Other
Scientific paper
May 2000
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000dda....31.1402h&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DDA Meeting #31, #14.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 32, p.870
Other
1
Scientific paper
With 17 years having passed since the 1983 Worley & Heintz Fourth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars, the time is ripe for a new compilation. This Fifth Catalog will be maintained and regularly updated on the USNO website; however, due to the long interval since the previous publication, a paper version will be produced this year, as well. We anticipate that the new catalog will be some 30-40% larger than the Fourth and will include major revisions to many of the orbits published therein. The Fifth will also include ephemerides and figures for all orbits. A sample page of the new catalog is presented; suggestions are welcomed regarding format and further information to be included. A major component in the production of a new catalog is the determination of grades for each orbit. The W&H grading scheme was based on orbital coverage, number of observations, and their overall quality, and presented on a numerical scale (1=definitive to 5=indeterminate), based on the accumulated experience of the authors and their qualitative assessment of individual observers. While useful for judging the reliability of a given orbit, this scheme was rather subjective, so difficult to duplicate by other cataloguers. A more objective scheme has been explored, which includes weights for each observation (based on grades determined for each observer), weighted rms θ and ρ residuals, total number of observations, phase coverage, and other factors. W&H orbits are evaluated by this scheme, using data available at the time of the Fourth Catalog, to determine the correlation between our criteria and the W&H grades. As the final grading scheme has not yet been ``written in stone", suggestions are also solicited for other potential grading criteria. Finally, the problems of grading astrometric orbits, combined solution orbits, and orbits from long-baseline optical interferometry are also discussed.
Hartkopf William I.
Mason Brian D.
No associations
LandOfFree
The Fifth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars --- Making the Grade does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Fifth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars --- Making the Grade, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Fifth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars --- Making the Grade will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1128814