Newting for Doubles

[Stu]

1 hour ago, avtaram said:

Thanks Stu, I'm looking forward to useing my FC-100DC on doubles especially Izar.

I've thinned the herd a little recently as I had too many scopes, and bought the Tak with the proceeds. Still in two minds about moving on the 120ed with moonlite focuser, may come to regret it if I do.

Avtar

Would be interesting to do a side by side. I concluded (after having had a couple of 120EDs before) that I wasn't losing much if anything and preferred the much smaller, more lightweight scope.

Back to doubles....

[nightfisher]

Mike,really pleased to read this thread, i am glad i suggested the 150 F6, its proving to be an excellent all rounder just as i believed it would be, i might have to speak nicely to my credit card and ask it to treat me to the same scope, or the 150 PL F8....or the bresser 150 F8

[iPeace]

11 minutes ago, nightfisher said:

Mike,really pleased to read this thread, i am glad i suggested the 150 F6, its proving to be an excellent all rounder just as i believed it would be, i might have to speak nicely to my credit card and ask it to treat me to the same scope, or the 150 PL F8....or the bresser 150 F8

It's been a revelation. It has just worked for me every time. The eyepiece position is ideal, and I guess the balancing of the scope must be easier for me than an equally-long frac. Focusing, even with this affordable focuser, is much less fiddly, less vibration to cope with. At the price, it's astounding value.

[25585]

26 minutes ago, iPeace said:

It's been a revelation. It has just worked for me every time. The eyepiece position is ideal, and I guess the balancing of the scope must be easier for me than an equally-long frac. Focusing, even with this affordable focuser, is much less fiddly, less vibration to cope with. At the price, it's astounding value.

The beauty of Newtonians when alt az mounted. And for tall people. An 8 inch F6 OTA will make M13 even more spectacular. I believe you will wowed all over again. More doubles and better separation, clearer craters on the Moon. 

[iPeace]

On 2/22/2018 at 05:51, Stu said:

Izar is an interesting one, and will certainly split in a smallish frac

 

On 3/3/2018 at 11:03, Stu said:

I would perhaps have expected Izar to split cleanly

 

On 3/3/2018 at 11:06, chiltonstar said:

I wouldn't have expected Izar to be too much of a challenge

 

On 3/3/2018 at 14:44, Stu said:

our description sounds correct Mike so I suspect you were on the right one

 

On 3/3/2018 at 15:39, chiltonstar said:

Yes, sounds right - my favourite double in fact - I normally see it as golden and electric blue, even prettier than Albireo IMO.

 

On 3/3/2018 at 17:26, Hungrymark said:

I couldn't split Izar the other night with a barlowed 10mm EP through a 1200mm focal length scope (240x), but it was very low down. I could see the two of them but couldn't separate. 

 

On 3/3/2018 at 19:02, Stu said:

I've managed this in a 60mm frac but not easy. It tended to sit on the first diffraction ring making it more tricky.

So I had some unfinished business with Izar. Tonight I tried again using the same scope (6" f/6 Newt) with Izar at about the same altitude as last time out, and I am now very sure I was looking at the right star (it's not hard to find, after all...) and I had similar difficulty splitting it. The differing colours made both stars visible, but no space between. I decided that perhaps the low altitude combined with the fact that I was gazing out over the entire town was making it difficult. So I tried again later on when Bootes was much higher, and this time I could indeed split Izar. Still very close, but clearly separated. The lowest power at which I could see the split was 180x. Perhaps my new focuser helped a bit as well.

[chiltonstar]

6 hours ago, iPeace said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I had some unfinished business with Izar. Tonight I tried again using the same scope (6" f/6 Newt) with Izar at about the same altitude as last time out, and I am now very sure I was looking at the right star (it's not hard to find, after all...) and I had similar difficulty splitting it. The differing colours made both stars visible, but no space between. I decided that perhaps the low altitude combined with the fact that I was gazing out over the entire town was making it difficult. So I tried again later on when Bootes was much higher, and this time I could indeed split Izar. Still very close, but clearly separated. The lowest power at which I could see the split was 180x. Perhaps my new focuser helped a bit as well.

It is a stunning pair, isn't it. With a 2.8 arcsec separation , minimum theoretical mag to see the split would be abou x60 (160/sep). As you say, maybe your rising warm air over the town wasn't helping. It is a pair I show to visitors with my grab'n go mak (127) to demonstrate how colourful doubles can really appear, compared with those grey, faint fuzzy thingies!

Chris

[Eastman]

Great report Mike, long and nice list of doubles there!

I really should spent more on them too.

 

[iPeace]

On 22/02/2018 at 05:51, Stu said:

Izar is an interesting one, and will certainly split in a smallish frac (TV85 anyone? )

Well, last night provided far from ideal conditions, but I was out in a better location. With the Borg 71FL, a Tak prism and a 4mm DeLite, I did see the two stars at 100x thanks to their differing colours - but just barely. It took the 3.4mm Vixen HR to really separate them.