StarList 2000: A Quick Reference Star Catalog for Astronomers
by Richard Dibon-Smith
Category: Juvenile Nonfiction

Which is larger, Sirius or Vega? What is the luminosity of Rigel? When will Mira come up to full brightness? Here's one simple-to-use reference which quickly answers these questions and many more. This handy star catalog gives the characteristics of over 2,000 stars to a brightness of 5.25 visual magnitude (plus many dimmer exceptions) updated with Epoch 2000 data. The book brings together information not available in any other single source. Employing a unique, easy-to-use constellation-by-constellation format, StarList 2000 gives you all these properties for each star: location, visual and absolute magnitude, spectra, distance in light years, proper motion, spatial and radial velocity, parallax, size, and luminosity. Notes compare discrepancies in data from well-known sources and point out additional interesting facts and figures about selected stars and deep sky objects, such as nearby nebulae. There are special sections on binaries and variables. Rapid-motion binaries are covered in detail, giving exact locations at January 1, 2000. There is also a collection of drawn orbits and a listing of orbital elements of selected binaries. Data on variable stars include type of variability, maximum and minimum visual magnitude, epoch, and period of variability. The author also offers a unique feature--"Most Favorable Viewing Date"--that tells readers when variables are expected to be at their brightest. StarList 2000 includes an appendix of computer programs for calculating such information as the Julian Date, the date of midnight transit for any star, and the azimuth and altitude of any star viewed from your own backyard. Indexes list stars by right ascension, popular name, and constellation.