TheSkySearchers-Welcome!

1/13/2020

This is another installation in my reports on notable binary stars across the winter sky. As before they were observed from my home patio Bortle 7 location, using Stellarvue SV102ED scope on SW AZGti goto mount and set of Vixen SLV EPs.

Cetus
HJ 323 – 6.0, 8.5, 62.8”, golden, orange – wide but colorful double. SLV 25mm (29x)
STF 49 – 7.1, 10, 8.7”, golden, silver - nice contrast. SLV 9mm (79x).
S 390 – 7.8, 7.9, 6.5” – close pair of identical white stars. SLV 9mm (79x).
STF 80 – 7.8, 7.9, 11.1, ab29.8”, ac179.7”, yellow, blue, gray – A and B – nice colors (29x), C – because I was already there (79x).
26 Cet AB – 6.1, 9.5, 16”, cream, bluish – nice contrast. SLV 15mm (48x).

STF 91 – 7.4, 8.6, 4.3”, yellow, white – tight split with SLV 5mm (143x).
37 Cet – 5.2, 7.9, 49.2”, golden, orange – pretty colors. SLV 25mm (29x).
STF 367 – 8.1, 8.2, 1.2”, white pair – figure “8” split. SLV 2.5mm (286x).
STF 330 – 7.3, 9.1, 8.6”, yellow blue – nicely presented in SLV 9mm (79x).
STF 323 – 7.8, 7.9, 2.7”, white pair – tight clean split with SLV 5mm (143x).
STF 280 – 8.0, 8.0, 3.7” – nice looking tight pair of orange tweens. SLV 5mm (143x).
STF 274 AB – 7.5, 7.6, 13.5” – pair of white identical stars nicely framed with SLV 15mm (48x).

Mira – 2-10, 9.0, 78” – rich copper color of famous variable Omi Cet is nicely contrasted with dimmer gun metal secondary. Must see!

Eridanus
STF 341 – 7.6, 10, 9”, yellow, navy – nice contrast. SLV 5mm (143x).
32 Eri – 4.8, 5.9, 10.5, ab6.9”, ac165.9”, orange, bluish, white – A and B – beautiful close pair, C – just because it was there.
HJ 2224 – 6.6, 9.8, 56.7”, orange, silver – nice contrast. SLV 25mm (29x).
39 Eri – 5.0, 8.5, 11.4, ab6.3”, ac133.7”, copper, purple, gray – AB – nice looking pair, C for completion. SLV 5mm (143x).

Omi 2 Eri – 4.4, 10.0, 11.5, ab83.7”, bc9”, lemon, white, ?? – this is an interesting triple. Component B is a white dwarf and C is a red dwarf. I did not manage to resolve C. Need to revisit with bigger guns.

STF 536 – 7.9, 8.7, 1.5”, white, white – secondary was picking at the moments of better seeing. SLV 2.5mm (286x).
HJ 342 AB – 7.8, 9.6, 17.2”, orange, navy – nice contrast. SLV 15mm (48x).
STF 560 – 6.3, 9.3, 29.5”, white, gun metal – nice contrast. SLV 15mm (48x).
STF 570 – 6.7, 7.6, 12.7” – neat pair of uneven white stars. SLV 15mm (48x).
STF 576 AB – 7.3, 7.9, 12.4” – another nice-looking pair of semi-equal white stars. SLV 15mm (48x).
55 Eri – 6.7, 6.8, 9.2” – yellow tweens split by hair in SLV 25mm (29x).

By 23:30 nearly full Moon has cleared the roof. I spent last few minutes of the session admiring lunar nooks and crannies in high definition provided by SV102ED/SLVs combo. Image maintained sharpens up to SLV 5mm (0.7mm exit pupil, 143x). With 2.5mm (0.36mm exit pupil, 286x) empty resolution kicked in. Lumicon Green #56 filter did a nice job cutting the glare and improving contrast of the features on the illuminated portion of the Moon.

This session my doubles total of 1103 overtook galaxy count of 1099. However, in two months (hopefully) I will be back to Anza and it will not take long to swing it back.

Nice way to spend a Monday evening, Andrey!

Very nice Bigzmey

Nice work Andrey! I will have to try a few of those! Thanks!

Thanks Bryan, Gabby and Ed!

bladekeeper wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:11 am Nice way to spend a Monday evening, Andrey!

In the new year I have yet to see a clear weekend, but Mondays are always clear.

NIcely done Andrey! When the moon isn't cooperative, nothing like seeing double to make a pleasant eveeing!

kt4hx wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:49 pm NIcely done Andrey! When the moon isn't cooperative, nothing like seeing double to make a pleasant eveeing!

