Struve 1694

Summary

Struve 1694 (Σ 1694, Struve 1694) is a double star in the constellation Camelopardalis.[1]

Position of Σ 1694 (circled)
Position of Σ 1694 (circled)

Σ 1694 is a double star, with components of magnitudes 5.3m and 5.9m:

Norton's Star Atlas describes the pair as yellowish and bluish.[1]

Σ 1694 was also known as 32H. Camelopardalis, Hevelius' 32nd of Camelopardalis. It is not Flamsteed's "32 Camelopardalis", which is ξ Aurigae. In the British Association Catalogue, the star pair are listed as being in Ursa Minor.[2]

Chinese name edit

In Chinese, 北極 (Běi Jí), meaning North Pole, refers to an asterism consisting of Σ 1694, γ Ursae Minoris, β Ursae Minoris, 5 Ursae Minoris and 4 Ursae Minoris.[3] Consequently, Σ 1694 itself is known as 北極五 (Běi Jí wǔ, English: the Fifth Star of North Pole.),[4] representing 天樞 (Tiānshū), meaning Celestial Pivot.[5]

This star was regarded as the north star by the Chinese people from Han Dynasty to Song Dynasty.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Norton, Arthur P. (1973). Norton's Star Atlas. p. 118. ISBN 0-85248-900-5.
  2. ^ British Association for the Advancement of Science; Francis Baily (1845). The Catalogue of Stars of the British Association for the Advancement of Science: Containing the Mean Right Ascensions and North Polar Distances of Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Seventy-seven Fixed Stars, Reduced to January 1, 1850: Together with Their Annual Precessions, Secular Variations and Proper Motions, as Well as the Logarithmic Constants for Computing Precession, Aberration and Nutation. With a Preface Explanatory of Their Construction and Application. R. and J. E. Taylor.
  3. ^ (in Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
  4. ^ (in Chinese) 天樞 (北極)
  5. ^ (in Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表 Archived 2010-08-10 at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.