Epsilon Lyrae

[Paulus]

After what seams to have been an age the forecast for Tuesday night was for clear skies! So I set up the tripod (recently filled with dry sand!) and waited for Polaris to appear: Cloud, broken but still cloud and over Polaris!

Two hours later and I was polar aligned and ready to start some observing. Yet more cloud streaming in over where I wanted to look (my garden has a very limited field of view) eventually I managed to find Vega and set the RA & Dec rings and on to Epsilon Lyrae, or where I thought they should be as there was more cloud!

After a coffee and a walk around the house to see what else was coming my way, I saw a reasonable gap so back to scope and to my surprise there in the eyepiece once focused was a double star ? E Lyrae, very pleased with myself, I put in the 9.7 and still a double, 9.7 into 2x Barlow still only two stars! out came the star map to check that there wasn't another double near by and all seamed well. So on with the observation 5mm ultra wide in 2x Barlow, low an behold what was one star had became two and tracking across the same again.

I was elated and rather smug , despite and possibly because of the cloud I had used my 5mm in the 2x Barlow and seen something clearly rather than just a smudge of light. It was 3½ hours well spent to have seen the "Double Double" and I got in the Ring nebula to boot.

I hope you don't find this account too boring (say so if you do), but I'm well made up, as numerous friends will testify to.

[barkis]

It's nice when you achieve your goal.

The DD can be reluctant to split, but perseverence is always needed, and success usually follows as it did with you.

Lots of lovely pairs up there, and all worth seekiing out.

Congrats on e Lyra though.

Ron.

[Beyond_Vision]

Not boring at all, it's great to hear someone making the most of any gaps in the clouds.

Clear skies to you

Kevin

[Talitha]

That's great, Paul! Lyra's full of all sorts of goodies, isn't it? Congratulations on a very productive session.

You mentioned your garden's limited view, and also having difficulty polarizing because clouds blocked Polaris.. i have a suggestion which may work. Mark a spot in the garden where the view is most advantageous, and set the scope up. Then (when it's clear) locate Polaris, and follow a straight line down to the horizon and make a mental 'bookmark' of the horizon feature below Polaris. When clouds block the star, rough align using the horizon feature. Works great here for visual work when i set up in the south garden where the Aspens block Polaris.

[Macavity]

I think it (Epsilon Lyrae) is very seeing dependant? I pursued it for quite a while, with a MAK90 - And with little success, until, one night, and suddenly, there it was! Now, at "new improved" site, my MAK127 struggled at 188x. So, ever hoping for better?

On the other hand, and talking of Polaris, that was a notable (an unexpected) "first" for me, on the same evening. I do (vaguely) "record" the star positions, to check out later, just in case I am being a tad optimistic... or overly imaginative!

Not feeling bored here! May there ever be "firsts" for ALL of us?

[lunator]

Paul

Congrats on spliting the Double-Double.

They are very seeing dependant.

On a good night x150 mag or less should do it. One a poor night it takes well over x200.

Well done showing the perseverance to split them.

Cheers

Ian

[Ibbo!]

It is seeing and I think you need to get you eye in as well

as an experiment we had a 80 mm SW pro and a 60 mm tak side by side the other week

I found it easy in the 80

and a bit in and out due to seeing in the 60mm

other observers of varying experience all saw it in the 80mm in some cases it took quite a while

and I would say more than half of our group managed to split it in the 60mm once they had got it in the 80mmn

seeing was reasonable that night

Steve

[Mikea]

Well done - and nicely reported too! Do you think I will be able to split this in my 130P? Based on Ian's mag numbers, I will need to be using a x2 and my 9mm EP. That sounds a bit beyond the hairy edge to me, especially as my EP collection is currently very close to the "budget" end of the scale.

[Ibbo!]

I read your post earlier

I've been out imaging Jupiter

I tried again this time with the 80 Ed

With the 18mm 33x eyepiece No

12.5mm 48x I think so

7.5 mm 80x yes

5mm 120x yes

3.6 mm 166x easy

so I reckon yours with 9mm should give about 72x with the extra light gathering I should say yes on a good night if your collimation is up to it

HTH

Steve

[lunator]

Well done - and nicely reported too! Do you think I will be able to split this in my 130P? Based on Ian's mag numbers, I will need to be using a x2 and my 9mm EP. That sounds a bit beyond the hairy edge to me, especially as my EP collection is currently very close to the "budget" end of the scale.

Hi Mike

your 130 is certainly capable of splitting the pair.

Just take your time and I am sure you will bag these.

Cheers

Ian

[Mikea]

Thanks Ian. That's tonight's challenge lined up then!

[jinstan]

Now I know why I couldn't see the double double using the 6" newtonian with 25mm eyepiece,30X. I need some short focal length eyepieces.

Jinsong

[AWR]

After a long summer hiatus from astronomy (work, young daughter and requiring sleep) I got the scope out for the first time early last night and had a go at epsilon lyrae.

There wasn't much cloud but I had trouble getting anything to focus sharply (the seeing wasn't great???). Anyhow it took a bit of perseverance but then they just seemed to split! First at x200 (15mm plossl with a x2 barlow) and then actually clearer at x150 (10mm plossl). It was as if having seen it split it seemed to stay split.

Feeling very happy with myself.

Andrew

[Mikea]

Well done Andrew!

(I've still not seen this : weather, etc)

[lunator]

Hi Andrew

It is amazing how once your eye & brain is 'tuned in' how much you can see

Cheers

Ian

[JohnC]

Just split it with the SW ED80 at Ibbo,s:) Brilliant and a first for Dawn and Myself.

Thanks Steve, great evenings viewing.

[Ags]

Just split it with a 102mm mak at 150x.

[lunator]

AGS

Well done on the split at x150.

Cheers

Ian

[chiltonstar]

I tried last night for the first time with a newly-acquired Mak 127 - very easily split indeed at 150x, (once I'd moved my line of sight so it didn't graze my heat-radiating roof..). Much easier than with a 102mm refractor I have which struggles except when the seeing is alpha+.

Strangely, Polaris is also easier with the Mak - I would have expected the lower contrast of a Mak to make it more difficult....

Chris

[Ags]

I have never split Polaris with my 102mm Mak - but Polaris is directly over my roof, so no surprise.

[Mr Spock]

A lot of it depends on the type of scope used, and also where the diffraction rings fall.

My 250 Newt is best on DSOs and planetary detail, but not so good on doubles. Whereas my 140 Mak splits the DD easy. In good seeing and x313 I've had crips airy disks and almost no diffraction rings - an awesome sight.