Catalogue · SAO · 1966
SAO Star Catalog
A catalogue of 258,997 stars compiled by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, combining earlier positional catalogues to support satellite tracking. Its dense, uniform coverage and widely printed star atlas made 'SAO' numbers a long-standing standard designation for stars down to about ninth magnitude.
Highlights
- ›258,997 stars — a long-standing positional standard
Related catalogues & sources
Across the catalogue layer
Knowledge connections
- Associated withAstrometric Star Catalogues
- Associated withSmithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
- Associated withVizieR
- Associated withHenry Draper Catalogue
- Associated withAstrometric Star Catalogues
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- IAUInternational Astronomical Union
Official naming, definitions, constellation boundaries, and astronomical nomenclature.