Yalden, James Ernest Grant
1920

Early 1920 Blueprint Celestial Chart of 589 Bright Stars by J. Ernest G. Yalden

Chart of all Bright Stars 589 in number, of 4.5 magnitude and brighter, including 21 Variables North of Declination -30°. Epoch 1900.

DESCRIPTION: Blueprint celestial chart compiled by J. Ernest G. Yalden in 1920, plotting 589 bright stars, including 21 variable stars, across the sky north of declination -30 degrees. Pale lettering and star symbols stand against a dark blue ground, with the heavens arranged in a circular projection centered on the north celestial pole.

The chart extends beyond the northern celestial hemisphere to include stars as far as 30 degrees south of the celestial equator. Constellations are named without pictorial figures, emphasizing the positions and brightness of individual stars. Concentric declination circles and radial lines of right ascension provide the coordinate framework, with Roman numerals marking hours around the circumference. Tables in the corners give the sidereal time of mean noon for dates throughout the year.

Yalden credits volumes XLVIII, No. IV, and LV of the Annals of Harvard College Observatory as his sources, recording photometric magnitudes to the nearest tenth. The date 1920 appears beneath his name; "Epoch 1900" identifies the reference date for the stellar coordinates. The chart brings Harvard's observational data into a compact visual reference for locating bright stars and comparing their apparent brightness.

James Ernest Grant Yalden (1870-1937) was an English-born American amateur astronomer, technical educator, and authority on sundials. Born in Brixton, London, he later settled in Leonia, New Jersey. He served as president of the American Association of Variable Star Observers and compiled star charts using observational data published by Harvard College Observatory. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1930, Yalden belonged to a generation of amateur astronomers whose observations and practical work supported professional astronomical research.

CREATOR: Yalden, James Ernest Grant

PUBLICATION DATE: 1920

GEOGRAPHIC AREA: United States

BODY OF WATER: N/A

CONDITION: Fair. Edge wear, tears, and losses, including a substantial separation at the lower right corner; surface discoloration and creasing. Losses can be repaired with saved material.

COLORING: Cyanotype.

ENGRAVER:

SIZE: " x "

ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION:

PRICE: $400

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