Riches from the Dragon's Den

I'm just in from a nice, albeit short, session exploring Draco, the dragon. I spent another session observing targets in the same constellation a few weeks ago, and have listed the highlights of the two sessions below. They are a varied bunch, including many double and triple stars, a couple of nice asterisms, and the Cat's Eye Nebula, one of my favourite planetary nebulae. All observations were made using a 280mm SCT.

Thanks for reading.
Mike

ID: DSHJ1727.7+7214
Type: Asterism; RA Dec: 172746+7214
Name: Pothier 3; Size: 25
Eyepiece: 21mm Hyperion; Magnification: 133x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Not spectacular by any means, but this group of relatively faint stars does have the shape of a butterfly with outstretched wings. A wide pair mark the eyes of the celestial insect.

ID: WDS18003+5251
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 180019+5251
Name: STF2271 AB; Mag1: 8.2; Mag2: 9.2; Sep: 3.4"
Eyepiece: 13mm Hyperion; Magnification: 215x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Mildly unequal yellow stars, reasonably bright and nicely separated at 215x.

ID: WDS18028+7547
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 180251+7547
Name: STF2302 AB; Mag1: 7.03; Mag2: 9.97; Sep: 5"
Name: STF2302 AC; Mag1: 7; Mag2: 9.7; Sep: 22.9"
Eyepiece: 21mm Hyperion; Magnification: 133x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Nice triple system set in a rich field, with a bright white primary, that has a hint of yellow, and two much fainter, yellower companions. The faintest is attractively close at 133x, and the slightly brighter companion is about four times more distant.

ID: WDS18029+5626
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 180253+5625
Name: STF2278 AB; Mag1: 7.8; Mag2: 8.1; Sep: 36"
Name: STF2278 AC; Mag1: 7.8; Mag2: 8.5; Sep: 33.6"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: An attractive triple of bright stars in a rich field. The primary is a very pale yellow and is widely separated at 50x from two companions, both of which are slightly fainter than the primay. The companions form a very nice double, attractively close at 51x.

ID: WDS18053+8129
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 180520+8129
Name: STF2326 AB; Mag1: 8; Mag2: 8.9; Sep: 15.9"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Moderately unequal, pale yellow stars, nicely close at 50x. The field is rich and includes an arc of stars that ends in a bright, fiery orange star.

ID: WDS18239+5848
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 182355+5848
Name: 39 Dra AB; Mag1: 5.1; Mag2: 8.1; Sep: 3.6"
Name: STF2323 AC; Mag1: 5.06; Mag2: 7.95; Sep: 88.6"
Eyepiece: 21mm Hyperion; Magnification: 133x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: A brilliant white star, with two fainter yellowish companions. One is nice and close at 133x, the other far distant. The field is rich and varied.

ID: WDS18253+4846
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 182518+4845
Name: STT351 AC; Mag1: 7.9; Mag2: 8.2; Sep: 0.9”
Eyepiece: 8mm Hyperion; Magnification: 350x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Slightly unequal, yellow stars, cleanly split at 350x. The gap is just a hairline, but is perfectly steady tonight.

ID: WDS18339+5221
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 183357+5221
Name: STF2348 AB,C; Mag1: 5.5; Mag2: 8.6; Sep: 25.7"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Attractive yellow-bluish colour contrast pair, quite unequal and wide at 50x. The double is enriched by its setting in a very rich field.

ID: DSHJ1835.1+7221
Type: Asterism; RA Dec: 183506+7221
Name: Kemble 2; Size: 26
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Nice bright W shape, reminiscent of Cassiopeia, in which the central star is a rich golden colour. A scattering of other relatively bright stars in the field prevent the W from standing out really clearly, but still quite striking.

ID: WDS18384+6332
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 183824+6331
Name: STF2377 AB; Mag1: 7; Mag2: 9.8; Sep: 17.2"
Name: WAL150 AC; Mag1: 6.97; Mag2: 9.66; Sep: 95.5"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Attractive triple consisting of a bright golden primary accompanied by two much fainter stars that seem to have a similar colour. They are almost in a straight line, but whereas one secondary is reasonably close at 50x, the other is much more distant. The system looks like a planet with two moons. The field is very rich.

