A Double star challenge Epsilon Lyrae.

[Daf1983]

Tried the double double for the first time ever last night with my 200p dob. Found the stars pretty quickly, but took me a while to convince myself I was pointing in the right direction.

Started off with x200, just to confirm that this was the double double, and could clearly see both split. Tried x150 and again could see both pairs split. Finally tried x100, but after spending a bit of time with this magnification, could only really one of the pairs split clearly.

 

Really enjoyed this challenge. Will try again at x100 to see if it was the conditions or my lack of experience which prevented me splitting at this magnification.

Haven't done much double star observation before, but couldn't stop thinking last night of how much easier this would with a zoom eyepiece, having not really considered one before. This might be next on my purchase list when funds/wife allow.😉

 

[endless-sky]

Tried for the first time last night, with my old Celestron C8, at 200x. I could clearly see both splits, it was really awesome!

I didn't think about going lower in magnification, but I will for sure next time I take out my rig.

[RobertI]

Good to see so many people seeing this for the first time. 👍

[gurneyfan67]

Out last night for a go at the double with my Tal-1m 110mm Newt. I forgot how difficult it is to use a straight though finder at zenith! After acquiring Vega I star- hopped  to the double and went up in power until I achieved a split. At 156X could only split 1 pair but resolved the other, but then at 171X both pairs were cleanly split. Nice to see the old Tal still has the chops for it. After that I enjoyed some great views of Jupiter and Saturn low over my neighbor's roof. I finished up by taking a look at beautiful Alberio one of my favorite Summer targets.

[JeremyS]

This was an interesting task @SiriusB - thank you!

I had a go last night with the Tak TSA 120, with eps Lyr almost overhead. Transparency was lacking but seeing was quite good.:

x64  resolved, notched (Pentax XL 14)

x69  resolved, notched (Nagler 13)

x72 wider pair split, other pair resolved (Tak LE 12.5 or Fujiyama Or 12.5)

x85 both pairs easily split (Pentax XL 10.5)

PS, that is a helpful diagram on splitting double stars posted by @John

 

[iPeace]

Just back in. 60mm refractor. Transparency not great, seeing not too bad.

15x - looking suspicious

60x - elongated

72x - resolved

90x - wider pair clearly split; closer pair borderline

100x (ish) - clearly split

120x - very clearly split

We may do a bit better another time...seem to recall splits at lower power.

Edited August 11, 2020 by iPeace

[laudropb]

Out walking the dog around 10pm on Sunday when I noticed thethe sky was partially clear especially near the zenith.When I got home I got the 200 mm f6 Dob out of the garage and after giving it 20 minutes to cool I had go at the double double. Its always a bit tricky search with the dob at high elevations but I eventually managed to get in centred in the view of a 24 mm Maxivision ep ( 50x )

other eps used were

Dlite 18.2 66x resolved notched

Delite11 109x split split

Pentax XL 7 171x split split and the best views given

I then had a quick session  looking at Albiero, M57 and M 27. The Delites gave really pleasing views . They always look so " natural "

Edited August 11, 2020 by laudropb

[JeremyS]

11 minutes ago, laudropb said:

Pentax XL 7 171x split split and the best views given

These are very nice eyepieces. I've only recently dug out my Pentax XL collection 🙂

 

[laudropb]

Yes. I only have the one Jeremy. Bought it of someone on this site.

[John]

Takahashi FC100-DL tonight. Lowest power that I had a confident split of both pairs was at the 13mm setting of the zoom so 69x.

 

 

[RobertI]

I was out briefly with the Tal 100RS tonight - the sky was bright and transparency poor, but seeing was really good, I say Pickering 7 at least. I have stuck a scale into my zoom eyepiece to better judge the focal length I’m operating at. I was getting a split on the close pair at 14mm (x71) but not quite at 15mm (x66). Very pleasing result helped by the good seeing I think.  

Had a quick squint at Mars for the first time this year and , although fairly low, it was very crisp, with the polar cap very obvious and some surface shading visible. Large, gibbous and sharply defined, it was far cry from the boiling red featureless disc that I have observed in the past. Bodes well for the upcoming months. 

[wookie1965]

Not had a chance try with my 5" yet I know I easily split them both in the Tal but cannot for the life of me remember what eyepiece I used, I must write this stuff down.

[SiriusB]

On 10/08/2020 at 09:39, JeremyS said:

This was an interesting task @SiriusB - thank you!