Thanks Alan! There are certainly plenty of nice looking binaries to keep you entertained.

Very pleasant evening with those diamonds, ruby's, sapphires, emeralds and topazes.
I always look forward to seeing the again!
Tonight!

John Baars wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 4:50 pm Very pleasant evening with those diamonds, ruby's, sapphires, emeralds and topazes.
I always look forward to seeing the again!
Tonight!

Thanks John! They are beautiful, aren't they?

Nice evening out there Andrey! An excellent light show with the 102. Have a great weekend.

helicon wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:34 pm Nice evening out there Andrey! An excellent light show with the 102. Have a great weekend.

Thanks Michael!

Another very productive evening Andrey! I'm still dreaming of the next opportunity I get of observing from home (hasn't happened since April 30).

I'm also looking at the AF Southern Sky Challenge List - to see what other objects I can pick up from So Cal... I noticed you picked up a lot from home (Anza Borrego) - and from Hawaii.

terrynak wrote: ↑Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:36 am Another very productive evening Andrey! I'm still dreaming of the next opportunity I get of observing from home (hasn't happened since April 30).

I'm also looking at the AF Southern Sky Challenge List - to see what other objects I can pick up from So Cal... I noticed you picked up a lot from home (Anza Borrego) - and from Hawaii.

Thanks Terry! Yes, I believe I picked over 60 from Anza and a dozen or so from Hawaii.

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:48 am

terrynak wrote: ↑Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:36 am Another very productive evening Andrey! I'm still dreaming of the next opportunity I get of observing from home (hasn't happened since April 30).

I'm also looking at the AF Southern Sky Challenge List - to see what other objects I can pick up from So Cal... I noticed you picked up a lot from home (Anza Borrego) - and from Hawaii.

Thanks Terry! Yes, I believe I picked over 60 from Anza and a dozen or so from Hawaii.

Great that you could pick so many up from Anza. I'll try to pick up some of these on my next local dark sky trip (those greater than -40° northward, for example).

Otherwise, the rest will have to wait until my next trip south of the Equator.

Man, what a wonderful night out Bigz. Sounds like an easy run out to the backyard!

One day, I will have to pick up a decent frac just for viewing. The 5” newt doesn’t do too badly though, vewing doubles through a nice refractor, especially a ED is snappy. I have the ES ED102, but it is a lot of reconfiguring. Ill bet that SV102 is sweet!

Very enjoyable read Bigz. One of the main reasons that I first got started in astronomy was doubles.
I was out last night imaging M78 and plan to get out again to add more data tonight. Maybe I will get out the newt for some views! Thanks for the spark!

Jim

Juno16 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:07 am Man, what a wonderful night out Bigz. Sounds like an easy run out to the backyard!

One day, I will have to pick up a decent frac just for viewing. The 5” newt doesn’t do too badly though, vewing doubles through a nice refractor, especially a ED is snappy. I have the ES ED102, but it is a lot of reconfiguring. Ill bet that SV102 is sweet!

Very enjoyable read Bigz. One of the main reasons that I first got started in astronomy was doubles.
I was out last night imaging M78 and plan to get out again to add more data tonight. Maybe I will get out the newt for some views! Thanks for the spark!

Jim

Thanks Jim! I bet you will like the views through your ES 102ED to. I don't know how much hassle is switching from AP to visual mode.

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Jan 20, 2020 6:43 pm

Juno16 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:07 am Man, what a wonderful night out Bigz. Sounds like an easy run out to the backyard!

One day, I will have to pick up a decent frac just for viewing. The 5” newt doesn’t do too badly though, vewing doubles through a nice refractor, especially a ED is snappy. I have the ES ED102, but it is a lot of reconfiguring. Ill bet that SV102 is sweet!

Very enjoyable read Bigz. One of the main reasons that I first got started in astronomy was doubles.
I was out last night imaging M78 and plan to get out again to add more data tonight. Maybe I will get out the newt for some views! Thanks for the spark!

Jim

Thanks Jim! I bet you will like the views through your ES 102ED to. I don't know how much hassle is switching from AP to visual mode.

I really do! It gives great views.

Its a real pain in the butt switching over though. I have tried to reduce imaging set up time and reconfiguring to visual and back again is a pain. The 5” newt isn’t as crisp and doesn’t respond as well to high magnification, but it works pretty well for dso’s and doubles. It doesn’t do well in +10 mph winds like we had last night and tonight though!

Thanks,
Jim