Booty from Bootes

Following Aubrey's post about a nice close double in Bootes, I dug out the scope and spent 90 minutes observing a few targets in that constellation. The full report follows. It is a bit formal, but was composed automatically from the data in the AstroPlanner software that I use for planning and logging observations, by a script that i wrote for the purpose. The bad news is that the script composes the entire report with just a few mouse clicks, so you will have to put up with a lot more reports from now on (clear skies permitting).

Thanks for reading.
Mike


Started: Wednesday 20 May 2015 at 23:13
Finished: Thursday 21 May 2015 at 00:31
Seeing: Mostly stable
Transparency: Clear
Session Notes: Set up in the twilight with a slim crescent moon in the West. it was a clear, cold night with a light breeze that occasionally jogged the scope. The original plan was to take a look at targets in Draco, which I have neglected, but a forum post by Aubrey about a double in Bootes persuaded me to check that out instead. Bootes was near the zenith, so there was no problem with visibility. The new bigger "shield" to block out the street light worked well, as did the newly flocked dew shield. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I thought the sky seemed darker using the upgraded dewshield. Aubrey's suggested target, STT298 is indeed a very nice triple system, as is the multiple STF1843, which forms a pretty arrowhead asterism. In addition, STF1871 and STF1834 are both attractively close pairs of well-matched coloured stars. There was a slewing error around 12.30, so I decided to pack up for the night. However, I first moved the scope to get a first look in 20015 at Saturn. Though very low in the sky, it was serenely beautiful as always. Overall, a short but satisfying session. All the observations listed below were made with a 280mm SCT.

ID: WDS15360+3948
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 153603+3948; Constellation: Boo
Name: STT298 AB; Mag1: 7.2; Mag2: 8.4; Sep: 1.2"
Name: STT298 AB,C; Mag1: 6.9; Mag2: 7.8; Sep: 121.6"
Eyepiece: 13mm Hyperion; Magnification: 215x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Super wide pair of golden stars, mildly unequal. At 215x the brighter component is just resolved into two similar stars, split by a hair. At 350x, the separation is clean, but still very tight. Excellent triple.

ID: WDS14203+4830
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 142018+4830; Constellation: Boo
Name: STF1834 AB; Mag1: 8.1; Mag2: 8.3; Sep: 1.6"
Eyepiece: 13mm Hyperion; Magnification: 215x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Very similar, yellow stars, very tight at 215x. Lovely rich yellow colour.

ID: WDS14215+5354
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 142127+5353; Constellation: Boo
Name: STF1839 AB; Mag1: 8.84; Mag2: 8.92; Sep: 14.5"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 2/5.
Observations: Two golden stars, of similar modest brightness, nicely separated at 50x, in quite a rich field.

ID: VSX4305
Type: Var Star; RA Dec: 142253+5348; Constellation: Boo
Name: S Boo; Mag1: 7.8; Mag2: 13.8
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 2/5.
Observations: Pale orange star, now at magnitude approx. 8.5, forming a right angle triangle with STF1839 and a bright white field star.

ID: WDS14178+4845
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 141748+4845; Constellation: Boo
Name: HJ2710 AC; Mag1: 9.47; Mag2: 9.77; Sep: 23.7"
Name: BU1272 AB; Mag1: 9.47; Mag2: 10.38; Sep: 1.4"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 2/5.
Observations: Very similar, rather faint, white/pale yellow stars, wide at 50x. Intended to go back to attempt to split the primary, but didn't get around to it.

ID: HIP70428
Type: Star; RA Dec: 142428+4731; Constellation: Boo
Name: BD+48 2196; Mag: 9.4
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 2/5.
Observations: Faint, copper coloured star, close to the nice multiple STF1843.

ID: WDS14246+4750
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 142439+4749; Constellation: Boo
Name: STF1843 AB; Mag1: 7.7; Mag2: 9.2; Sep: 19.9"
Name: STF1843 AC; Mag1: 7.68; Mag2: 9.72; Sep: 100.4"
Name: TOK296 BD; Mag1: 9.23; Mag2: 17.76; Sep: 177.6"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Unequal pair of pale yellow suns, the primary nice and bright. They are well separated at 50x, and are positioned at the narrow base of an isosceles triangle formed with two other dim companions - an attractive multiple. A rich copper coloured star is 17' to the South in the field.

ID: WDS14416+5124
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 144135+5123; Constellation: Boo
Name: STF1871 AB; Mag1: 8; Mag2: 8.1; Sep: 1.8"
Eyepiece: 13mm Hyperion; Magnification: 215x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Matching, pale yellow stars, attractively close at 215x - very nice.

ID: Saturn
Type: Planet
Eyepiece: 13mm Hyperion; Magnification: 215x; Rating 5/5.
Observations: First view of Saturn this season. Still too low in the sky to make out any detail, but magnificent as always, especially now that the rings are so open. Titan and Rhea clearly visible.

Well done, Mike.

I imagine you would have been very tired putting away your 280 mm Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope at 12.30 last night. But you certainly got some great jewels in Bootes. I congratulate you on splitting up Stt 298 at 215X -that is 10X less than me. I wonder can anyone split it at 200X or less? At the moment, it is my favourite double / triple star in 2015. I really see it as a double. The C component is too far away in separation. It is however an important guide star as points the way to A and B.

Some time next week, I am planning to have a shot at 44 Bootis -do we remember him? Back in 2012, some of us were seeing A and B at 225X. Its separation then was 1.2 arc seconds. Now in 2015, it is less than 1 arc seconds. That should be a real challenge!

Clear skies,

Aubrey.

Yes, 44 Boo will be a real challenge. The components are similar in brightness so, at the current separation of about 0.9", they might still be resolvable on a night of very good seeing. Hopefully there will be an opportunity to observe it over the next few weeks. The fact that the sky never becomes really dark at this time of year might actually make it a little easier to resolve tight pairs of bright stars.

Mike