Zeta Herculis

[NGC 1502]

I’ve not used my old 6” Dob for a while, so with a clear sky forecast I set it up in the garden.   I bought the 6” f6 David Hinds mirror set in 1994.  It was built into a Dob and saw good use.  It’s seen use in many places, my club’s dark site and also public events, Wales, north Norfolk, but mostly in my back yard.  The mirror is superb, David Hinds was a true craftsman.

Back to tonight.  I started observing at 11.00pm BST.  First up, our old friend Epsilon Lyrae, beautifully resolved into 4 components at 150x, but cranking up the power it got even better, just fabulous.  I looked towards the west to see a cloud bank ominously approaching……maybe time to grab one more.  I recalled my 10” Dob would split tight double Zeta Herc, brightest star in the Hercules keystone.  So hoping for success I tried the 6”.  At 200x I suspected a split.  I’ve always found that doubles take high power so much better than other types of object.  So I tried 300x.  That’s very high power for a 6” but I was rewarded with a definite split that came and went with the variable seeing.

As the dratted cloud bank reduced the clear sky, the only bit left was Cygnus, so I spent a few minutes there with familiar objects.  Then the sky was gone so packed up 

Sadly a truncated session, but what I did see was great, especially Zeta Herc.

Ed.

Edited June 3, 2022 by NGC 1502
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[RobertI]

Nice report. 👍 Zeta Hercules can be very tricky. I had a look on Wednesday evening with my 102ED when the seeing was amazingly good. The best I could manage was a clear and unmistakeable brightening of the first diffraction ring in the right place - it almost looked like a separate companion, but not quite - it took a power of 320x to get this!! I looked back on my previous reports and found that, with my 6” F8, I had to go to a ridiculous 500x before the companion was clearly defined from the diffraction ring - I suspect the seeing was not so good then. So well done on your split with your lovely David Hinds optics. 🙂

Edited June 3, 2022 by RobertI

[NGC 1502]

25 minutes ago, RobertI said:

Nice report. 👍 Zeta Hercules can be very tricky. I had a look on Wednesday evening with my 102ED when the seeing was amazingly good. The best I could manage was a clear and unmistakeable brightening of the first diffraction ring in the right place - it almost looked like a separate companion, but not quite - it took a power of 320x to get this!! I looked back on my previous reports and found that, with my 6” F8, I had to go to a ridiculous 500x before the companion was clearly defined from the diffraction ring - I suspect the seeing was not so good then. So well done on your split with your lovely David Hinds optics. 🙂

 

I love the way refractors show double stars.  A nicely defined Airy disc with diffraction ring(s).  Just beautiful 👍

My ED80 does that, but your ED102 will be better!

Airy -  Sir George Biddell Airy

 

 

Edited June 3, 2022 by NGC 1502
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