Planning a Double Star Session

[Mr Spock]

Shortly, delivery times willing, I'll be in possession of a 150mm Rumak. Mainly for lunar and double star observing. Here's what I have planned for the latter.

Being in possession of "The Cambridge Double Star Atlas" and "Double Stars for Small Telescopes" (Haas) I have a fair bit of material to aim for.

What I have found previously is the atlas is too difficult to see and read when observing. So what I've just started doing is converting high resolution scans into black and white and having a quarter of each page on an A4 sheet. This means 152 sheets (down to -20° only), but at least I'll be able to read them. What I also intend doing is writing minimal information about each double on the map. For example: If a primary is mag 7.0 with a secondary of mag 8.2 and separation of 2.7", I'll write 1.2, 2.7 on the chart. So, the difference in magnitude and separation, which is all I need. Nothing else matters as I want to record how they look, colour etc., myself. A lot of preparation to do, but I won't be doing it all at once - just what I need for a particular session.

What I'm going to do in the session is go to each double on the chart and make notes in a notebook. Hopefully I'll be able to cover just about everything on the charts. Should keep me busy for a while 

I'd be interested to hear what other observers do.

[Paz]

I use both those books for planning what to go for (but mostly the Cambridge atlas because it considers physical doubles, and I'm not so interested on optical doubles).

However I then highlight my targets in sky safari and use that in the field rather than taking maps out in the field.

How many will you have on your hit list for one session? I usually only have a handful.

[JeremyS]

Anthology of Visual Double Stars by Bob Argyle et al is on special at Amazon 

£24.40 from £35

[John]

Sounds like a great project Michael

As well as the resources you have already mentioned, I find the Stelle Doppie database useful:

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

Plus Stellarium's info on binary stars seems quite accurate.

 

 

[7170]

I now use the WDS catalogue to plan imaging sessions and automate the target list and then have lots of data to go through for subsequent evenings when the clouds are over.

20-30 targets (which maybe a lot more than 30 entries in the WDS!) in an evening is a good win in bag, and then I log, measure and compare PA and separation to the WDS catalogue as well as the coordinates. Of particular interest to me are those with high proper motion.

I think I'm the exception to the rule though, I suspect most people just enjoy the intrinsic beauty of them (especially contrasting color and size) and the actual challenge of splitting. An goto mount with plate solving and automation of the whole rig takes the challenge out of actually finding them and CCD makes splitting easier as you can practice lucky imaging. Not managed to automate the measuring/logging part (yet).

[Mr Spock]

32 minutes ago, John said:

As well as the resources you have already mentioned, I find the Stelle Doppie database useful:

Thanks for that 👍 Amazing resource. I've just grabbed a list into excel. It means I can search the list from the chart instead of having to wade through book pages 👍

[Jiggy 67]

If you have SkySafari, the Cambridge Double Star Atlas is available as an observing list. You can highlight them onto the planetarium anytime you like. I do this when planning a session, pick the targets for the session and create an observing list for that session. I make notes/ sketches in a notebook scopeside and then the following day create an observation for each target in SkySafari adding all my notes/equipment used to the database. It’s a really fun, efficient and tidy way of doing things..... I go even further and transfer all the data to a Cambridge Double Star spreadsheet that I keep separately 

[Mr Spock]

Once all the easy ones are done, there are fainter ones too. I've just put together a list where the primary is brighter than 10.0 and the secondary is brighter then 12.5. That makes a list of nearly 17k doubles 

[Sunshine]

I love observing doubles, most recently i was finally able to conquer Zeta Herc which was amazing after months of trying. SkySafari is great for hunting doubles as you can set it to point out doubles

as you scan the sky in real time. Keeping notes is something i enjoy too.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Sunshine

[F15Rules]

Great stuff here!

Many thanks to all contributors 👍

Dave

[chiltonstar]

I copy pages from CDSA and ring doubles of interest on the copy, which is reasonably visible. I hadn't realised that SkySafari could load the CDSA list and highlight them - that sounds an excellent idea.

Recording the data and observations in the dark/cold/wet is usually a problem! I suppose if I was even more of a "compulsive list maker" I would use my phone or a digital voice recorder to record observations and then transfer them to a spreadsheet in the warm & dry. Being seen talking to a telescope might get the men in white coats sent round though....

Chris

[Mr Spock]

I'll be sticking to pen and paper. Cold nights, my clumsy hands and a phone are a recipe for disaster.

Besides, I had a very enjoyable evening yesterday creating some charts.

[Zermelo]

Probably a bit basic for you, Michael, but I've been using the list from the Astronomical League double star observing programme as my "master" of the easier doubles. I have downloaded a copy of the Excel version and keep it sorted in RA order as a rough guide to what's available at any time of year, and mark off each one I've split. I use SkySafari to plan and drive sessions, so I've imported the .skylist version of the AL list, and then I copy selected targets from there into my nightly lists (with other objects, usually driven by the moon phase). When I'm observing, I check the separation before attempting to locate, to give me a rough idea what to expect, and then when I think I've found it I'll check the info section in SkySafari to confirm (or not). I'll usually start off with my Hyperflex zoom and perhaps switched to a fixed EP or add the barlow if needed. I add notes to SkySafari, though these are, at the moment, very minimal.

There must be thousands of web pages on doubles, but one more that I'd point out (now archived) is this list of Color Contrasted Double Stars. 

 

 

[MylesGibson]

I create observing sessions on Sky Safari. I downloaded an app on my phone to put it in "night mode" which basically turns off certain light frequencies, then I put sky safari into night mode too. It will of course affect your eyes a bit, but I find it easiest for me!

In the observing sessions, I can write the location, date, time etc and then create different observations for different targets along with a description of what I saw. I haven't been able to do it for a while though as the weather has been so poor!