Binary Star Studies

This spring, GBO Director Jerry Hilburn began a class open to anyone interested in using the Great Basin Observatory to study binary star systems. The class meets remotely, and Jerry graciously offers 4 weekly meeting times to accommodate the schedules of individuals who live across the U.S. and even internationally. Jerry gives an update of the class and the history of double star research below. 

We're now entering Week 7 of a Binary Stars class, where I’m guiding 11 students through the process of writing their first scientific papers. We’ve just completed data acquisition on 65 binary star systems, referenced in the Washington Double Star Catalog (WDS), maintained by the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO).

Currently, the students are actively measuring Position Angle (PA) and Separation of these binary pairs, comparing their findings to historical data from USNO. Systems exhibiting the most significant changes since their last recorded measurements before 2015 are being flagged as potential candidates for publication in the Journal of Double Star Observations (JDSO). Each student will submit a formal research paper, undergoing peer review by JDSO referees.

The study of double stars has a rich history, dating back to the 1700s, with some of the first recorded observations. This tradition of binary star research has deep historical roots, with many renowned astronomers publishing their first scientific papers on double star measurements.

Friedrich Wilhelm Struve (1793–1864) systematically cataloged thousands of binary stars in the early 19th century, laying the foundation for future studies.

S.W. Burnham (1838–1921), a self-taught observer, published his first catalog of double stars in 1873, which later grew to include over 1,300 discoveries.

Robert Grant Aitken (1864–1951) continued this work in the early 20th century, refining orbital calculations and compiling the New General Catalogue of Double Stars.

Even William Herschel (1738–1822), who discovered Uranus, was among the first in the late 18th century to recognize that many double stars were true binary systems rather than mere optical pairs.

The Washington Double Star Catalog (WDS) reflects this long legacy, preserving observations from generations of astronomers, some of whom began their careers much like my students—making precise measurements, comparing them to historical data, and contributing new findings to the field.

Photo: AG-312 Measurement completed on top of an image collected from the Great Basin Observatory