Observations - 9/10/20

Hello everyone.

On Friday 9th October I set up my William Optics 158 mm F/7 apochromatic refractor in my Bortle 8 back garden and did some observing from 9 until 11.45 pm. The temperature was a lowly 3 degrees Celsius and quite a brisk wind was going on.

The figures for these 5 doubles and 1 triple come from www.stelledoppie.it
One double I had not observed before. And each one are positioned near 2.3 magnitude Caph (Beta Cassiopeiae).

1. ARY 8 is a true triple star system - which is quite surprising. Magnitudes: A = 8.1. B = 8.6. C = 8.3. Separations are 39.1" and 104.3" from A. PA 's = 100 and 43 degrees. A is blue-white as its spectral class is B3. The triple is so wide at 40X. So why would I go any higher in magnification?

2. ARY 7 is an optical double very close by. Magnitudes: A = 7.8. B = 8.3. Sep = 124.2". PA = 4 degrees. Both stars are (A class) white and very widely split at 40X of course.

3. ARY 9 is another optical double. Magnitudes: A = 7.1. B = 8.6. Sep = 138.7". PA = 83 degrees. A is blue-white. B is yellow. Their spectral classes are B5 and G5. Very wide split at 40X again. Each of these objects were fitted in my 2 degree field of view using my 2 degree field of view eyepiece and gave a nice scene. ARY stands for Robert Argyle. I'm having great difficulty find out when he lived. So I'm leaving that to others. By the way, I know I have observed these 3 ARY's before.

4. KR 1 is an uncertain double whose magnitudes are: A = 9.4. B = 10. Sep = 2.1". PA = 192 degrees. Both stars are white. And I got a delightful tight split at 112X. KR 1 is very near ARY 9 and it is a first time observation for me. It also looks good at 140X and 167X. KR stands for Adalbert Kruger (1832-1896). KR 1 my 2nd double with that designation. Last time I observed KR 4. And as Paul (Lunartic) said on Saturday night: perhaps I should go look for KR 2 and KR 3 some time.

5. STF (Struve) 3057 is an uncertain double. Magnitudes: A = 6.7. B = 9.3". Sep = 3.9". PA = 298 degrees. Super split at 112X, 140X and 167X. A is blue-white (B3).

6. STF 3062 is a true binary. Magnitudes: A = 6.4. B = 7.3. Sep = 1.5". PA = 7 degrees. Super and extra tight split at 112X. It's good at 140X and 167X too. These last 2 doubles were fitted in the same fov at powers up to 167X. Excellent!

7. NGC 129 is about 3 degrees from Beta Cassiopeiae and is relatively easy to find. It is an open cluster I have never observed before.
There are 3 yellow-white (F class) magnitude 9 stars which were quite easy to see at 40X in my main scope. I greatly admired their colours. They are in a delightful sideways V shape.
I increased my magnifications up to 280X with my William Optics 4 mm eyepiece. And I was still able to fit in the whole cluster at that power. Magnificent!
Looking up Robert Burnham's Celestial Handbook on Saturday morning (10th October) I was hugely surprised I hadn't ticked off NGC 129 at all. What a real thrill it was to go back to my diary to write the words "1st time observation". Burnham states that the open cluster is very large, pretty rich and a little compressed.
I'm sure some of us don't figure that 14' is all that particularly large. But I would say it is a little rich with numerous stars. I could count about 20 stars down to 12.5 magnitude.The whole cluster is of magnitude 6.5 - which is quite a bit too bright to me. But astronomers must give that measurement by seeing the entire cluster as 1 star.
Burnham also says that NGC 129 is a Class E open cluster which means it is a moderately concentrated group of stars. I completely agree with him on that point.
Therefore I do very much recommend NGC 129 to you all

8. Finally I set out to find a carbon star with a very unusual designation: CGCS 17. Other designations include GSC 03664-00850 and NSV 88. My Guide 9.1 DVD gives a designation 3UC300-005518. Simbad states that it is a possible C class star and therefore questions the validity of that claim. But www.aavso.org do give NSV 88 a spectral class of C without any doubt. And I'm very happy with that!
It must be a variable star because I reckon its magnitude is brighter than +13.0 which Simbad suggests.
(The star is considerably less than 1 degree from 2.3 magnitude Beta Cassiopeiae.)
At the time of observation I reckon its magnitude was brighter than the 12.2 magnitude star (3UC300-005469) which sits right next to CGCS 17.
Guide 9.1 DVD gives a magnitude of 11.4 - but I would say it might a little bit fainter at roughly 11.8 or thereabouts.
The highest magnification I used was 280X on this particular Friday night with a William Optics 4 mm UWAN eyepiece.
At that point the star did display quite a decent orange colour. It was also good at 225X with a Nagler 5 mm.

The abbreviation ​CGCS stands for Catalogue of Galactic Carbon Stars. I'm sure you wanted to know that fact. Lol! We shouldn't keep such issues as a secret, should we? Lol! I got that from Google.

Anyway, CGCS 17 is my 13th observed carbon star in Cassiopeia and my 90th overall.

9. Mars was a very strong peach colour at 280X on this particular Friday night. At that power I could make out Mare Cimmerium Mare Tyrrhenum and the tiny South Polar Cap. The wind was abating a little bit there was some turbulence occurring. 

Comments, corrections and images are very welcome.

Thank you for reading.

Clear skies from Aubrey.

A mighty fine report Aubrey. It seems you had a great night. I was delighted to read you've reached Carbon star number 90...thats some going! 

Your description of NGC129 is fantastic. I really like how you compared your observation of this cluster with Burnham's one. And it being a first is extra special - well done. Cassiopeia never ceases to produce the goodies, hey? 

It was also nice to read that you observed some details on Mars... I wonder what the weather will be like over the coming days. I'd love to observe all those lovely details it again. 

Brilliant report Aubrey, and well done on that tripe at 40X!

Clear skies, 

Darren.