Struve 1694 Explained

Struve 1694 (Σ 1694, Struve 1694) is a double star in the constellation Camelopardalis.^[1]

Σ 1694 is a double star, with components of magnitudes 5.3^m and 5.9^m:

• Σ 1694A (HD 112028) is a white A-type giant star with an apparent magnitude of 5.28^m. It is approximately 300 light years from Earth.
• Σ 1694B (HD 112014) is a spectroscopic binary consisting of two A-type main sequence stars.

Norton's Star Atlas describes the pair as yellowish and bluish.^[1]

Σ 1694 was also known as 32H. Camelopardalis, Hevelius' 32nd of Camelopardalis. It is not Flamsteed's "32 Camelopardalis", which is ξ Aurigae. In the British Association Catalogue, the star pair are listed as being in Ursa Minor.^[2]

Chinese name

In Chinese, Chinese: 北極 (Chinese: Běi Jí), meaning North Pole, refers to an asterism consisting of Σ 1694, γ Ursae Minoris, β Ursae Minoris, 5 Ursae Minoris and 4 Ursae Minoris.^[3] Consequently, Σ 1694 itself is known as Chinese: 北極五 (Chinese: Běi Jí wǔ, English: the Fifth Star of North Pole.),^[4] representing Chinese: 天樞 (Chinese: Tiānshū), meaning Celestial Pivot.^[5]

This star was regarded as the north star by the Chinese people from Han Dynasty to Song Dynasty.

Notes and References

1. Book: Norton, Arthur P. . . 1973 . 118 . 0-85248-900-5 .
2. Book: British Association for the Advancement of Science. Francis Baily. The Catalogue of Stars of the British Association for the Advancement of Science: Containing the Mean Right Ascensions and North Polar Distances of Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Seventy-seven Fixed Stars, Reduced to January 1, 1850: Together with Their Annual Precessions, Secular Variations and Proper Motions, as Well as the Logarithmic Constants for Computing Precession, Aberration and Nutation. With a Preface Explanatory of Their Construction and Application. 1845. R. and J. E. Taylor.
3. 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, .
4. 天樞 (北極)
5. 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.