These examples illustrate two problems: a naive imprecision (really, a form of excited handwaving) in the use of color names such as vivid gray, yellowish peach or silvery green and a difficulty in recognizing star colors accurately, for example in the confusion between yellow and orange, white and lilac, blue and ash, or gold and cherry red. Webb, Admiral William Smyth, William Olcott and Haas herself, and could be multiplied to fill this page.

These examples come from experienced and careful observers such as Rev. To illustrate this variation, we can turn to the testimony of one of the most ardent star color advocates, Sissy Haas, who helpfully quotes historical star color descriptions in her Double Stars for Small Telescopes (Sky Publishing, 2008). (Preface to Catalogue of Double Stars, 1782)Įven astronomers who are aware of this problem often do not appreciate the extent to which star color reports will vary from one observer to the next. Nor will this appear extraordinary when we recollect that there are blues and greens which are very often, particularly by candle-light, mistaken for each other. I have, for instance, found, that the little star which is near α Herculis, by some to whom I have shewn it has been called green, and by others blue. Here I must remark, that different eyes may perhaps differ a little in their estimations. This is a fact acknowledged by William Herschel at the very beginning of double star astronomy: It is very unusual for a group of three or more people to observe the same double star for the first time and agree on the colors of the components. Color Perception Is IdiosyncraticĪlthough it may seem discouraging to learn, your color perception is part of your individuality. These three issues must be understood by the astronomer who wants to describe star color reliably. Unfortunately, this enjoyable aspect of astronomy has been muddled by the amateur preference for idiosyncratic color language, made worse by a poor understanding of how star color arises and how it is perceived. Two stars, narrowly separated, of contrasting magnitude and spectral type this is the ideal of a 'showcase pair.' Double Star Astronomy Part 5: Double Star ColorĪ characteristic and problematic aspect of visual double star astronomy is the fascination with star color.

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