Hydra Double Double (or not…) & Others

[cloudsweeper]

Monday.  After a great earlier session with the Dob looking at tiny pits in the floor of Hipparchus, I went out when it was darker to see some Hydra doubles with the 8SE on GoTo.  Aligned on the Moon – very effective.

Σ1348 & Σ1355 – two binaries, all components 7^th mag, separations 2.1 and 1.8 arcsecs – great candidates for a double double!  At x48 / 1.34deg I got the stars together (unsplit of course) plus another 7^th mag star on the line between them.  At x116, 1348 was just split (sec at 10 o’clock).  Shifting east, I saw that 1355 was also split (sec at 11 o’clock).  Was it a double double?? – well, No, since being about 0.75deg apart, they weren’t in the same FOV when split.  Nice to see all the same.

Σ1260 – 7.9, 8.1; 4.9 arcsecs – not in handset, went via 6 Hya – found target at the bottom of a right-angled triangle – not split at x48, bit more needed – split at x64, very close, but a clear split – matched, sec at 4 o’clock.

Σ1270 / MX Hya – 6.9, 7.5; 4.5 arcsecs – at x64, again very close, but clear split, close match, sec at 8 o’clock.

Σ1309 – 8^th mag components, 12 arcsecs apart – not in handset, went via SAO117434 – target in the middle of a line of four – close, but clear split at x48, matched, almost side by side like the proverbial “eyes”.

Σ1473 – 7.7, 8.9; 30 arcsecs – good split at x48, fainter star at 7 o’clock, fairly busy field.

Σ1347 – 7.3, 8.3; 21 arcsecs – again, split at x48, fainter star at 10 o’clock.

I went for a tighter pair (β24, 1.2 arcsecs), but even at x254 could not make out two stars owing to the seeing.

Finished after more than an hour with a glance at M44, the Beehive Cluster.  A very successful and rewarding session.

Doug.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by cloudsweeper

[SuburbanMak]

56 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

Monday.  After a great earlier session with the Dob looking at tiny pits in the floor of Hipparchus, I went out when it was darker to see some Hydra doubles with the 8SE on GoTo.  Aligned on the Moon – very effective.

Σ1348 & Σ1355 – two binaries, all components 7^th mag, separations 2.1 and 1.8 arcsecs – great candidates for a double double!  At x48 / 1.34deg I got the stars together (unsplit of course) plus another 7^th mag star on the line between them.  At x116, 1348 was just split (sec at 10 o’clock).  Shifting east, I saw that 1355 was also split (sec at 11 o’clock).  Was it a double double?? – well, No, since being about 0.75deg apart, they weren’t in the same FOV when split.  Nice to see all the same.

Σ1260 – 7.9, 8.1; 4.9 arcsecs – not in handset, went via 6 Hya – found target at the bottom of a right-angled triangle – not split at x48, bit more needed – split at x64, very close, but a clear split – matched, sec at 4 o’clock.

Σ1270 / MX Hya – 6.9, 7.5; 4.5 arcsecs – at x64, again very close, but clear split, close match, sec at 8 o’clock.

Σ1309 – 8^th mag components, 12 arcsecs apart – not in handset, went via SAO117434 – target in the middle of a line of four – close, but clear split at x48, matched, almost side by side like the proverbial “eyes”.

Σ1473 – 7.7, 8.9; 30 arcsecs – good split at x48, fainter star at 7 o’clock, fairly busy field.

Σ1347 – 7.3, 8.3; 21 arcsecs – again, split at x48, fainter star at 10 o’clock.

I went for a tighter pair (β24, 1.2 arcsecs), but even at x254 could not make out two stars owing to the seeing.

Finished after more than an hour with a glance at M44, the Beehive Cluster.  A very successful and rewarding session.

Doug.

 

 

Thanks @Cloudsweeper - am always on the lookout for my Double's of the Month as the moon waxes and Hydra is a constellation I am yet to explore (come to think of it its one I'm yet to even locate!). 

I'll definitely give some of these a try. Clear skies!