Theta Aurigae

[Jiggy 67]

Just come in mid session, partly to let some clouds pass and partly to ask this.

Just been observing this very tight binary star. I’m not sure I split it. The primary is large and bright and I think I saw the secondary as a very faint and smaller star very close amongst the diffraction spikes of the primary. It appeared as a grey circle at 11 o’clock to the primary. I was viewing at x280 mag and I’m really not sure I saw it correctly, anyone confirm this??

If it is as I described then it’s a very nice and quite challenging binary 

[cotterless45]

Yep.  Sounds like you got it . It's a challenge due to the bright primary , closing aperture or using a filter will lose the secondary.

The best view that I had of this was with Patbloke's 120 ed. it just showed two tight clean marbles,

careful now , Nick.

[Nik271]

On 01/01/2021 at 21:19, Jiggy 67 said:

Just come in mid session, partly to let some clouds pass and partly to ask this.

Just been observing this very tight binary star. I’m not sure I split it. The primary is large and bright and I think I saw the secondary as a very faint and smaller star very close amongst the diffraction spikes of the primary. It appeared as a grey circle at 11 o’clock to the primary. I was viewing at x280 mag and I’m really not sure I saw it correctly, anyone confirm this??

If it is as I described then it’s a very nice and quite challenging binary 

11 o'clock (NNW position) sounds correct according to stelle doppie: https://www.stelledoppie.it/index2.php?iddoppia=22645

This is indeed a challenging one, congratulations!

[wookie1965]

47 minutes ago, cotterless45 said:

Yep.  Sounds like you got it . It's a challenge due to the bright primary , closing aperture or using a filter will lose the secondary.

The best view that I had of this was with Patbloke's 120 ed. it just showed two tight clean marbles,

careful now , Nick.

Is that Bogardas 3.8° split (SAO 0586 36)