Gamma Andromedae (Almach) BC split?

[Moonshane]

This is always a favourite colour-contrasting double which to my eyes is better than the famous Albireo in nearby Cygnus. I have observed it many times and was surprised to read today that the secondary can be split again into B & C. There's only around half and arc second of separation and they share similar magnitudes so this would be a real test of seeing and optics as well as the observer's patience and concentration.

In the Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders, the author describes being unable to split it with his 10" dob even at at 500x and using large volumes of averted imagination.

With my recent clean split of Zeta Herculis I may have a go at this with my big dob (masked to 170mm f11) but wondered if anyone else had ever managed to split these three elements of Almach?I

I'll report back when I have a chance to observe it.

[Moonshane]

Had a go tonight. despite reasonable seeing and managing to get to 600x I could see not even a hint of separation.

[Stu]

Sounds like a real challenge Shane. Do you know if anyone has managed it with amateur kit?

Stu

[John]

Thanks for the heads up on this one Shane. Half an arc second is really, really tight, possibly below the resolution threshold of any scope on most nights in the UK ?.

Worth a shot though - maybe just to see some elongation of the airy disk hinting at the true nature of B & C.

[Moonshane]

seems like it may actually be out of reach at the moment http://www.astromart.com/forums/viewpost.asp?forum_post_id=673851&poll_id=&news_id=&page=

[Moonshane]

further info http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fOXuIG1UDwEC&pg=PA95&lpg=PA95&dq=gamma+andromedae+bc+split&source=bl&ots=yysv0qT0qS&sig=SAeZiJruybm0eZ9lbJAoJGxx2TY&hl=en#v=onepage&q=gamma%20andromedae%20bc%20split&f=false

[John]

I found this:

http://www.dibonsmith.com/and_g.htm

The diagram of the orbit of the companion of the close companion star seems to show that it's currently nearing it's closest - well under .25 of an arc second. I'll try for this on in 2020 I think !

[Qualia]

A 20" might be able to achive that kind of split.

[lunator]

Only in exceptional seeing.

I have never managed to get below 0.3" with an telescope.

Cheers

Ian

[alan potts]

I will give it a go with the 12 inch.

Alan.