Project Blue Book Final Case Report

STAR HOPPING IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
A List of Prominent Stars In Order Of Brightness
Star Position
Star Name (Right Ascension/Declination) Color Magnitude
Sirius 6 Hours, 45.0 Mins./-16° 35' Blue-red-white-green - 1.58
Vega 18 Hours, 35.2 Mins./+38° 44' Blue-white + 0.04
Capella 5 Hours, 18 Mins./+45° 57' Yellow + 0.21
Arcturus 6 Hours, 41.0 Mins./-18° 33' Orange to yellowish + 0.24
Rigel 5 Hours, 12.1 Mins./-8° 15' Blue-white + 0.31
Procyon 7 Hours, 38.7 Mins./+5° 21' Yellowish-white + 0.60
Altair 6 Hours, 41.0 Mins./-18° 33' Yellowish-white + 0.80
Betelgeuse 5 Hours, 52.5 Mins./+7° 24' Red + 0.92
Aldebaran 4 Hours, 33 Mins./+16° 25' Orange to reddish + 1.00
Pollux 7 Hours, 43.3 Mins./+28° 8' Yellow + 1.21
Spica 13 Hours, 22.6 Mins./+18° 25' Blue + 1.21
Antares 16 Hours, 28.3 Mins./-26° 16' Red + 1.22
Formalhaut 22 Hours, 54.9 Mins./-29° 53' White + 1.28
Deneb 20 Hours, 33.7 Mins./+45° 3' White + 1.33
Regulus ? 10 Hours, 5.7 Mins./+12° 13' Blue-white + 1.34
Castor 7 Hours, 31.4 Mins./+32° Green-white + 1.53
Epsilon Ursus Majoris 12 Hours, 81.3 Mins./+58° 10' White + 1.60
Bellatrix 5 Hours, 22.4 Mins./+6° 18' Blue + 1.69
Mira 2 Hours, 16.0 Mins./-3° 12' Red + 1.7 to 9.5
Episilon Orionis 5 Hours, 33.7 Mins./-1° 14' Blue + 1.75
Beta Tauri 5 Hours, 23.1 Mins./+23° 34' Blue-white + 1.78
Alpha Persei 3 Hours, 23.7 Mins./+48° 41' Yellow-white + 1.88
Eta Ursus Majoris 13 Hours, 45.0 Mins./+45° 34' Blue + 1.81
Gamma Casseopeia ? 6 Hours, 34.3 Mins./+16° 27' White + 1.83
Alpha Ursus Majoris 11 Hours, 38.7 Mins./+62° 1' Orange + 1.85
Delta Denis Majoris ? 7 Hours, 6.4 Mins./-28° 10' Yellow +1.93
Beta Denic Majoris ? 6 Hours, 23.5 Mins./-17° 58' Blue + 1.98
Zeta Orinis 5 Hours, 28.2 Mins./-1° 53' Blue + 2.05
Beta A ? 51 Hours, 58.9 Mins./-44° 57' White + 2.07
Ploaris (Pole Star) 1 Hour, 46.8 Mins./+23° 2' Yellowish + 2.12
Alpha Ophinchi ? 17 Hours, 32.3 Mins./+12° 33' White + 2.14
Delta Sagittarii 18 Hours, 52.2 Mins./-26° 22' Blue + 2.14
Alpha Andromedae 8 Hours, 5.8 Mins./+26° 48' White +2.15
Alpha Hydrea 2 Hours, 29.1 Mins./-8° 23' Orange +2.16
Mizer ? 13 Hours, 21.8 Mins./+55° 11' Green-white + 2.18
EXPLANATORY NOTE: Right Ascension on the Celestial Shphere is equivalent to Longitude on the Earth;
Declination is equivalent to Latitude. A plus (+) sign before Declination indicates north of the Equator, a minus (-)
sign means south of the Equator. In terns of magnitudes, minus numbers are indicators of increasing brightness as
the numbers grow larger; plus numbers indicate a decrease in brightness as the numbers grow larger. The degree
(°) symbol should be understood by everyone. The symbol for minutes of arc (') indicates fractions of a degree; each
degree is composed of 60 minutes of arc. “mins.” of course is a common abbreviation for “minute,” in the case of
Right Ascension, or Celestial Longitude, the minutes are minutes of time and not of arc.
These stars can be tested in several ways” a) by the use of well aligned setting circles on an equatorial mount, b)
by the use of ????? (one type is illustrated on the ?? of this chapter – The Edmund Star Finder – which is highly
recommended) and finally c) by the use of good star plotters such as the AccuStar also pictured in this chapter.