Star Identification by Optical Radiation Analysis

This paper is concerned with the problem of recognizing stars by means of their optical radiation characteristics, for use in the guidance and navigation of aerospace vehicles. We conclude that there are three easily measurable independent parameters in the radiation from individual stars which permit unique recognition of the brightest stars above the earth's atmosphere. Accurate spectral data obtained from observations using three wide-bandwidth optical filters are given for the 71 brightest stars. The spectral parameters of a bright star will be compared to previous observations to identify the unknown star. However, as a result of measurement inaccuracies the star may be incorrectly classified. Thus, the average probability of misidentifying any of the brightest stars is calculated as a function of various measurement errors, assuming an "optimum" recognition procedure.