Good seeing - tight Orion doubles

[John]

Following viewing the conjunction earlier, the skies stayed clear so I've turned my ED120 onto the double stars in Orion. The usual "warm up" acts of Rigel and Sigma were straightforward and very crisp. The more challenging Eta Orionis was quite routine and very clean from 150x upwards. Theta (the Trapezium) lovely and the E & F stars glimmered next to their brighter companions. Up to 32 Orionis which can be tricky with a separation of (I believe) 1.4 arc seconds. This was nicely resolved at 225x. Then I pressed my luck on 52 Orionis and was pleased to see the "kissing double" finally show a hairline of black between the componant stars at 360x. This is quite a tough customer in 4.7" aperture I think with a paltry 1.2 arc second gap to spot.

I wasn't expecting clear skies at all tonight so seeing the Venus / Neptune conjunction followed by some really nice double star action has been a real bonus

 

[Alan White]

Clear sky John, lucky you.

Did you miss this snow?

[Paz]

Great report thanks for posting, it is impressive what that ed120 can do.

[laudropb]

Very nice report. I was lucky enough to catch the conjunction but thereafter the clouds rolled in.

[Swoop1]

Nice report John. Ideas for exploring sessions taken on board.

[John]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Clear sky John, lucky you.

Did you miss this snow?

Thanks Alan

So far, no snow here. Lots of cold rain earlier and pretty murky which is why tonights clear skies are unexpected, though welcome of course

[chiltonstar]

A lucky man indeed! Snow here this afternoon, and although it's stopped now and the sky finally cleared, the driveway is covered with a layer of black ice. Not the best conditions for astronomy...

I did include 52 Ori and 32 Ori in my list a few nights ago though - they are both quite difficult as John says. I find 52 Ori is always much more difficult, and it takes a good night and a well-cooled scope.

Chris

[johnfosteruk]

No conjunction for me, or doubles. Got 10 mins clear to image the full moon just now, planned on doing the Orion doubles then it rained.

52 Orionis is certainly an achievement, great report.

[John]

1 hour ago, chiltonstar said:

 

....I find 52 Ori is always much more difficult, and it takes a good night and a well-cooled scope.

Chris

I agree Chris - 52 is another small step up in difficulty over 32. I've often got elongation on 52 but not split it while 32 is split. Tonight was a wee bit better though !

[cloudsweeper]

Thanks, John.  I'll have to take a closer look at the Orion region now!

Doug.

[cotterless45]

Some superb binaries in Orion. 32 Orionis is widening up to 1.8". 52 Orionis is lovely pair of +6 eyes. Cracking views in a refractor ,

Nick.

[chiltonstar]

14 Orionis the next challenge then (sep = 0.9 arcsec)?

Chris

[YKSE]

Thanks for the heads up, should be good backyards activities if it clears up in these full Moon nights

[John]

5 hours ago, chiltonstar said:

14 Orionis the next challenge then (sep = 0.9 arcsec)?

Chris

I'll have my 130mm triplet fully up and running very soon now. Sounds like 14 Orionis will be on the agenda

 

[John]

6 hours ago, cotterless45 said:

Some superb binaries in Orion. 32 Orionis is widening up to 1.8". 52 Orionis is lovely pair of +6 eyes. Cracking views in a refractor ,

Nick.

32 seemed a bit tighter than 1.8" last night Nick

Where is a good place to find the latest data on separations ? (apart from in your reports that is )

[chiltonstar]

5 hours ago, John said:

32 seemed a bit tighter than 1.8" last night Nick

Where is a good place to find the latest data on separations ? (apart from in your reports that is )

1.4" in CDSA, 1.3" (2013) in Stelle Doppie isn't it?

Chris

[Pig]

A great session by the sounds of it John, I too had a nice gap in the clouds last night and had a very good session... Dare I say it is becoming quite regular !!!
I don't know about Somerset but boy was it cold here in Northampton

[John]

5 hours ago, Pig said:

A great session by the sounds of it John, I too had a nice gap in the clouds last night and had a very good session... Dare I say it is becoming quite regular !!!
I don't know about Somerset but boy was it cold here in Northampton

Twas cold here too Shaun

(why I picked a Smurf I don't know but at least he is blue !)

[alan potts]

Always nice to read your reports John, about the only report you are likely to see from me is a weather report, good name for a band.

Alan

[chiltonstar]

On 1/13/2017 at 17:52, John said:

I'll have my 130mm triplet fully up and running very soon now. Sounds like 14 Orionis will be on the agenda

 

It'll be very interesting to see how it performs! I've had a couple of tries with the 180 Mak and it's been nearly resolved (a floating misty patch in the right place), but it seems to need a night with really good seeing.

Chris

[alan potts]

On 18.01.2017 г. at 10:15, chiltonstar said:

It'll be very interesting to see how it performs! I've had a couple of tries with the 180 Mak and it's been nearly resolved (a floating misty patch in the right place), but it seems to need a night with really good seeing.

Chris

I will give this try with the 18 inch when I get a chance, at the moment I have over 2 feet of snow everywhere and deeper than that in places.

Alan

[chiltonstar]

3 hours ago, alan potts said:

I will give this try with the 18 inch when I get a chance, at the moment I have over 2 feet of snow everywhere and deeper than that in places.

Alan

18" and a good night should do the trick!

Chris

[John]

I've got the 130mm triplet out this evening. Think I might be getting an intermittant split on 14 Orionis. The scope is a bit undermounted which does not help at 340x (!) but I seem to see a yellowish primary with a blueish, fainter, secondary tucked in very tight against the primary. The scondary star seems to "lead" the primary across the FoV toward the west in my undriven alt-az mounted scope. Definitely a 2-star system but that wafer thin thread of black between them is proving tricky to hold for more than a fraction of a second. Tough double !

[John]

Conditions a little better now. Still on 14 Orionis. Primary is yellow orange to my eye, secondary blue / grey. Very, very tight but split is showing a little more often now and even when not split it's a clear unequal brightness binary star. One of the tightest I've ever split but this is only my 3rd session with the 130mm TMB / LZOS triplet. Some scope !

 

[Moonshane]

bloomin cloudy all week here.