Double Stars

[Sunshine]

Lately i have taken quite a liking to observing doubles but, having never really paid much attention to them previously, i find myself searching them out anew. Looking through Stellarium menus, i could not find a 

selector for identifying doubles. Can anyone recommend a way i could use stellarium or other means to find doubles in the spring/summer northern hemisphere?.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Sunshine

[domstar]

I can't find a way to use stellarium well for this. The problem is that it doesn't tell me the magnitude of the secondary (maybe I should play with the options), so I don't know if the double is within the reach of my telescope. I have the Cambridge Double Star Atlas and it is great. It also has the added bonus of being able to tick off the stars as I see them. It really has transformed my observing from looking at the famous bright ones to hunting down dimmer but no less enjoyable doubles. I love the challenge.

[Sunshine]

4 minutes ago, domstar said:

Cambridge Double Star Atlas

Is this in software form?

[domstar]

Alas, I only have it on paper form. It might be an ebook too but I've never heard of it as interactive software.

[SteveWolves]

Carte du Ciel has washington double star catalog fairly sure that gives all mags.

[Doc]

Sissy Haas book on double stars is excellent.

[SteveWolves]

Yep theres 150,000 multiple stars listed looks like all have mags for each component and you can make observing lists in there as well.

[Waddensky]

Cartes du Ciel is able to show double stars from the WDS (Menu > Settings > Catalogs). Stelle Doppie is a nice web interface to query the WDS and generate lists you can export to SkySafari, Cartes du Ciel or Excel. Have fun, doubles are great observing targets.

[John]

Stellarium shows you the split between the components but not as far as I know their respective magnitudes.

I've found this database pretty useful:

https://www.stelledoppie.it/index2.php?section=1

Plus the great Star-Splitters web site of course:

https://bestdoubles.wordpress.com/

The Cambridge Double Stat Atlas is very good if you can find a copy.

 

[Stu]

SkySafari on iPhone or Android is very good for doubles.

[Sunshine]

Awesome, thanks everyone!

[mikeDnight]

I'll second the Cambridge Double Star Atlas, available on Amazon and Book Depository I believe.

[Sunshine]

3 hours ago, Stu said:

SkySafari on iPhone or Android is very good for doubles.

I have downloaded SkySafari  for my iPhone, it seems wonderful, I love the rendering of the night sky and star colors, having a look at the menu options in settings I can't seem to find a function for pointing out doubles. It is a wonderful looking app, regardless, i'm sure i'll figure out how to identify doubles through it.

[Trikeflyer]

10 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

I have downloaded SkySafari  for my iPhone, it seems wonderful, I love the rendering of the night sky and star colors, having a look at the menu options in settings I can't seem to find a function for pointing out doubles. It is a wonderful looking app, regardless, i'm sure i'll figure out how to identify doubles through it.

If you go into settings. Find ‘stars’ in the l hand menu.  Select this and then a menu appears on the right allowing you to select doubles - image attached

 

 

[Sunshine]

6 minutes ago, Trikeflyer said:

If you go into settings. Find ‘stars’ in the l hand menu.  Select this and then a menu appears on the right allowing you to select doubles - image attached

 

 

I have no idea how i missed that, thanks.

[Stu]

25 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

I have no idea how i missed that, thanks.

Which version do you have? It is not in the free version but is in Plus and Pro.

[Stu]

[Sunshine]

42 minutes ago, Trikeflyer said:

If you go into settings. Find ‘stars’ in the l hand menu.  Select this and then a menu appears on the right allowing you to select doubles - image attached

 

 

Well, after taking a look, it may not be there after all!

[Sunshine]

31 minutes ago, Stu said:

Which version do you have? It is not in the free version but is in Plus and Pro.

i paid for it, going to have a go at those settings you show.

[Sunshine]

Alright, earlier i paid $4 for it, now i took a look in the app store again and noticed there's a Pro and Plus, downloaded the "plus" not sure what i paid $4 for earlier if theres a free version apparently.

 

[Sunshine]

Problem solved, i thought i had the plus but i guess i had the minus version for $4.

[Stu]

7 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Problem solved, i thought i had the plus but i guess i had the minus version for $4.

So do you now have Plus?

[DeanCJ]

If you have SkySafari 6 plus, simply click the Observe button, then click Observing Lists, you will then have a few options to select such as My Favourites, click on - ‘Import From Online Repository’ here you can chose from dozens of lists including the Cambridge Double Star Atlas to download directly to SkySafari and save in your ‘Observing Lists’ you simply select a target from the list just as you would from Tonights Best etc. 
Hope this helps.

Dean.

[Sunshine]

6 hours ago, Stu said:

So do you now have Plus?

Yes I downloaded the plus, all good now, thanks.