size: 4  (Char)
Magnitude of the secondary star.

Field Number: 9      Name: SEP            Size: 5  (Numeric)
Separation of the pair in arc seconds.

Field Number: 10     Name: PA             Size: 3  (Char)
Position Angle of the pair in arc degrees clockwise from North.

Field Number: 11      Name:  TIRION      Size:  8  (Char)
The charts in the Tirion Sky Atlas 2000.0 that map the area of sky  in 
which  the star is located.  This is included so that a less  detailed 
view of the area will be available to star hoppers.

Field Number: 12      Name: U2000         Size: 15  (Char)
The charts in the Uranometria 2000.0 that map the area of sky in which 
the  star  is located.  It is not guaranteed that all  multiple  stars 
plotted on U2000 are contained in the database but we are trying. 

Field Number:  13     Name:  SPEC         Size:  3  (Char)
Spectrum of the primary, or the binary pair if a spectroscopic binary.

Field Number:  14     Name:  YEAR         Size:  4  (Char)
Year the measures of this pair were taken.

Field Number:  15     Name:  ADS          Size:  5  (Char)
Number from the Aitken Double Star catalog, a common cross-reference.

Field Number:  16   Name:  NOTES          Size:  54  (Char)
Several abbreviations were used in the Notes section:

cpm  = common proper motion, the pair is moving through The Galaxy  in 
the  same  direction  and  at  the  same  speed.   They  are  probably 
gravitationally bound together.

eclp-bin = eclipsing binary, a system that is edge-on to Earth and the 
stars pass in front of each other, changing the total magnitude.

orbit  calc'd  =  an  orbit  (maybe  a  preliminarily  one)  has  been 
calculated   for   this  system.   Several  references  in   a   large 
astronomical  library will provide a drawing of the orbit.   The  more 
famous pairs are in Burnham's Celestial Handbook.

spect-comp = spectrum composite, the two spectra of the binary form  a 
single spectrum that is the addition of the stars in the multiple star 
system.

sp-bin  =  spectroscopic binary, a pair whose spectra  change  as  the 
motion  of  the system moves through different angles  to  the  Earth.  
Many  very  close binaries are spectroscopic and cannot  be  separated 
visually at the eyepiece.

var = variable, the magnitude of the star changes with time.

HINTS ON USING THE SAC DOUBLE STAR DATABASE

The layout of the data was thought out to try and let the user get the 
type of listing that is preferred with as few problems as possible.

Users  who have taken the time to write or call have said that a  wide 
variety of database managers will make it easier for the sophisticated 
double  star  observer  to utilize the data in  a  variety  of  forms.  
People  have used dBase III, Paradox, PC File, PC File  dB,  Microsoft 
Works, Wampum and a few have used a word processor to search and  sort 
the  SAC database.  It is even possible Import it into Lotus 123 as  a 
Text file.   Several people have considered burning it into a ROM  for 
use in a telescope control program.

Of  course,  if you do not need overly complex  search  routines,  the 
provided SACDBL.EXE program from Dan Ward will suffice.  It allows the 
user to make a fine observing list quickly.  See the REPORTS.DOC  file 
for more details.


                        CONTRIBUTORS

Dan  Ward  did error corrections, fine tuned the data  field  formats, 
wrote  the  install file, edited the documentation and  developed  the 
SACDBL report generator program included with this disk set.  

A.J.   Crayon  did  error  corrections  and  assisted  indirectly   in 
developing the install and observing list program because Dan recycled 
some code that he and A.J. had jointly developed in the past.

Brian  Skiff  provided us with error checking data and  gave  us  much 
input on what to include for each entry.

Steve Stanford wrote the program which determined the Tirion and U2000 
chart numbers.

Steve  Coe co-wrote the file you are reading and checked  and  entered 
data.

Alan Gore parsed out the star names from the Notes as given in the WDS 
and checked and entered data.

John and Tom McGrath checked and entered data.

Kent  Hepburn  ran the precession and chartnumber programs.   He  also 
checked and entered data.

Roger Wegehoft of Ashton-Tate provided some dBASE code to strip excess 
blanks  out   of the middle of some data fields, which allowed  us  to 
reduce the overall size of the database by over 500k!  

Wayne  Gary provided valuable suggestions for fine tuning some of  the 
fields formats. 

                       REVISION HISTORY

Version  1.0 was the raw data from the output of a Quick Basic  search 
routine  that  was  written by Bill Anderson and  Steve  Coe  and  run 
against the Washington Double Star catalog as we received it.

Version  1.1  was the output from Alan Gore's dBase  III+  program  to 
parse the star names from the NOTES.

Version 1.2 contained the precessed values for position and added  the 
chart  numbers.  Steve Stanford wrote the chart numbering program  and 
Kent Hepburn interfaced it with the data from the WDS.

Version 1.3 was a quick check to make certain that we had not lost any 
"famous" doubles while dealing with the above operations.

Version  1.4  was  the output of a  comprehensive  check  that  lasted 
several months trying to catch any errors, large or small, in the data 
or documentation.  All the above versions were internal to the SAC and 
did not get a general release to the public.

Versions 1.5 thru 1.8 were intermediate revisions done by Dan Ward  to  
eliminate  some  data format inconsistencies.  A few  non-SAC  members 
received  copies of one or more of these versions.  When Dan  finished 
1.9, the rest of the team went through it again to make one more check 
prior to release.

Version  2.0 is hereby placed in the public domain.  It is  our  first 
release of the double star database for general use.

                         FINAL NOTES

We  realize that such an undertaking could not possibly  be  completed 
without  some  errors or typos creeping into the database.   We  would 
like  you to get in contact with us if you find any of three types  of 
problems.  One, just plain errors, either typos or problems we did not 
know about.  Two, places in the database where we have no data in that 
field and you know what should go there.   Three, ideas on how  better 
to  arrange  the data or programs you have written to  manipulate  the 
data.   It  is  hoped  that over a period of time  we  can  hunt  down 
mistakes  and make the database as error free as possible.  Thank  you 
for any help you can render in attaining that goal.

Steve Coe                                   A. J. Crayon
4919 W. Saguaro Dr.                         13819 N. 37th Ave.
Glendale, Az. 85304                         Phoenix, Az.  85023
PH. (602) 939-3787                          Ph. (602) 938-3277

As  these notes are being prepared, Dan Ward is anticipating  a  major 
relocation  and  does not yet have his new mailing  address  or  phone 
number.   You  can  reach  him  on CompuServe  at  his  ID  number  of 
72040,3357.


                                                                                                     