Pi Aquilae

[John]

Sounds like 150x is a sort of benchmark for the 120mm aperture then Ian. Until someone bests it of course

[lunator]

John

I will have to try with my OMC250, it could be an interesting comparison as the airy disk will be smaller but the obstruction will put more light into the rings.

Cheers

Ian

[jetstream]

Never heard of Pi Aquilae before this thread,so I just had a look and managed a "fleeting" split-figure 8 for sure & just splitting sometimes when atmosphere co-operates .It is not in a good position for me right now, a bit too low & in the wrong direction,wish I knew of this one before!Were pretty happy about this split in my 90mm with the Nagler zoom at 3mm setting.It is just starting to elongate at 135X.Checked scope on Double Double....up higher & have a great split at 135x.Gonna keep looking...

[jetstream]

I just have to post again....got it for sure,along with the beautiful Izar

[Stu]

Finally got this last night, haven't been in a position to view it before. Seeing was ok but not brilliant.

Using Astrotech 106 with 3.7 Ethos SX which gives x186 it was a fairly constant split and I could see the colour difference. At x153 with 4.5mm Delos it needed moments of better seeing to catch the split and the colour difference was less obvious. Nice to get finally.

Stu

[Moonshane]

Just managed a split of this pair with my Vixen 80mm f11 achro at about 150x with my 3-6mm Nagler zoom. The sketch shows what I saw although the stars were more equal in magnitude than my stumpy hands could draw in the dark with a torch, notenook, pen and scope to contend with!

[chiltonstar]

Just managed a split of this pair with my Vixen 80mm f11 achro at about 150x with my 3-6mm Nagler zoom. The sketch shows what I saw although the stars were more equal in magnitude than my stumpy hands could draw in the dark with a torch, notenook, pen and scope to contend with!

DSCF0525.JPG

I had excellent, very stable viewing last night, with a patch of clear sky to the South, so I had an extended look (and an poor attempt at a sketch) of the pair at x250 with my Mak, using a fairly simple EP (Celestron 6mm Omni), which always gives very sharp views of doubles without internal reflections - poor eye relief though.

The slightly dissimilar magnitudes were very obvious and the seeing was stable enough to see the first diffraction rings locked to make a figure of eight shape.

Chris

[John]

Nice sketches Shane and Chris

The interlocked diffraction ring is the view I get with my ED102 and ED120 refractors at 200x or more. Aesthetically I find this type of view of a close pair of stars very pleasing and why I prefer using my refractors for such targets although the 12" dob will also split them