Abbreviations

A: From the Arabic

Br: The brightness rank of the star as compared to Sirius, the brightest star of the nighttime sky

Compan: Companion

Dia: The diameter of the star compared to the sun which is equal to one. The true diameter of the sun is equal 864,000 miles (1.4 million km).

Dis: The distance measured to the star in light years. A light year is the distance that light travels in one year-- 5.8 trillion miles (9.3 trillion km).

Double: The star is double, meaning that it has a gravitationally bound companion. There are also triple, quadruple, quintuple, sextuple, and even greater numbered multiple star systems.

Ecl Bin: A binary star system which is variable in its light output because the two stars undergo mutual eclipses with one another.

G: From the Greek

L: From the Latin

Lum: The luminosity or total energy radiated from a star per second as compared to the sun which is equal to one. The true luminosity of the sun is equal to 3.86 x 1033 erg/sec.

Nr: Designates the nearness of the star to the sun. The Alpha Centauri star system is the closest one to our sun, 4.3 light years distant.

P: From the Persian

Sp Bin: The star is a spectroscopic binary, i.e., a double star, but its binary nature cannot be inferred through direct visual observations. Instead, the orbital motions of the components about their common center of mass, causes the spectral lines of each star to be rhythmically Doppler-shifted back and forth. The system is thus revealed.

Spectrum Bin: The star is a spectrum binary. The spectrum of what visually appears to be a single star displays the spectral characteristics of two stars with different temperatures, thus revealing its duplicity.

T: The temperature of the star measured in the absolute (Kelvin) scale. An approximate conversion to Fahrenheit is to multiply the Kelvin temperature by two. Exactly, Fahrenheit = (temp in K - 273) x 1.8 + 32).

Var: The light intensity of the star is intrinsically variable; its fluctuations are caused by inconsistencies in the star's energy producing mechanisms.

The letters and numbers at the very end of each star's data entry in the "Remarks" column, represent the spectral and luminosity classifications of that star.