Nice And Easy (Doubles)

[cloudsweeper]

Mon. 16/5 - 8SE with Focal Reducer, on GoTo.  Full Moon not yet risen.

At 9.55pm, Regulus appeared, so I aligned on that.

While it's satisfying to split tight doubles (say <1.5"), wider ones are usually very pleasing to observe.  So that was my thinking for this session.

Sigma 1740 Vir - 7th mag pair, 26" apart - x36, easy split, matched, sec almost at 3 o'clock, sparse field - very sharp, a pleasing spectacle.

17 Vir - 6th and 9th mags, 21" - x36, another easy split, although the faint sec at 11 o'clock would be easy to miss - busy field.  Also pleasing.

Sigma 1575 Vir - 7th mag pair, 31" - x36 again, very easy, fairly close match, sec at 7 o'clock.  This was in a nice setting at the west end of a flat, wide "W" of stars.  The bright A2 Vir was at the other end.

I decided to finish on a classic - Algieba (Leo) - 2nd and 3rd mags, with a tighter 4.6" of separation, and lovely colour.  Two bright stars, quite closely matched.  At x128 I saw two close, orange lights, side by side.

A fine end to a pleasing 90 minute session.

Doug.

Edited May 17, 2022 by cloudsweeper

[wookie1965]

Virgo is south of me and I cannot see anything south, houses and street lamp. nice few objects there Doug.

[Mr Spock]

While it is challenging to separate a tight double, any double is equally satisfying; and in any scope no matter the size. I'm already planning my next session with the 102mm.

[josefk]

2 hours ago, cloudsweeper said:

While it's satisfying to split tight doubles (say <1.5"), wider ones are usually very pleasing to observe. 

i found this last week - there is no rational reason to "prefer" one pair of double stars over another and yet there is an undeniable difference in appeal between one pair and another. Aesthetics? A new sensation to me and amusing and interesting and pleasing at the same time.

I can see you post reports on doubles quite a bit so i'm going to follow up a few of your suggestions. I think already i prefer the pairings of bright primary and considerably lower magnitude companions at the 5" to 30" ish level of separation. What a peculiar hobby this is.

 

[cloudsweeper]

3 hours ago, wookie1965 said:

Virgo is south of me and I cannot see anything south, houses and street lamp. nice few objects there Doug.

Thanks Paul.  South is my best.  North is polluted, west is huge trees, east is mainly the house!

 

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

While it is challenging to separate a tight double, any double is equally satisfying; and in any scope no matter the size. I'm already planning my next session with the 102mm.

So true - "easier" ones are still a treat to behold, and planning (and knowing what to expect) is vital.

 

52 minutes ago, josefk said:

i found this last week - there is no rational reason to "prefer" one pair of double stars over another and yet there is an undeniable difference in appeal between one pair and another. Aesthetics? A new sensation to me and amusing and interesting and pleasing at the same time.

I can see you post reports on doubles quite a bit so i'm going to follow up a few of your suggestions. I think already i prefer the pairings of bright primary and considerably lower magnitude companions at the 5" to 30" ish level of separation. What a peculiar hobby this is.

 

Aesthetics, yes - spacing, position angle, relative magnitudes, colours, and also the settings in which they lie.  Great variety, great appeal!