I had a go last night with the Tak TSA 120, with eps Lyr almost overhead. Transparency was lacking but seeing was quite good.:

x64  resolved, notched (Pentax XL 14)

x69  resolved, notched (Nagler 13)

x72 wider pair split, other pair resolved (Tak LE 12.5 or Fujiyama Or 12.5)

x85 both pairs easily split (Pentax XL 10.5)

PS, that is a helpful diagram on splitting double stars posted by @John

 

Hi Jeremy, I'm pleased it's sparked some interest.....some seeing the double double for the first time,some honing their observing skills.

 Been mostly resolving clouds here this week, did get a couple of short breaks.

One night had 70mm achro out,  wider pair split @ 71x, tighter pair needed 100x to (just) split.

About the same result as the 80ED.

That suprised me, was expecting to need some serious magnification  with a cheap 70mm lens.

Seems a lot of people were around the 100x mark to split both the other week~ seeing dominating?

Had the 120 Evo out, cleanly split both pairs @ 80x in somewhat unsteady air (not split 100% of the time, had to wait for the steady momments)....

So maybe aperture  is still king.

Hopefully we'll get some particularly good seeing, as somtimes in August you do~ in my recollection.

Then the 'big boys' will  truly shine i think?

 

[Starwatcher2001]

Sorry I'm late to the party, but Sunday was the first clear night up here that I wasn't trying to get to grips with my new scope (c9.25). Managed to split them both at 181x, and then 138x. I think I could do better, I'm out of practice.

The last time I split these was in September 1999*, through my 8.75" dob, using a borrowed Meade Super Plossl 9.7mm, giving 167x.  It's nice to be back observing again, it's been far too long.

*To newcomers, it's well worth keeping an observing log of the objects you've viewed, eyepieces used, seeing, comments etc.

[Les Ewan]

I can split them with my 16" Newt with a 21mm plossl(86X),I cant recall ever splitting them with a 8"Newt with anything less than a barlowed 15mm giving a power of 133X. I've yet to split Epsilon 1 clearly with a 90mm refractor. I find Epsilon 1 awkward with moderate powers on various scopes  except with the 16".

Edited September 4, 2020 by Les Ewan

[wookie1965]

Well split them tonight in my Meade 127 with a 11mm Televue plossl  x107 that was a definite split. 

[Pixies]

I thought I'd resurrect this excellent thread.

Excellent seeing conditions tonight. Using my new 80mm Vixen refractor (new to me - 40 years old scope). With 12mm eyepiece (magnification x76) I could split E1 pair but resolve E2 pair. At x83 (11mm on zoom) I could split both.

[wookie1965]

Split them tonight in my Tal 100rs with 8mm BST Starguider x125 clean split both pair. 

[Stu]

5 hours ago, wookie1965 said:

Split them tonight in my Tal 100rs with 8mm BST Starguider x125 clean split both pair. 

Sounds like your collimation is improved now Paul, is that right?

[Whistlin Bob]

Funny this should pop up again- I was doing this earlier in the week in a Bresser 127l. I was using the Baader zoom and the seeing was a bit wobbly, but at 12mm they were split and staying split, so bang on 100x. 

[wookie1965]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

Sounds like your collimation is improved now Paul, is that right?

I think so Stu still looked a bit soft when I put a 6mm in although I did barlow a 11mm Televue plossl and that was sharp. May have been the seeing or Transparency.  I did a star test  and got cencentring circles not to one side like before.

[Stu]

18 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

I think so Stu still looked a bit soft when I put a 6mm in although I did barlow a 11mm Televue plossl and that was sharp. May have been the seeing or Transparency.  I did a star test  and got cencentring circles not to one side like before.

Good news. If everything is concentric then likely to have been the seeing.

[wookie1965]

5 minutes ago, Stu said:

Good news. If everything is concentric then likely to have been the seeing.

Yes that is what I thought at least I did not see the rings like I had done a couple of nights ago. I think the loosening the retaining ring and slapping the objective may have worked.

[John]

I had a nice split of both pairs of Epsilon Lyrae with my 102mm refractor last night at 92x.

When I was playing around a week or so back with my 120mm stopped down to a 52mm F/17.3 I could split the wider of the pairs but just got a "peanut" shape on the closer pair. That was at 225x I think.

 

[chiltonstar]

With excellent seeing last night, both were nicely split at x90. At x67, the easier pair were certainly split but the more difficult pair only just at the point of being visibly split (180 Mak with a Baader ND filter). Without the ND filter, I can't go much below x120 to split them with a visible dark space between them.

Chris