Spring doubles

[Size9Hex]

Just a brief report of a number of double stars observed. Lovely moonless night and the bite of winter seems to have gone. A real treat after the recent cloud-fest.

Canes Venatici

• 2 CVn. Fabulous. Almost a Spring Albireo.
• Σ1632. Great view of this wide pair, 1 bright, 1 pale. The Silver Needle Galaxy in the field too!
• Σ1645. Faint and lonely pair.
• α CVn. Stunning!
• 16-17 CVn. Very wide. Couldn’t detect the mag 9 third member.
• Σ261. Even close pair. Easier at high power.
• Σ1755. Somewhat uneven.
• 25 CVn. Couldn’t detect the secondary.
• S 654. Very wide equal orange pair (unrelated) with a fainter third member.

Leo Minor

• 7 LMi. Wide uneven triple in the eyepiece.
• 11 LMi. Failed to detect the very faint companion.
• Σ1374. Uneven, close pair. Lovely contrast.
• ΟΣΣ104. Wide even pair. White and pale orange.
• Σ1432. Wide. 1 bright, 1 faint.
• 42 LMi. Wide triangle with pleasant colour.

After this, a quick view of Double Cluster before packing up. It absolutely popped with stars!

Hope that everybody else got some good views too.

[Geoff Barnes]

Sounds like you had a really nice session Paul.

If you don't mind I'd like to copy and paste my report from last night in the Orion thread, seems we had a similar evening's viewing....

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Had a great session this evening, the first for a couple of weeks. Conditions were calm and clear and the seeing was excellent.

 A quick star test on Sirius to get everything aligned and away we went, the Pup was clearly there at 187x with the Baader zoom on 8mm, so over to Orion and into the Trap, E & F both nice and steady again at 187x, happy to say goodbye until next year in case I don't get another chance.

Decided to do a tour of some doubles as the seeing was so good. Started with one of the best 145 Canis Majoris (h 3945) beautiful colours on show tonight, clear orange and blue. Similar double Iota Cancri likewise gorgeous orange and blue was a joy.

Our old friend Castor nearby was next, getting a bit low in the northern sky now but still an easy split.

About turn 180 degrees to our southern view to have a look at Alpha Centauri rising above the tree tops at last. An impressive double, both stars very bright so easily visible. 

Over to Crux, the Southern Cross also coming back into view above the trees. Acrux is a nice double, well a triple really I suppose with a third component close by. I couldn't resist another look at the Jewell Box beside the cross, such a glorious sight, the "traffic lights" in the centre always make me smile.

A few clouds encroaching now so a quick look at some old favourites in the vicinity. The Carina Nebula never fails to impress, so much to take in, just astonishing. As is the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, quite a spooky sight indeed.

The Pearl Cluster - beautiful, the Wishing Well Cluster - fills the eyepiece with hundreds of bright stars, the Southern Pleiades - a worthy alternative to its northern example, a 40mm EP needed really to take it all in.

Just a few clear gaps left now so I was thrilled to see Omega Centauri appear in a gap in the trees. I haven't seen it since last winter and have missed zooming into the heart of the cluster and losing myself in a million stars, breathtaking!

Clouded out now, but completely satisfied after a long stint of cloudy nights recently. 

Orion and friends are rapidly disappearing from view, but lots to look forward to as the winter visitors return to our southern skies. ?

[Size9Hex]

Sounds a great session. Lots of sights I would really love to see! Hopefully one day!