The Winnecke Catalog of Double Stars

A. Winnecke published a series of observations, entitled "Doppelsternmessungen" (Double Star Measurements), in Astronomische Nachrichten No. 1738, vol 73, p 147-160, published in Altona, February 8, 1869.. Within this paper, he reports of numerous observational results, obtained with various refractors from Bonn, Berlin, and Pulkovo. Besides reporting observations of wellknown pairs, he includes a list of seven "new" double stars, marked as "Nova" (latin for New; p 156 of the paper). He notes that he later found that three of them (30 Eri, Bradley 757, and 44 Cyg) had been recognized as double stars earlier by Peters and Alvan Clarke.

1. Nova. W. 0.881 = BD +8 No 137. 9.0 and 9.3 m. 412, Pulk.

     1863,857 23:18   Sep  5.37"   PA 131.0 
         ,872 23:45        5.28"      129.5
     1863,86          Sep  5.325"  PA 130.25
   

2. Nova. 30 Eridani. 6 and 9.10 m. 412, Pulk.
   Winnecke found later that this star had been previously known as double. He suspected that "A" might be itself double, to be confirmed under better conditions.

     1863,824  4:00                PA 137.9
         ,870  4:48   Sep  8.28"      135.7
     1863,85          Sep  8.280"  PA 136.80
   

3. Nova. Bradley 757 = BD -1 No 882. 6.0 and 6.7 m. 320, Pulk.
   Winnecke found later that this star had been previously known as double.

     1863,870         Sep  1"      PA 173.6  (est)
   

4. Nova. Groombridge 1878. 9 and 9.3 m. 320, Pulk.
   Identified as Messier 40 by John Mallas (around 1965).

     1863,777         Sep 49.16"   PA  88.02
   

5. Nova. Lalande 25358. 9.5 and 9.5 m.

     1855,216         Sep  4,68"   PA 165,23    480
         ,377                         164,33    320
     1855,30          Sep  4.68"   PA 164.78
   

6. Nova. 44 Cygni. 6 m red-yellow and 8 m violet. 412, Pulk.
   Winnecke found later that this star had been previously known as double.

     1863,766 19:06   Sep  1,95"   PA 157,4
         ,848 19:18        2,22       162,7
     1863,81          Sep  2,085"  PA 160.05
   

7. Nova. W. XXIII.544 = BD +30 No 4971. 8.5 and 10 m. 412, Pulk.

     1863,848 23:00   Sep  1.3"    PA 166.5  (est)
         ,856 23:00        1.51"      170.5
     1863,85          Sep  1,510"  PA 168.50
   

• Winnecke (WNC) Double Stars (data from SIMBAD)

Last Modification: 22 Jul 1999, 23:45 MET