Did I see the Pup?

[MalcolmM]

I've never observed double stars before but this evening the sky was a lovely deep blue, too bright for DSOs but it looked really steady. I've read alot about splitting Sirius so I thought I'd give it a go . First up FC100DC + TOE 4mm. Sirius is really tight and lovely set of diffraction rings but it's on fire! 3.3mm TOE and then 2.5 but there's nothing obvious. In fact there's nothing not obvious! I thought Rigel; I've read if you can't split Rigel there's no point in trying for the Pup. Rigel with the 2.5mm TOE was very obvious so back to Sirius. I let it drift across the FOV time and time again and then started to see something keep appearing. It was a similar separation to Rigel and it was following Sirius crossing the FOV (right to left, refractor view). I'd say it was in the 2 o'clock position or thereabouts. It was not there all the time but kept appearing in the blaze of Sirius.

Is it possible this was the Pup? Or were my eyes playing tricks on me?

Malcolm

[jock1958]

There’s a very good chance you’ve seen it.
I’ve been trying for the last few years with my Tak FC-100DL + TV 3-6 zoom and failed due to the low altitude and unsteady atmospherics but will keep on  persevering.

I’m sure Dave @F15Rules will chip in as he’s seen it very recently through his Tak FS128. 

[Stu]

It’s quite possible I think @MalcolmM, and the location seems correct according to SkySafari.

I’ve yet to see it myself, but that may be an eyesight or seeing issue as much as anything else.

I guess all you can do is try to repeat it and with more personal experience you will hopefully be able to confirm it.

[F15Rules]

Hi Malcolm, 

From your's and Jock's comments I'd say there's a very good chance you caught the Pup!

When I last saw it for sure, a good number of weeks back, it was more like the 1 o'clock position..however, this "apparent" position is subject to slight changes even for a low altitude double like Sirius, as the pair describe an arc as they apparently move across the sky (of course, it's actually the Earth moving (rotating), not the stars).

So, with Sirius now being "on the way down" towards setting in the west, then the Pup would indeed be likely to look to be in more of a 2 o'clock rather than a 1 o'clock orientation..

I hope the diagram below might help a bit..you are the observer and the "altitude" shows the movement of in this case Sirius..but in this example the arrow would point down as the star moves towards setting in the west.

At least, I think that's correct!

And if I'm right, then congratulations to you!👍😊.

Dave

[wookie1965]

5 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Hi Malcolm, 

From your's and Jock's comments I'd say there's a very good chance you caught the Pup!

When I last saw it for sure, a good number of weeks back, it was more like the 1 o'clock position..however, this "apparent" position is subject to slight changes even for a low altitude double like Sirius, as the pair describe an arc as they apparently move across the sky (of course, it's actually the Earth moving (rotating), not the stars).

So, with Sirius now being "on the way down" towards setting in the west, then the Pup would indeed be likely to look to be in more of a 2 o'clock rather than a 1 o'clock orientation..

I hope the diagram below might help a bit..you are the observer and the "altitude" shows the movement of in this case Sirius..but in this example the arrow would point down as the star moves towards setting in the west.

At least, I think that's correct!

And if I'm right, then congratulations to you!👍😊.

Dave

Dave it was at 1 o'clock when I got it quite a few weeks back I was pretty sure I had got it but with you saying that has confirmed it so thank you.

Paul 

[MalcolmM]

Thanks @jock1958 @Stu @F15Rules. I'll put it down as a definite possibility and keep trying. My 2 o'clock was very rough as what I thought I was seeing was coming and going (says he thinking could've been 1 o'clock )

Malcolm

[Stu]

48 minutes ago, MalcolmM said:

Thanks @jock1958 @Stu @F15Rules. I'll put it down as a definite possibility and keep trying. My 2 o'clock was very rough as what I thought I was seeing was coming and going (says he thinking could've been 1 o'clock )

Malcolm

Hopefully this will work, it’s the location of Sirius b in hourly steps through until midnight which might help.

[MalcolmM]

14 minutes ago, Stu said:

Hopefully this will work, it’s the location of Sirius b in hourly steps through until midnight which might help.

IMG_6216.MOV

Thanks @Stu but unfortunately it comes up with 'could not locate item.

Malcolm

 

 

 

[Stu]

Try this?

 

[MalcolmM]

34 minutes ago, Stu said:

Try this?

 

Brilliant thanks. What I was seeing was definitely in the right general area.

Malcolm

[GordonD]

Well done for getting the Pup, especially in a 100mm .

I know, I know, its not just any 100mm, its a Tak 100mm .....  

I have been trying for ages and still not got it. Yet!

[Saganite]

39 minutes ago, GordonD said:

Well done for getting the Pup, especially in a 100mm .

I know, I know, its not just any 100mm, its a Tak 100mm .....  

I have been trying for ages and still not got it. Yet!

 

Well done Malcolm.👍

I have bagged Sirius B twice since January of this year, the first through my 5" F15, but the second on 18/1/2022 was through my Vixen ED103Swt.  The seeing that night was superb, and Sirius focused down very tight.   I posted my result on the forum that night.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Saganite

[kirkster501]

Well done.  I have seen it a few times in a 300mm reflector from dark sky in super conditions when I was younger.  No matter how hard I try now, no matter how dark the sky or good the conditions,  I cannot see it with the same scope.  My eyes must have deteriorated in that regard.

[Nyctimene]

Just gave the Pup a try with my 12" f/5 traveldob. Despite very good optics (spotted Triton with it months ago), orthoscopic eyepieces giving 150x resp. 250x mag, and seeing better than average, to no avail. Still too much air turbulence low down in the sky; gave up after thirty minutes.

Stephan