A Decent Monday Night

[Jiggy 67]

It appears to me that recently, I have only been reporting on double star observing sessions. It is true that I have developed a bit of a love affair with double and multiple star systems, I find them beautiful and very interesting when observed alongside their fact sheet on SkySafari, but that's not the only reason, the fact is that the only real clear skies I have had recently have also been filled with the moon on full beam. The full(ish) moon and my level of light pollution make DSO's pointless so I save them for darker nights.

It is also the case that I have now taken delivery of my first ever refractor, a Sky-Watcher 100ED so Monday night (and an hour on Sunday night) were to be First Light and what better, or easier targets are there to open it up on than multiple star systems. I have to say that I found the scope to be wonderful, a different experience to my 200PDS, displaying beautifully formed stars as sharp points of light. It worked exceptionally well with my Morpheus eyepieces, at all focal lengths, with none of the chromatic aberration associated with fracs, that I noticed anyway. I love this scope, made for evenings like this.

Delta Genimiorium (Wasat)

Very tight double which could only really be split with the 4.5mm Morpheus (X200 mag) Large bright white star with a very small and faint secondary at 11 o’clock. Very close together and could only be split when seeing allowed. A lovely double but quite challenging, I hope i had the correct star because SkySafari reported a much easier split than this!

M45

Thought I would just try the new scope on this. Wonderful sharp image of numerous stars with 17.5mm Morpheus (X51 mag). Bit too close with the 17.5mm so switched to the ES 30mm (X30 mag)(I need to invest in a good low power wide field ep!). The result was stunning! I've struggled to focus this ep in the 200PDS, not enough back focus meaning I have to pull the eyepiece out of the focuser a bit, but no such problems with this scope at F9, the result was an amazing view!!.....though I still need a low power wide field to fit the whole cluster in.

V1030 Orionis

Lovely multiple star system at all focal lengths. Large white star with two companions quite close at 3 o’clock. One faint and small blue/white quite close and a second larger blue/white star x3 distance away. Also visible with 6.5mm (X138 mag) and 4.5mm (X200 mag) is a fourth much fainter and much smaller star at 9 0’clock. SkySafari records this as a double or multiple system without stating how many stars but I could clearly identify it as a quadruple system. Also visible in the same fov at 4.5mm (X200 mag) was a second binary system called HD294272 in the top left corner of view. In the whole field of view, at high magnification, a quadruple system and a binary system........who says double star observing is boring!!

Iota Orionis (Nair al Saif

Bright primary with a clear split to a much fainter and smaller star at 5 o’clock. Rich area with other surrounding stars so unsure which make up the 3rd and4th stars of the quadruple system. Viewed with zoom 8mm (X112 mag)

Epsilon Monocerotis

Nice double, easily split with 14mm (X64 mag) White star with lilac companion at 1 o’clock

Clouds starting rolling in after a couple of hours, by which time my feet were like blocks of ice.......it was very very cold so I called it a night.

Overall, very satisfied with the new scope and the night's observing.

[Kon]

It sounds like a very nice session and a great first light!

[cotterless45]

Superb first light , your frac will show clusters , planetary nebulae and binaries at their very best ,

Nick.

(For those puzzled by V1030 Orionis, it's sigma Orionis )

Edited January 27, 2021 by cotterless45

[Jiggy 67]

Thanks Nick , planetary nebulae are a favorite so looking forward to that

[wookie1965]

Brilliant these Fracs give a lot for the diameter of the lens and pin point stars great session here is to many more.

