The pup

[wookie1965]

Can I ask those more in the know please with my 5" Refractor could I see the pup and if so are there any tips you could give me to aid my view thanks.

[markse68]

I would have thought so if the conditions are right. I’ve seen it a couple of times in 2yrs regularly trying with my dob and it has all come down to atmospheric stability and still air- you need perfect seeing and a perfectly physically stable view. My only recommendation would be to keep trying as often as possible!

Mark

[Dave scutt]

It might sound stupid but what is the pup.

Or have you just got a new dog

[markse68]

Sirius is known as the Dog star and it has a very much fainter binary known colloquially as the pup

Really quite difficult to see from uk 

[Peter_D]

Would using a filter be beneficial to reduce the glare of Sirius A?

[JeremyS]

3 minutes ago, Peter_D said:

Would using a filter be beneficial to reduce the glare of Sirius A?

No. A filter will dim both stars. Much of the problem is due to the large brightness difference between the two components. Aperture and very steady seeing are key. Latter helped by waiting til Sirius is transiting the meridian, I.e. at its max altitude 

[jetstream]

An ortho might help with its low scatter and narrow fov. Scatter is a big enemy for this kind of viewing IMHO.

[wookie1965]

Thank you everyone I have read the separation is getting wider I think if I am right around 2030 its at its maximum so now is a good time to view it and for the next several years.  I thought I would ask especially as I like my double stars.

[Pixies]

Here's a four-page discussion of such from last winter:

 

[Nik271]

1 hour ago, wookie1965 said:

Thank you everyone I have read the separation is getting wider I think if I am right around 2030 its at its maximum so now is a good time to view it and for the next several years.  I thought I would ask especially as I like my double stars.

The separation is  11.2'' now (2021) and the maximal separation is in 2023 at 11.33''. 

Try to have a look in the mornings in October, around 6am when Sirius is at highest elevation.

[Sunshine]

Whether it is out of reach of my 102 or not you can bet I will be straining my eyeball on this one as soon as I can 😂

Thanks for the heads up on this one, I forgot.

Edited September 26, 2021 by Sunshine

[wookie1965]

I have read to try Rigel first if you can split that you have every chance of splitting Sirius.

[markse68]

10 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

I have read to try Rigel first if you can split that you have every chance of splitting Sirius.

nah- Rigel is a very easy split in comparison but it is useful for gauging the split distance you should be looking for as they’re very similar separation. And you can use it to gauge the angle of the pup but i can’t remember the relationship- it’s not the same 

If you can see e and f stars in trap then you have pretty good seeing and have a chance 👍

Mark

[Stu]

13 minutes ago, markse68 said:

nah- Rigel is a very easy split in comparison but it is useful for gauging the split distance you should be looking for as they’re very similar separation. And you can use it to gauge the angle of the pup but i can’t remember the relationship- it’s not the same 

If you can see e and f stars in trap then you have pretty good seeing and have a chance 👍

Mark

Yep, Rigel is a walk in the park really, it’s rare not to see it. I’ve yet to spot the Pup, but will certainly be giving it a good go this year. I have a better horizon and better scopes so fingers crossed I can get it.

[Captain Scarlet]

Re Rigel I'd put it the other way around. If Rigel is proving difficult, you have no chance at the Pup. But as said, Rigel is quite easy. I have not yet seen the Pup, despite having tried a lot. My path has usually been: Rigel => E & F in the Trapezium => Pup (attempt). Last Orion-season I could usually see the E & F, but on the occasions the E & F were really clear, I still never managed Sirius B. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to resuming my attempts.

Cheers, Magnus

[John]

I've seen the Pup star with all my scopes down to 100mm now. In the 100mm it was pretty intermittent and needed particularly stable conditions to get a glimpse. I only managed it with that scope a couple of times last winter. With my 12 inch dob now it's usually strightforward.

I usually follow a similar path to Magnus to determine if the conditions are likely to be up to the task.

I find that magnifications of between 180x and 250x work best. Lower or higher than that and getting the split gets tougher !

The Pup star is seen faintly gleaming out of the haze of light created by the much, much brighter Sirius A. The Pup follows Sirius A as it drifts across an undriven field of view. The separation is currently around 11.2 arc seconds but the challenge is that the haze of light surrounding Sirius A extends that far out

I made this sketch of the view with my ED120 refractor in February this year:

 

[Geoff Barnes]

I agree with the above. My seeing down here is almost certainly better than yours with Sirius high up in the sky, but it still requires moments of good stability to see the pup in amongst the glare, especially with the diffraction spikes of my Dob.