First 12 of 100 favourites...and hedgehogs

[iPeace]

(In case you're not yet aware: observing double stars is a lot of fun. I do urge you to have a go.)

One of my stock 'roll-up-everyone-is-a-winner' lists of doubles is The Astronomical League's Double Star Observing Program (details below). And I do enjoy repeatedly going through the 100 targets in this list; this time, I'm doing it with minimal aperture (again, details below). This is a report on the first night this time around, with the first twelve targets crossed off (not in index order).

Hedgehogs are amusingly peculiar to me. At night, (often enough: more than) one will nose about the garden, totally oblivious to my presence until only inches separate us and then suddenly detect me - and freeze. Not wanting to startle or cause any (more) distress, I freeze also, but that never works...Mr. Hog will just stay immobile until I move away, out of sight and smell, which means back in the house. The visitor then resumes his work as if I were never there, seemingly thinking to himself: "Hum...must have imagined that...". Until he's shuffled out of sight, it's an imposed break from the telescope. I don't mind; he's here to make a living, our main contractor in the snail management program.

Summary: July 31st 2020 from 00:00 (ish) to 03:00 (ish) - including 2 hedgehog breaks 🦔

Re. magnitudes and separation: if you're interested, do look them up in your favourite source - my sources don't fully agree with each other.

Observed, by constellation, with index nrs. from the below-mentioned list of 100, each with multiple catalogue numbers and the (very short) notes I made:

Andromeda

8. Almach |    Gamma/57 Andromedae | HIP 9640 | SAO 37734 | STF/Σ 205: 33x very bright orange / blue

(This is a classic favourite, easily located and very rewarding.)

Camelopardalis

16. 1 Camelopardalis | HIP 21148 | SAO 24672 | STF/Σ 550: 33x white / blue
48. 32H Camelopardalis | HIP 62572 | SAO 2102 | STF/Σ 1694: 15x both look white

(Camelopardalis as a whole is very faint; I had to star-hop from Perseus for 1, and from Polaris for 32H.)

Cassiopeia

1. Achird | Eta/24 Cassiopeiae | HIP 3821 | SAO 21732 | STF/Σ 60: 33x yellow-white / blue-grey
100. Sigma/8 Cassiopeiae| HIP 118243 | SAO 35947 | STF/Σ 3049: 90x faint and tight

(Sigma was the most challenging split of this session; very satisfying.)

Cepheus

92. Alfirk | Beta/8 Cephei | HIP 106032 | SAO 10057 | STF/Σ 2806: 33x white / blue
93. HR 8281 | HIP 106886 | SAO 33626 | STF/Σ 2816: 15x 3-way split

(HR 8281 appears as a tiny cluster of 3 pin-points; I 'sensed' rather than saw difference in colour between them, as if grey-scaled.)

95. Alkurah | Xi/17 Cephei | HIP 108917 | SAO 19827 | STF/Σ 2863: 33x white / grey
97. Delta/27 Cephei | HIP 110991 | SAO 34508 | STFA/ΣI 58: 15x mini Albireo

Perseus

12. Miram | Eta/15 Persei | HIP 13268 | SAO 23655 | STF/Σ 307: 15x golden orange / blue
13. HR 890 | HIP 14043 | SAO 23763 | STF/Σ 331:    almost split at 15x; 33x white / pale blue

Ursa Minor

10. Polaris | Alpha/1 Ursae Minoris | HIP 11767 | SAO 308 | STF/Σ 93: 60x white / faint blue

(Companion is faint; takes a while to appear.)

Equipment:

* 60mm refractor
* manual alt/az mount
* 3 eyepieces providing magnifications of 15x, 33x and 60x-120x (zoom)
* red dot finder
* Android smart phone with SkySafari 5 Plus / Google Sheets (for notes)
* ultra-wide-field 2x magnification binoculars (DIY from recycled digital camera accessory lenses)
* nocturnal neighbour-friendly stealth trainers

Location / conditions:

* The Netherlands - well-lit patch of reclaimed ocean floor
* Weather: comfortably warm, zero chance of dew
* Sky: no clouds, but seemingly lacking in transparency
* Moon: other side of house (not that it matters, see below)
* Light pollution: well beyond ridiculous (even my postal code has 'LP' in it)
* Garden: hedgehogs (most welcome) and mozzies (not)

Full target list:

The Astronomical League - Double Star Observing Program: "introduces observers to 100 of the finest double and multiple star systems in the heavens".

(Link to list of 100 targets in various formats is at the bottom of the page.)

Further inspiration:

Star Splitters - the DSC-60 Project: to "observe the Astronomical League’s [Double Star Observing Program] list of 100 choice doubles using a 60mm telescope".

(The entire web site is fun and inspiring to read.)

 

Thanks, stay safe and healthy under clear skies.

[Alan White]

That sounds a fun evening you had Mike.

I wish we had Hedgehogs to add to the animal list we co-observe with, but sadly not the case.

Stealth Trainers sound great, where do we obtain a pair?

On Light pollution, we share similar fates as you know, last night the Moon was for me the far bigger polluter from midnight when it broke cover and shone all over. I love your postcode, I had not thought of that.

Sounds like your sky was similar to here, clear but not at the same time.

Double stars can be a lot of fun, they truly are things of beauty to the observer.

I made last night hard for myself, DSO from home with the Moon.... I like a challenge.