ID: WDS17419+7209
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 174156+7208
Name: STF2241 AC; Mag1: 4.6; Mag2: 11.05; Sep: 78.1"
Name: ψ Dra AB; Mag1: 4.6; Mag2: 5.6; Sep: 30"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Bright stars, mildly unequal, both white with just a hint of yellow. At 50x, they are well separated in a rich field that includes a rich copper star about 30' NNE. The very faint C component is visible at right angles to th eline of the other two, and at roughly double the separation.

ID: WDS17528+6700
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 175246+6700
Name: BRD3 AB; Mag1: 10.3; Mag2: 10.5; Sep: 20.1"
Name: BRD3 AC; Mag1: 10.31; Mag2: 11.41; Sep: 9.7"
Eyepiece: 21mm Hyperion; Magnification: 133x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Two faint yellow stars, that seem at first glance to be a rather unremarkable wide double, easily split at 50x, in a field scattered with other faint stars. However, closer study reveals a very faint companion almost exactly in between the main components. Increasing the magnification to 133x shows this funny little triple more clearly.

ID: NGC6543
Type: P Neb; RA Dec: 175833+6637
Name: Cat's Eye Nebula; Mag: 8.3; Size: 0.383x0.283
Eyepiece: 13mm Hyperion; Magnification: 215x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Very fine planetary nebula. It is large and relatively bright, with a faint greenish tint. The central star is visible as a pinprick of light in the middle of the nebula - a very pleasing effect.

ID: WDS18014+6557
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 180123+6556
Name: STF2284 AB; Mag1: 8; Mag2: 9.4; Sep: 3.6"
Eyepiece: 13mm Hyperion; Magnification: 215x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Moderately unequal golden stars, well separated at 215x, and standing out well from the sparse field.

ID: WDS17563+6237
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 175620+6236
Name: STTA163 AB; Mag1: 7.8; Mag2: 7.6; Sep: 54.2"
Name: STTA163 AC; Mag1: 7.77; Mag2: 10.53; Sep: 215.4"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Two stars of very similar brightness, one deep yellow, and the other almost white. They are very wide at 50x and the faint and distant C component does not look as though it is associated with the main pair. The field contains an assortment of stars of every hue.

ID: T Dra
Type: Var Star and double; RA Dec: 175623+5813
Name: T Dra; Mag1: 7.2; Mag2: 13.5
Eyepiece: 21mm Hyperion; Magnification: 133x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Blood red star, one of the reddest I can recall. It is very faint now, perhaps mag 9.5, and contrasts nicely with the even fainter yellowish companion star.

ID: WDS18512+5923
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 185112+5923
Name: ο Dra AB; Mag1: 4.8; Mag2: 8.3; Sep: 37.3"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Although this double is very wide at 50x, it is attractive because the primary is brilliant and a beautiful pale yellow colour. The much fainter secondary is golden, and the field is rich.

ID: WDS17592+6409
Type: Dbl; RA Dec: 175914+6408
Name: STF2273 AB; Mag1: 7.3; Mag2: 7.6; Sep: 21.3"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 3/5.
Observations: Matching pale yellow stars, quite wide at 50x. The rich field includes a nice orange star 11' to the South.

ID: WDS18002+8000
Type: Multpl; RA Dec: 180009+8000
Name: 40 AB; Mag1: 5.7; Mag2: 6; Sep: 18.7"
Name: STF2308 AC; Mag1: 5.7; Mag2: 8.34; Sep: 224.8"
Eyepiece: 55mm TV Plossl; Magnification: 51x; Rating 4/5.
Observations: Lovely, bright, pale yellow stars, equal in brightness and well separated at 50x, in a rich field. The third component is much fainter and is golden, but is much too distant to seem like part of the system.