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Hipparcos Catalogue facts for kids

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The Hipparcos Catalogue is a special list of stars. It's named after an ancient Greek astronomer called Hipparchus. He was one of the first people to carefully map the positions of stars in the sky. The Hipparcos Catalogue helps us know exactly where many stars are located. Each star in this list has a special code like HIP or HP.

What is the Hipparcos Catalogue?

The Hipparcos Catalogue is a huge collection of information about stars. It was created using data from a special satellite named Hipparcos. This satellite was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1989. Its main job was to measure the positions, distances, and movements of stars with incredible accuracy.

Why is it important?

Before Hipparcos, astronomers had less accurate maps of the sky. The Hipparcos satellite changed that. It measured the positions of over 118,000 stars with very high precision. This made the Hipparcos Catalogue the most accurate star map of its time.

Measuring stars from space

Measuring stars from Earth can be tricky because of our atmosphere. The Hipparcos satellite orbited above the atmosphere. This allowed it to get much clearer and more precise measurements. It used special tools to look at stars from two different angles at the same time. This helped it figure out their exact positions and how far away they are.

Understanding star movements

Stars are not fixed in space; they are always moving. The Hipparcos mission also measured how stars move across the sky. This movement is called "proper motion." By knowing a star's proper motion, scientists can better understand how our Milky Way galaxy is structured and how it moves.

What did Hipparcos discover?

The Hipparcos Catalogue helped astronomers make many important discoveries. It improved our understanding of the Universe.

  • More accurate distances: The satellite measured the distances to many stars more precisely than ever before. Knowing a star's distance is key to understanding its true brightness and size.
  • Better star maps: The catalogue became a standard reference for mapping the sky. It helped create more accurate star charts and navigation systems.
  • Understanding our galaxy: By tracking the movements of thousands of stars, scientists gained new insights into how our Milky Way galaxy spins and how stars orbit its center.

The Hipparcos mission ended in 1993, but its data is still used today. It laid the groundwork for future missions that continue to explore the stars.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Catálogo Hipparcos para niños

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