When Were Stars Discovered and How Are They Catalogued?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the discovery and cataloging of stars, emphasizing that naked-eye visible stars were identified as soon as humans began observing the night sky. Most stars that are not visible to the naked eye lack formal names. The conversation highlights the importance of astronomical catalogs, such as those found in online resources like the Space Telescope Science Institute's archive, SIMBAD, and NED, which provide tools for identifying and resolving names of celestial objects.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of astronomy and celestial observations
  • Familiarity with astronomical catalogs and their significance
  • Knowledge of online astronomical resources, such as SIMBAD and NED
  • Awareness of the Milky Way's structure and star visibility
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the history of astronomical catalogs and their evolution
  • Explore the functionalities of SIMBAD and NED for star identification
  • Investigate the criteria for naming stars in various catalogs
  • Learn about the Milky Way's star distribution and visibility factors
USEFUL FOR

Astronomy students, researchers in data management, and anyone interested in the historical and technical aspects of star discovery and cataloging.

Tido611
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Hello
Im doing a project for data management and i thought i could do a project on when stars where discovered when, where kinda thing. I've looked all around and i can't find quiet what I am looking for so i thought if i asked here some one would have a little somthing to help me out.
 
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Stars that are naked-eye visible were pretty much discovered the first time someone looked up. And most stars that are not naked-eye visible do not have names. You may be able to find a catalog of a sky survey of the Milky-Way, though.
 
There are several online resources that help you 'resolve' names of astronomical objects (e.g. http://archive.stsci.edu/searches.html" has a rich set of search tools, you'll find many such as SIMBAD and NED).

Stars get names because they're in catalogues, so the OP's question pretty much becomes one of the history of catalogues (and their scope, of course!).
 
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