Double star Symposium

[lunator]

If Anyone wants to know about what the pros are doing in DS at the moment here is a link to the last IAU symposium held in Geneva last year.

The Dr Brian Mason talk is the most relavant to amateurs but the Polaris talk is also very interesting

http://www.astronomy2006.com/symposia-archive.php?symposium=240

Cheers

Ian

[barkis]

Thanks a lot for that link Ian, you have helped to increase my knowledge of Polaris a great deal. I Found that particular talk very interesting indeed.

Ron.

[lunator]

Cheers Ron

I haven't seen all the presentations yet but I hope to pretty soon.

I was fascinated by the fact that they had possibly found another component in the Polaris system so you have AB linked. CD optical & E possibly linked.

If they can work out the orbit for polaris AB this will give the best value of the mass of Polaris and so the absolute Magnitude and form this they can get a better distance measure which will further refine the cepheid distance method for extra-galaxtic measures.

Polaris is being seen as an atypical Cepheid at the moment and they don't know why is behaviour is being atypical.

Cheers

ian