Doubles in Hercules - grinding the Struve list!

[Johnny81]

My first 'proper' post here so be gentle.... I do not do any photography so it is good old fashioned descriptions I'm afraid!

All from 10/09/2024 between 20:27-22:58 GMT (+1UT) from my back garden in Northamptonshire.

Skywatcher 127mm Mak - 10mm, 15mm and 25mm plossls on an AZ4 mount.

 I started reasonably low to the south west aiming for the brighter star triangle in Serpens (Caput) - from there it is a line from Beta Ser through Phi Ser onto the first target 49 Ser (which is actually in Hercules).

49 Ser (STF 2021): A lovely little pair of yellow stars. 

Moving towards the head of Hercules

56 Her (STF 2110): My notes mention a faint 10th magnitude secondary - couldn't see much colour in either star even pushing the little Mak to x150

I then hop way down towards Ophiuchus before it gets lost in the trees and houses... very murky down there...

36-37 Her (STFA 31): I couldn't prize the 11th Mag from 36 Her but the two brighter stars make a nice white slightly unequal pair.

Moving back up to the lovely Alpha Her (STF 2140): the most awesome orange and blue double which acted as a guide as I hopped into uncharted territory moving west to find

STF 2103: I couldn't split this at all, x100 and x150... I was going to grab the the 8mm from the box but gave up. 

The dew is forming already and I couldn't see much through my beloved 9x50 upright finder - so indoors to get a stock finder.... working in reverse is fun...

To the left Arm of Hercules where there are some spectacular patterns of stars with the aim to find

STF 2259: A nice yellow and blue

STF 2232: Reddish companion at the '3 o'clock' position to the primary

STF 2213: Noted a faint pairing that looked similar to each other

STF 2194: Noted an orangish companion 

STF 2190: This was tricky but prized something out but should be a 9.5mag with a 10'' separation. The 6th Mag was probably outshining the companion here, bit uncertain. Located in a lovely V-shaped asterism of stars

STF 2085: Didn't take any notes on this one

Back into the main body of Hercules, taking a little peak at M13 and then hopping over a degree east to 

STF 2104: Noted with a nice little bluish companion

Finally hopping up to the keystone, specifically Eta Her as a guide to

STF 2063: I noted a White star with an orangish companion

A nice evening of doubles despite my kit becoming sopping wet in the process... Could have seen a few more doubles but these are unfamiliar areas of space and takes time to find stuff especially low down!

Comments and corrections welcome.

[Zermelo]

1 hour ago, Johnny81 said:

good old fashioned descriptions I'm afraid

No need to apologize for a lack of images. There are plenty of folk on here who like to read narrative like this. I especially like accounts of double star sessions, as they often suggest potential new targets.

[lunator]

Very nice report 😀

My favourite double in Hercules is probably 100 zHerc (STF2280)

Cheers

Ian

[Mr Spock]

Nice report. There are some beauties in Hercules. 

Sometimes difficult for me to find them though. With my level of LP Hercules is obscure on the best of nights!

[Johnny81]

2 hours ago, lunator said:

Very nice report 😀

My favourite double in Hercules is probably 100 zHerc (STF2280)

Cheers

Ian

Thanks! I use virtualcolony with parameters set for Separation > 4.0, Magnitude of Primary <10.0, and Magnitude Difference < 5.0 and that star is on the list for the next outing. Hopefully might get a couple of hours tonight although the clearest sky looks best from midnight and it's work tomorrow...

[Johnny81]

Report of the following night: 11/09/2024 20:44-22:22 GMT (UTC+1)

Starting back in the lower depths of Hercules (above his head).

STF 2040: this double is close to Omega Her (Cujam). I managed a split but the sky conditions although clear were pretty bad and being lower in the thicker air, I couldn't make out much detail. 

STF 2087: Same as above, couldn't make out much detail at x100 or x150. Any higher power - the quality deteriorates and things get narrow down the little Mak... 

STF 2056: Bordering Ophiuchus, stars were split but couldn't make out any detail on colour 

STF 2135: Nice pair - I noted yellowish and whitish with the secondary at 7 o'clock - (I don't have the capacity to work out position angles in my brain whilst simultaneously squinting at tiny dots in a telescope)

STF 2120: Found it hard to tell the colours on this one but companion at 5 o'clock

Moving towards the Left arm:  

STF 2165: I recommend checking this one out. I could see 3 stars - the brighter with a faint close companion and another  much wider star. It is a quadruple system according to Stelle Doppie but not sure if the third star I seen is the true AC component. 

Hopped over to Epsilon Aquilae as a starting point to hop to some doubles in the very east of Hercules. Don't think I have been here before!

STF 2411: Had to use averted vision to pop the secondary situated at 9 o'clock - not very descript 

STF 2330: Took a little while to find even in my trusty RACI 9x50. Situated in the middle of a triangle of 7th magnitude stars above the variable RX Her. My notes just said: faint pair - murky conditions

Back towards the left arm to some of the best doubles I have ever observed

95 Her (STF 2264): Lovely bright almost equal paring - I noted blue and yellow colours, wonderful sight.

100 Her (STF 2280): Magnificent bright pair! I noted both having a white colour with hint of mauve (or I've been staring at red light too long)..... Thank you for the recommendation Lunator!

Back up to the Keystone to the easy to find

Rho Her (STF 2161): Nice whitish close bright pair of stars

and finally up to the border with Draco and just below Rastaban (Beta Draconis) is another one of those smiley face asterisms (not as good as the one in Auriga though) with the right eye containing:

STF 2142: Could not split at all - couldn't prize anything out at x150.

Another good night hunting doubles but I swear it's either my eyes, the atmosphere or that light pollution felt twice as worse as the previous night....

 

Edited September 12 by Johnny81