Sugarloaf on Friday?

Hey, 

Hope some of you got out last night. I went up to Dunsink with the family. Was really nice actually.  Let me know if yous got out and if so, how it went.

But far more importantly,  CONGRATULATIONS DARREN. Hope everyone is doing well. If he is not your first, i cant scare you. If he is, you're in for a whole world of hurt .... and S$%€

Seriously though, warmest congrats man. 

Sean

Hi Sean, 

Very many thanks for your lovely message. Mother and baby doing well. This our second child, so we're somewhat more prepared for the sleepness nights. At least I can now show him stars if refuses to sleep...win win! 

But seriously, 'thank you!', and sounds like you and your family had a great night in Dunsink....seems like a fantastic place. 

Kindest regards, 

Darren. 

I managed three backyard observing sessions during the nice weather last week (my first observations in five months!), focusing, as usual, on double stars and other targets suitable for my suburban location. I used a 120 mm refractor (SkyWatcher 120ED) and highlights included the following.
The first four are in Bootes:
Izar (magnitudes 2.6 & 4.8, separation 2.8"), a really bright double that is a close split at 150X.
Alkalurops, a fine triple with a brilliant white primary (mag. 2. widely separated (109") from a close pair (magnitudes 7.1 & 7.6, separation 2.2").
STF1890 (39 Boo), bright, pale yellow twins (magnitudes 6.3 & 6.7, separation 2.6"), nice and close at 150X
STF1871, similar white stars (magnitudes 8.0 & 8.1, separation 1.9"), almost touching at 150X.
The next set are in Corona Borealis:
STF2032, a fine double of bright white stars (magnitudes 5.6 & 6.5, separation 7"), with a hint of lemon colour, well separated at 150X. This is a physical double. There is a distant third component (mag 10.8, separation 93"), but I did not even notice it at the eyepiece.
STT305, a bright, deep yellow primary accompanied by a ghostly secondary (magnitudes 6.4 & 10.2, separation 5.7", physical). The double is wide at 255X but I found it difficult to see the secondary at lower magnifications.
STF1973, a mildly unequal double of yellow stars (magnitudes 7.6 & 8.8, separation 31", physical), wide at 57X. The pair are in the middle of one side of a triangle formed by fainter field stars, making a nice pattern.
STF1965 (7/Zeta-2 CrB), mildly unequal, bright, steely-white pair (magnitudes 5.0 & 5.9, separation 6"). A fine sight at 150X.
STF1964, a nice visual triple that is actually thought to be a physical quintuple system. As far as I can tell, what I saw was the CD pair (C is actually a narrow CE pair) (magnitudes 8.1 & 9.0, separation 1.5") which was split by a hair at 255X, and the inseparable AB combination about 15" distant.
STF1932, a pair of closely matched, pale yellow stars (magnitudes 7.3 & 7.4, separation 1.6") that was very close but clearly split at 255X. Very nice!
The last batch are all in Aquila and include several targets recently recommended by Aubrey. Starting with Aubrey's targets:
STF2492, a bright, golden primary with a far fainter secondary (magnitudes 5.3 & 8.3, separation 3.2") that is close at 190X. This observation is from Nov 2018.
STF2428, a triple, but I only noticed the two brighter components (magnitudes 8.2 & 10.3, separation 6"), a relatively faint, white primary and a tiny secondary, which were well separated at 150X. The bright, yellow Deneb al Okab (Eps/13 Aql) dominates the field.
STF2408, a faint, mildly unequal, double (magnitudes 8.5 & 9.4, separation 2.3"). The stars are white with a hint of yellow and were split by a hair at 255X.
STF2404, mildly unequal yellow stars (magnitudes 6.9 & 7.8, separation 3.5") that are nice and close at 112X. The colours make this an attractive double.
Two other doubles listed by Aubrey were not resolved, BU265 (magnitudes 7.4 & 9.2, separation 1.5") and STF2402 (magnitudes 8.9 & 9.3, separation 1.5"). The first is probably beyond the limits of what my scope can accomplish and the windy conditions and moderate seeing last night may have contributed in the second case. Finally, here are a few other nice targets in Aquila.
STF2583 (Pi Aql), a difficult double of similar, pale yellow stars (magnitudes 6.3 & 6.75, separation 1.4") that were touching at 255X.
STF2562, a nice, easy triple. Two unequal, white stars (magnitudes 6.95 & 8.7, separation 27") are accompanied by a third star that matches the secondary (mag. 9.9. 117" from primary).
STF2397 (5 Aql), a fine double of pale yellow stars (magnitudes 5.9 & 7.0, separation 13", physical), slightly unequal and nicely split at 57X.
STF2424 (magnitudes 5.3 & 9.3, separation 21", optical), STF2447 (magnitudes 6.8 & 9.6, separation 14"), STF2531 (magnitudes 8.1 & 10.1, separation 31", optical) and STF2533 (magnitudes 7.4 & 10, separation 22", physical) are all highly unequal doubles that are easily resolved.
STT368 is a very difficult double of pale yellow stars (magnitudes 7.5 & 8.5, separation 1.1") that was just resolved in moments of better seeing on Wed night, in calm conditions.
The last on this long list is a little gem. STF2426 is a colour contrast, yellow/blue, double (magnitudes 7.5 & 9.0, separation 17") that is nicely separated at 57X. It's a pretty combination that looks like a "mini Albireo".

