Challenges in Bootes and Canes Venatici.

[cotterless45]

Freezing cold evening , but oh the seeing , sublime ! Gave the 200 f6 a tour of Bootes , picking up some stunning sights including the gorgeous Alkalurops. A couple of frac peanuts soon fell open giving clean splits, very surprised at ,

ΟΣ (STT) 288 (SAO 101273)  split at x240 to give 1.0" separation. The mags are +7.5 +6.5 with 92.9AU and a 313 year orbit, helps to visualise what's going on !

ΟΣ (STT) 298 (SAO 64800) , a wider 1.2" separation again with x240. Closer at 28 AU with a period of 56 years. The third companion is wide at 121", giving a triple in a field of orange stars.

Some time was spent getting the focus and collimation right, but the views were very pleasing. Followed these up with 

 η Bootis (SAO 100766), giving a delicate companion.

Ascellus secundus (ι Bootis) SAO 29071

The lovely Σ 1835 at x100.

Izar , splitting out of the glow at x200.

Alkalurops (μ) SAO 64686 giving a fine triple.

Then up to Canes Venatici.  A gorgeous " LaSuperba" well worth finding.

2 CNv , wide and delicate.

25 CNv , now at 1.7" and quite delicate.

A very surprising session pushing to the limits of the sky,

clear skies ! Nick.

[wookie1965]

I am going to get my Reflector out next time it is like last night hopefully very soon I want try for some of the Virgo clusters before it is in the south.

If I try the doubles going to use the handset not the dongle. Great report Nick.

[chiltonstar]

Some nice ones there Nick! How close have you got with the f6 200mm?? Should be below 0.6 arcsec (in theory) I suppose, depending on your local seeing.....

 

Chris

[cotterless45]

Last night's 1" was nicely split. That's about my limit from here, it's seeing limited with transparency being a bonus.

For ages , the Jet stream has been whipping around and what appears to be a decent sky often makes me think there's something wrong with my eyes .

I get up to x240 using a 10mm Vixen in an old school X2 Vixen Triplet Barlow. Otherwise , it's x216 with a 5.5mm Meade UWA or x200 with a 6mm circle T ortho.

I do prefer views at x100 -150 and teasing out 2".  The straight across OO secondary vane is a definate bonus , giving pea like stars.

The galaxies weren't up to much last night , but the binaries were pushing limits ! A rare session. Under clear skies !

Nick.

[CraigT82]

Nice report  I'm just getting into double star observing myself (just picked up an old Fullerscopes 8.75" F7.5 for the purpose).  I too have found I prefer slightly wider evenly matched binaries at 2" to 3" and around x150.  Going higher than x200 is a bit of a pain with the 6 foot tube! 

[cotterless45]

Stick to the highest that you hold , given the atmosphere. You can try defocussing the diffraction rings , but I like a nice clean split between well focussed rings.☃️

The Fullerscope should be ace on planets , get ready for Mars !