Sheliak Beta Lyra

[HarryLP]

Finally got out last night, first since May 20 due to incessant cloud cover. Plan was to spend time around Lyra and Cygnus.

Using Sheliak and Sulafat to locate M57 The Ring Nebula. I did not realise that Sheliak was a visual multiple star, I do now. My question is did I correctly locate Sheliak. I could see a bright light source surrounded by a faint nebulous like ring ( looked like a do nut) which in turn presented with an almost equilateral triangle of three stars. Is this Sheliak? I should add that Vega, Sheliak, Sulafat and the double double were all visible naked eye.

Also was able to pick out the other double double in Lyra.

Thanks for any response.

[Pixies]

Hi - it certainly sounds like Sheliak, with the 3 surrounding stars. However , I'm not sure about he halo. Was it hazy perhaps, or could your optics have been dewing up? 

[HarryLP]

No, the optics were fine. I was out for two hours looking around and all other targets were 'normal'. The hazy halo effect was consistent across different EPs.  Thanks for the reassurance that it was probably Sheliak, gives me another confirmed point of reference.

Have found out that the primary is itself a binary and the bigger of the two which is not the visual B star is surrounded by an accretion disk but I cannot source whether or not this is visual. I did find an observer in CN reporting a similar observation to my mine.

The next time I have a clear night I will have another look.

[Paul M]

This appeared on my Youtube feed today. Might be of interest!

It'a a nice wide image if nothing else

https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxo7zYd0BHwC1u9mQfNprOhAGIqBimOx4M

[HarryLP]

17 hours ago, Paul M said:

This appeared on my Youtube feed today. Might be of interest!

It'a a nice wide image if nothing else

https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxo7zYd0BHwC1u9mQfNprOhAGIqBimOx4M

Interesting link. I feel more confident that I have been looking at Sheliak. Can certainly relate to the central brightness in the photo and close surrounding stars. Just no obvious halo effect.

From the photo its also very likely that I did stumble across M57. Will need another observation. If only the clouds would go away. It was six weeks between my last two viewing nights.

[HarryLP]

Finally got out again last night for 30 mins around mid night, short gap in the clouds.

Only had time to look again at Sheliak, the double double and albireo. Sheliak showed as a multiple star with the primary in the middle, one star above and two below, so if you like, a tri angle with Sheliak in the middle. Interestingly no sign of the "do nut" I had previously reported on.

Even at mid night a very bright night.