Thanks for reading.
Mike

Great report Mike.

I've never really gone down the road of hunting down and separating stars but it seems there are a lot of people in the community that love it. I'll have to start. Thanks again.

Sean

mykc wrote: I managed three backyard observing sessions during the nice weather last week (my first observations in five months!), focusing, as usual, on double stars and other targets suitable for my suburban location. I used a 120 mm refractor (SkyWatcher 120ED) and highlights included the following.
The first four are in Bootes:
Izar (magnitudes 2.6 & 4.8, separation 2.8"), a really bright double that is a close split at 150X.
Alkalurops, a fine triple with a brilliant white primary (mag. 2. widely separated (109") from a close pair (magnitudes 7.1 & 7.6, separation 2.2").
STF1890 (39 Boo), bright, pale yellow twins (magnitudes 6.3 & 6.7, separation 2.6"), nice and close at 150X
STF1871, similar white stars (magnitudes 8.0 & 8.1, separation 1.9"), almost touching at 150X.
The next set are in Corona Borealis:
STF2032, a fine double of bright white stars (magnitudes 5.6 & 6.5, separation 7"), with a hint of lemon colour, well separated at 150X. This is a physical double. There is a distant third component (mag 10.8, separation 93"), but I did not even notice it at the eyepiece.
STT305, a bright, deep yellow primary accompanied by a ghostly secondary (magnitudes 6.4 & 10.2, separation 5.7", physical). The double is wide at 255X but I found it difficult to see the secondary at lower magnifications.
STF1973, a mildly unequal double of yellow stars (magnitudes 7.6 & 8.8, separation 31", physical), wide at 57X. The pair are in the middle of one side of a triangle formed by fainter field stars, making a nice pattern.
STF1965 (7/Zeta-2 CrB), mildly unequal, bright, steely-white pair (magnitudes 5.0 & 5.9, separation 6"). A fine sight at 150X.
STF1964, a nice visual triple that is actually thought to be a physical quintuple system. As far as I can tell, what I saw was the CD pair (C is actually a narrow CE pair) (magnitudes 8.1 & 9.0, separation 1.5") which was split by a hair at 255X, and the inseparable AB combination about 15" distant.
STF1932, a pair of closely matched, pale yellow stars (magnitudes 7.3 & 7.4, separation 1.6") that was very close but clearly split at 255X. Very nice!
The last batch are all in Aquila and include several targets recently recommended by Aubrey. Starting with Aubrey's targets:
STF2492, a bright, golden primary with a far fainter secondary (magnitudes 5.3 & 8.3, separation 3.2") that is close at 190X. This observation is from Nov 2018.
STF2428, a triple, but I only noticed the two brighter components (magnitudes 8.2 & 10.3, separation 6"), a relatively faint, white primary and a tiny secondary, which were well separated at 150X. The bright, yellow Deneb al Okab (Eps/13 Aql) dominates the field.
STF2408, a faint, mildly unequal, double (magnitudes 8.5 & 9.4, separation 2.3"). The stars are white with a hint of yellow and were split by a hair at 255X.
STF2404, mildly unequal yellow stars (magnitudes 6.9 & 7.8, separation 3.5") that are nice and close at 112X. The colours make this an attractive double.
Two other doubles listed by Aubrey were not resolved, BU265 (magnitudes 7.4 & 9.2, separation 1.5") and STF2402 (magnitudes 8.9 & 9.3, separation 1.5"). The first is probably beyond the limits of what my scope can accomplish and the windy conditions and moderate seeing last night may have contributed in the second case. Finally, here are a few other nice targets in Aquila.
STF2583 (Pi Aql), a difficult double of similar, pale yellow stars (magnitudes 6.3 & 6.75, separation 1.4") that were touching at 255X.
STF2562, a nice, easy triple. Two unequal, white stars (magnitudes 6.95 & 8.7, separation 27") are accompanied by a third star that matches the secondary (mag. 9.9. 117" from primary).
STF2397 (5 Aql), a fine double of pale yellow stars (magnitudes 5.9 & 7.0, separation 13", physical), slightly unequal and nicely split at 57X.
STF2424 (magnitudes 5.3 & 9.3, separation 21", optical), STF2447 (magnitudes 6.8 & 9.6, separation 14"), STF2531 (magnitudes 8.1 & 10.1, separation 31", optical) and STF2533 (magnitudes 7.4 & 10, separation 22", physical) are all highly unequal doubles that are easily resolved.
STT368 is a very difficult double of pale yellow stars (magnitudes 7.5 & 8.5, separation 1.1") that was just resolved in moments of better seeing on Wed night, in calm conditions.
The last on this long list is a little gem. STF2426 is a colour contrast, yellow/blue, double (magnitudes 7.5 & 9.0, separation 17") that is nicely separated at 57X. It's a pretty combination that looks like a "mini Albireo".

Thanks for reading.
Mike

Let me sit down on Tuesday and check through your most extraordinary list of double and triple stars, Mike.
I have too much on today and Monday.
I am very certain there are ones here I have never split.

Kind regards,

Aubrey.

Hi Mike,

I very much enjoyed reading your observational notes, so thank you for posting them. Your description of STF1973, and STF2426 have captured my interest, and will encourage me to view them through the eyepiece during my next observational session.

Clear skies,

Darren.