A Start On Doubles With New Dob

[cloudsweeper]

I haven't really viewed the local sky when dark since getting the 10" Bresser as I have been over-keen and gone out at twilight.  But at 1.15 this morning, a clear sky beckoned, so I set the Bresser up, intending to try for some doubles in Hercules, sitting quite high near west.

25 minutes later, I got Pi Herculis in the EP (x35).  This giant - a prominent member of the Hercules Keystone Asterism - had a clear orange hue.  The finderscope also showed Epsilon and Rho Herculis, and the general view was packed with stars, very sharp, a pleasing spectacle.

Rho Herculis is a (2)+1 visual double, a close match, with a 4" separation.  Going to x127 gave no splitting for it, but in the same FOV to the SE was a close, unrelated pair.  The NE star of this pair is O Sigma 329, another proper double, with a faint companion, at 34".  The companion was easily seen (as expected!) and sharp in appearance.  

I still wanted to resolve Rho, so upped the mag to x159, and there it was - a clear split, although the two stars were not particularly sharp.  I put that down to seeing, and perhaps insufficient cooling.  

I then lost Hercules to cloud, so finished at 2.40.  Not a large "bag" (an orange giant; two different doubles), but satisfying.

Doug.

[Demonperformer]

Quality rather than quantity ... always satisfying.

[cloudsweeper]

2 hours ago, Demonperformer said:

Quality rather than quantity ... always satisfying.

Indeed, DP - it can be pleasing to dwell, enjoy, and try different mags (and filters where appropriate) instead of just "mopping up" targets!

Doug.

[Paz]

Nice report, perhaps the beginning of a slippery slope into doubles hunting?! I'm also a fan of fewer targets rather than more, partly because I don't use go to and partly because I like to think about what I'm looking at.

[cloudsweeper]

1 hour ago, Paz said:

Nice report, perhaps the beginning of a slippery slope into doubles hunting?! I'm also a fan of fewer targets rather than more, partly because I don't use go to and partly because I like to think about what I'm looking at.

Not quite Paz - I'm already a doubles fan!  It's just that so far I've used a widefield frac (same as your 120) or GoTo, so I'm getting acquainted with the Dob.  Really enjoying it, I must say!

Doug.

[wookie1965]

There are quite a few doubles in Hercules a constellation to bag some. Don`t forget look at M92 gets missed with the great cluster there but its a fantastic glob especially in the 10  Inch.

[Special K]

Great one @cloudsweeper!  Plenty of darker nights on the way too. Clear skies