Cracking on through Cancer

[neural]

...actually at least as much time in Gemini if I'm honest, but I couldn't resist.  Just thought I'd post the fruits of an hour and a bit this evening, nice clear evening but seeing not so nice, brought to an end by the batteries running out on my voice recorder (last time it was the barlow falling apart). 

eta Gem, STT 125.  Not split. I'm blaming the seeing. 

STF 848 (2.4", 7.3/8.2).  Owing to somewhat inadequate preparation, I was taken aback to find a small cluster (NGC 2169) where I was expecting a small double. I forged on and split 848 fairly easily at 180x. 

STF 877 (5.7", 7.5/8.0).  Pretty at 82x, both components a clear pale blue, slightly unequal. Just doable at 41x. 

BL Ori.  Mesmerising star, bright, the colour of desert sand. 

STF 924 (20.2", 6.3/6.9). Striking pair at 41x, bright, the tiniest shade unequal, both creamy in colour. Split this one last year in binocs at 16x. 

STF 899 (2.4", 7.4/8.0). A slippery eel in tonight's seeing, but no real difficulty splitting it at 180x with a little concentration. A little unequal, no real colour, the primary possibly slightly creamy. 

STTA 80 (124.9", 7.2/7.4 ; 81.6", 7.2/8.4).  Actually quite nice to see, despite its unprepossessing statistics. Something between a right and an equilateral triangle of stars, two equal, the apexfainter, standing alone in a sparse field. Would like to try in binoculars. 

And finally on to Cancer, a contrasting trio of pairs:

iota Cnc (31", 4.1/6.0).  A little drop of gorgeousness at 41x, duckling yellow and duck-egg blue. 

57 Cnc (1.6", 6.1/6.4).  Beautiful object. At 180x, an almost equal pair of tiny pale orange discs separated by a hairline crack. 

STF 1298 (4.1", 6.0/8.6).  Very unequal, attractive in R8 and TAK5, giving the impression of a hot-air balloon dragging its basket at an angle behind it. 

Shame about eta Gem, but I'll get it eventually...

[John]

Thats a nice list

The seeing was very variable here so I didn't tackle any tough ones. The SW ED's are really nice binary star splitters

[lunator]

Good report, the seeing here last night was pretty good, except if you dropped too low then the heat from the houses ruined it. I managed to nail several close pairs. Good luck on Eta Gem

Cheers

Ian

[chiltonstar]

Good seeing here which persisted as I cooled the scope down on Jupiter, then as I swung to the first of my list of doubles .....  freezing fog descended, leaving me, the scope and the cat covered in [removed word] frost!

Eta Gem is worth persisting with as it's very pretty.

Chris

nb (edit) the removed word seems an odd one for the system to take out???

[Qualia]

Lovely report, Neural and some of your findings are beautifully described.

Good luck with Propus . So as not to feel too disappointed with your evening's session, check out this little quote about just how difficult splitting Propus must be, "I thought I saw a speck of light.  And I do mean just a speck — the kind your mind could invent.  It was there, it was gone, it was there, it was gone again....My eyes were screaming for a break.....so I agreed and looked off into the distance at the clouds and stars for about thirty seconds, then slipped up on the eyepiece again, and IT was still there — but just very barely.  IT was so small and IT was almost touching the bright orange rim of the primary, and IT was just so darned faint!" John Nanson

[barkis]

It is nice to see an observing session so well described.

Multiples are an exciting activity to pursue, and reports like this have an inspiring quality that 

 may induce other observers to take it up. There are some lovely sights to be seen.

Good tests for optics too, as long as the seeing is conducive.

Ron.

[neural]

Thanks everyone. Qualia, love the JN quote -- I do sometimes leaf through back issues of Star Splitters, so to speak, but I'd missed that one, and a particularly prize piece it is too. Maybe I'm using too high a magnification -- next time I'll try with the 8mm Radian (110x) or 6mm ortho (150x). Ron, I really hope so. I don't know what it is about doubles that keeps bringing me back, but if someone else is inspired that would be wonderful.