Uncertainties in Ground-Based Visual Double Star Measures

Abstract

Stellar masses are found from the orbital elements of binary systems which are, in turn, computed from weighted astrometric measures. Astrometric measures of double stars (their position angle and separation) rarely include uncertainties, and published binary star orbits rarely include the weighting systems used in the determination of the orbital elements. Here we propose a simple method for estimating uncertainties of ground-based measures of visual double stars based on precision space-based astrometry of optical (not binary) double stars, which can be used as unbiased weights for all double star measures. The precision of ground-based measures is examined as (i) a function of the date of observation, (ii) the telescope aperture, and (iii) the instrumentation (technique) used at the telescope. We also note in the Appendix, 19 pairs that are incorrectly described in Lin2 and six rectilinear pairs that may display curved motion.