Double Stars - why all the excitement?

[Simms]

OK, I am going to sound ignorant and naive here BUT... Why do some people get so excited about seeing double stars - I havent personally looked for any yet, but can someone just confirm it is just a case of two stars close together in the same `system`. Other than that I can`t expect to see anything too groundbreaking? Am I missing something? HELP!

[Mr Spock]

No, that's all it is. But isn't it wonderful to see two stars you know are circling each other? Plus there's often a difference in colour between the two. Just have a look at Albireo and you'll see what all the fuss is about.

Fascinating...

[foundaplanet]

yes...

[Slangers]

Many of them are very beautiful because of the colour contrast.

[BAZ Senior]

Epsilon Lyra. That's worth seeing.

[blackparticle]

Are you missing something? Start with Albireo and see for yourself. If you don't "get it" after seeing that one then you'll have at least answered your own question.

(edit: Seems everyone is going to give you pretty much the same advice here.)

[barkis]

There is the beauty aspect of double stars of course, and sometimes the close separation, and magnitude differences are challenging when it comes to testing the capability of ones optics, Atmospheric conditions allowing of course.

Another reason, is many doubles require updating as far as their angular separations are concerned, and many amateurs indulge in that activity, and much appreciated by the Double Star section of the BAA, and other bodies. For the majority though, it is their aesthetic appearances that appeal, and when that wanes, you simply cease observing them.

Of course there are multiple systems which are gravitationally bound, and although the major components are optically visible, their companions are only detectable through spectroscopic means.

Others actually image the spectrum of stars, and not just binaries, or multiples, but single stars too. The spectrum revealing what the star is made of, the elements it contains.

So, not as boring as one might suppose heh?.

Ron.

[John]

I think you have to be a little careful about going down this line - astronomy has many aspects and it's all too easy to pick one facet that does not happen to appeal to you and ask a similar question.

In any event, don't knock it until you have tried it

[Simms]

I wasn't going out of my way to knock it by any means and I apologise if I came across as arrogant and dismissive - I know some people actively pursue this area of astronomy and far be it for me to knock someone elses enjoyment. However, with the information given above I will now go in search of a few of these doubles and try to see the colour and contrast differences. Cheers!

[Scosmico]

I can tell for everyone. But for me they are very special. Maybe because of my first double was alpha Centauri when using just a small telescope when I was a kid. I was fascinated by its proximity "like touching each other". Later I start to see colour, distances and magnitudes differences. It became my personal jewellery collection.

[FraserClarke]

I think quite a few people also get pleasure from the quantifiable challenge of it. Double stars can give you an absolute measure of how well you/your equipment are performing (i.e. "I managed to split XX double last night which is 1.2 arcseconds separation; which is tougher than the 1.5 arcsecond double I split the other night"). A lot of other observations are more qualitative (i.e. "I saw Saturn in really good seeing last night, it looked better than it did the other night in good seeing."). Whatever floats your boat really!

[swamp thing]

I will now go in search of a few of these doubles and try to see the colour and contrast differences. Cheers!

That's the spirit. give it a bash.

Gotta try all aspects of the hobby.

Regards Steve

[Telrad]

I think you have to be a little careful about going down this line - astronomy has many aspects and it's all too easy to pick one facet that does not happen to appeal to you and ask a similar question.

In any event, don't knock it until you have tried it

Couldn't agree more John! There is also evidence for massive planetary collisions around double stars also. Their erratic behaviour can fling orbiting planets into head-on collisions. It's theoretically possible that habitable planets could exist around these types of stars too, so if there happened to be any life there, it would be doomed! That concept is astounding, and one where we should think ourselves lucky!

[Si W]

I think the buzz is also being able to split the close once's.

[twotter]

I bought an 8-24mm zoom to try and do just that

[ItIsOnlyMe]

To realise and the SEE that there are two or often more when I thought there was one is enough for me.

[Ags]

I enjoy the thought of seeing a solar system scale at stellar distances - hey wow, these are separated by 80 AUs! The color contrast of Almach always amazes me too.

[Ags]

Scosmico, alpha cen was my first double too - wonderful, especially as the brighter member is the Sun's twin.

[Telrad]

This is good site, enabling you to search for double stars by constellation & separation

Deep Sky Database:Search for double stars within a constellation

[glowjet]

Oh, and just to add to your interest not all doubles are in the same system, they may look as if they are, but their distances away from us can be separated by many Light Years.

[Merlin66]

More than 70% of all stars are doubles - sometimes close binary systems which need a spectroscope to separate others are wide enough to be easy visual objects.

There's a couple of software programs you can use with webcam images to actually measure the distances and angles for double stars - so if you observe them over a period of time you could even plot their orbits. Neat!

[RogerTheDodger]

Any links to those progs merlin?

[Adamski]

Some are triple systems or even more than that, all locked together gravitationally. There is such vast distances between stars that when you see a pair or group together you can see the differences in their types in one field of view.

[shaunster]

Merlin how do you know 70% of all stars are doubles? never heard that before

[Merlin66]

HFOSAF

Drop Florent an email and he'll send you a copy.

Double Star Astrometry with a Webcam

If you check out some of the double star literature ie "Observing Visual Double Stars" by Paul Couteau, "Webb Society Deep-Sky Observer's Handbook - Volume 1, Double Stars" etc you'll find that's a conservative estimate!