Would like to explore the Henry Draper catalogue of stars

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In summary, the VizieR icon leads to a page with a list of positions of the HD catalogue, and you can set it to unlimited to get all quarter of a million+ positions listed. The Ftp icon requests that you open Microsoft Edge, and the ReadMe icon displays a confusing message.
  • #1
Cerenkov
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Hello.

I would like to explore the Henry Draper (HD) catalogue of stars so that I can improve my understanding of the host stars of many exoplanets. When I went to Wikipedia, they provided a link to this site. https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/

The VizieR, TAP and XMatch icons appear to lead to pages that can be used to interrogate the HD catalogue, but in ways that are beyond me.

The Ftp icon requests that I open Microsoft Edge and when I do do that a Google page appears.

The ReadMe icon is also confusing to me in what it displays.

I was hoping that I could view the HD catalogue as a set of columns displaying information about the stars listed therein. For instance, Absolute Magnitude, Spectral Type, Distance in light years or parsecs, and so on.

So, given my confusion, could anyone please help me further? Or is this just a case that my naïve expectations fall short of the reality?

Thanks in advance.

Cerenkov.
 
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  • #2
When you click the VizieR icon, you should get something like this:
1650920848291.png

If you don't type in any target name, and just press enter (or click 'submit'), it'll display as many positions of the catalogue as you have indicated in the preferences menu (visible on the lower left of the screenshot), starting from the first. Set it to unlimited to get all quarter of a million+ positions listed.
This catalogue will only give you celestial position, apparent magnitude (two types), and spectral type. It doesn't include distances nor absolute magnitudes.
 
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  • #3
Bandersnatch said:
When you click the VizieR icon, you should get something like this:
View attachment 300561
If you don't type in any target name, and just press enter (or click 'submit'), it'll display as many positions of the catalogue as you have indicated in the preferences menu (visible on the lower left of the screenshot), starting from the first. Set it to unlimited to get all quarter of a million+ positions listed.
This catalogue will only give you celestial position, apparent magnitude (two types), and spectral type. It doesn't include distances nor absolute magnitudes.

Thank you Bandersnatch.

I'll start as you suggest. I may well have follow questions if I find myself stuck, but for now I'll see how I go.

Thanks again,

Cerenkov.
 

1. What is the Henry Draper catalogue of stars?

The Henry Draper catalogue of stars is a comprehensive catalog of over 225,000 stars compiled by American astronomer Henry Draper in the late 19th century. It contains information such as star positions, magnitudes, and spectral types.

2. How can I access the Henry Draper catalogue of stars?

The Henry Draper catalogue of stars is available online through various databases and websites, such as the SIMBAD database and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics website. It can also be accessed through astronomical software programs.

3. What makes the Henry Draper catalogue of stars significant?

The Henry Draper catalogue of stars was one of the first comprehensive catalogs of stars, and it was used for many years as a reference for stellar classifications and positions. It also contains some of the earliest spectral classifications of stars.

4. How accurate is the Henry Draper catalogue of stars?

The accuracy of the Henry Draper catalogue of stars varies, as it was compiled using various telescopes and instruments. However, many of the positions and classifications have been updated over the years with more precise measurements.

5. Can I contribute to the Henry Draper catalogue of stars?

Yes, the Henry Draper catalogue of stars is constantly being updated and improved upon by astronomers and researchers. If you have new data or observations of stars included in the catalog, you can submit them to the appropriate databases or organizations for inclusion.

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