[Epick Crom]

Nice haul of double stars you got there 👌

[Jiggy 67]

10 hours ago, cotterless45 said:

For those puzzled by V1030 Orionis, it's sigma Orionis )

Yep, I didn’t realize this so I looked back in my logs and found that I have observed Sigma Orionis previously. This confused me as V1030 is recorded separately In SkySafari with no alternative name of Sigma but Sigma is recorded as well on its own so I looked at the Cambridge Double Star List which records the system as V1030 and no mention of Sigma. They are clearly the same multiple star system and the different catalog names must refer to their constituent stars.....Could be confusing 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

A nice report and brief review of your smashing new scope. You've whet my appetite for some double action at the weekend (weather permitting ofc 🙄 ). My FPL51 f7 frac arrives tomorrow. 😀

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[domstar]

Great report. I love doubles more and more. There are always new targets to find, there is the challenge and I don't get the feeling of missing out because of aperture and observing skill that I do on other targets. If I manage to split one, I feel I have as good a view as I would have with any equipment (if the conditions are good). After reading another thread, I'm looking forward to having a go at 40 Eridani when the clouds clear.

As for Wasat, I don't remember it being a particularly difficult split (I've never observed at more than 150x). Just across from that towards the Eskimo Nebula HD 57900 made a real impression on me and needed the best conditions. I can't wait to try them both again.

Lastly, it was a real pleasure to read about someone enjoying the ED100. I love my scope but I also feel a bit envious of people using the real big boys so it's nice to have my positive experiences reaffirmed by others. Thanks.

[cloudsweeper]

Great stuff - you can't beat a frac for viewing doubles, esp. the trickier ones (tight; faint secondary).  I'm itching to get out and take on some challenging ones, so during the cloudy period have drawn up lists of targets.  Interesting exercise - I've found a number of errors in CDSA and Haas, and confirmed that many of Sissy Haas's entries are not physical arrangements (not gravitationally bound).  They still look good, but I must admit to a preference for true physical doubles: they have that special extra appeal.

Doug.

[Jiggy 67]

29 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

Great stuff - you can't beat a frac for viewing doubles, esp. the trickier ones (tight; faint secondary).  I'm itching to get out and take on some challenging ones, so during the cloudy period have drawn up lists of targets.  Interesting exercise - I've found a number of errors in CDSA and Haas, and confirmed that many of Sissy Haas's entries are not physical arrangements (not gravitationally bound).  They still look good, but I must admit to a preference for true physical doubles: they have that special extra appeal.

Doug.

Absolutely, optical doubles are nice, there’s no doubt, but gravitationaly bound, true doubles are more interesting. I have my phone with me at the scope so it’s nice to read the science and the facts on SkySafari for a particular object as you are observing it. You’re right about CDSA, I was really surprised to Sigma Orionis named as it was in CDSA

[Jiggy 67]

1 hour ago, domstar said:

As for Wasat, I don't remember it being a particularly difficult split (I've never observed at more than 150x). Just across from that towards the Eskimo Nebula HD 57900 made a real impression on me and needed the best conditions. I can't wait to try them both again.

I’m gonna have to reconfirm Wasat ☹️ and while I’m at it check out HD57900. Good call. It’s actually looking reasonable tonight at the moment 

[Spile]

I am with you. Binaries (especially coloured ones) are at the top of of my targets. 

I've spend most of the the week integrating the Caldwell top 200 pretty binary list into a database of 2500 binaries so that I have an "ultimate list".

[Pixies]

On 30/01/2021 at 11:56, Spile said:

I am with you. Binaries (especially coloured ones) are at the top of of my targets. 

I've spend most of the the week integrating the Caldwell top 200 pretty binary list into a database of 2500 binaries so that I have an "ultimate list".

Would you mind sharing your list here, when you finish?

 

[Spile]

Yes 

2 hours ago, Pixies said:

Would you mind sharing your list here, when you finish?

 

Yes of course, leave it with me.

There are two versions. 
The first is the original Excel file and includes full descriptions and a rating. I need to tidy this up before I release it.

The second is a csv file that I created for the SkEye custom catalogue. It includes 535 binaries most with colours and the ***** rating system but no descriptions. I uploaded this to the SkEye support forum earlier today.

 I think the first is the most relevant for this forum.