Boyce Research Initiatives and Educational Foundation San Diego, California, United States
Abstract: Observing and measuring visual doubles is an opportunity for amateur astronomers to make their mark and provide practical contributions to the astronomy community. This plotting tool automates the extraction of positional historical star data provided by the Washington Double Star Catalog and the plotting of this data along with a user’s own measurement(s). This tool uniquely has the ability to process any number of components of the system, meaning that multi-star systems can be easily visualized. It also utilizes a gradient of color to show the direction of change in position over time. This feature enhances the visual clarity of the plot and enriches the interpretative value for users and readers of publications within the Journal of Double Star Observations, where these findings are typically shared.
