The 2001 US Naval Observatory Double Star CD-ROM. I. The Washington Double Star Catalog

Abstract

The Washington Double Star Catalog (WDS), maintained by the US Naval Observatory, is the world's principal database of astrometric double and multiple star information. The WDS contains positions (J2000), discoverer designations, epochs, position angles, separations, magnitudes, spectral types, proper motions, and, when available, Durchmusterung numbers and notes for the components of 84,486 systems based on 563,326 means. The current version, available on-line, is updated nightly. This catalog is one of four USNO double star catalogs to be included on a new CD-ROM. A brief summary and statistical analysis of the contents of the catalog are presented.