Double Stars

Hi all

There is an article in the May issue of Sky & Telescope listing interesting doubles of spring. It has been some time since I last viewed doubles and took the opprtunity last night, the clarity was very good.

I stopped off at Gamma Virginis (Porrima), this is a notoriously difficult double, the orbit of both stars if widening, unfortunately my 8" SCT couldn't split them, a single yellow star was all I could see.

Next was Xi Bootis, this is a particularly striking pair, the primary has a delightful gold hue, I found the secondary a difficult colour to describe, when I slightly defocussed them I could see tinges of red, it was described a purple in the article, this colour I couldn't see.

Staying in Bootes Epsilon Bootis has another golden primary and a secondary of ice blue, they are a tight couple though easily split.

Pi Bootis are a pair of ice blue stars that are easily split.

Zeta Bootis was beyond the ability of the scope.

Kappa Bootis is a delightful pair, there is a 2 magnitude difference between the pair, though they are well seperated, the primary is brilliant white while the secondary looks to me to be yellow.

Finally I stopped at Alpha Canum Venaticorum, (Cor Caroli). The primary is a dazzling blue white star, the companion looked a dull red and I was reminded of the colour of the recent lunar eclipse.

I had forgotten what a joy it was to view doubles, I have found that high powers are not required, all of those I could split were done with magnifications between 62x and 133x. Also in a constellation such as Bootes, which lacks bright deep-sky objects, it is holding some wonderful doubles.

I think double star viewing is an area of astronomy that doesn't get the respect it deserves, as someone mentioned on the Cloudynights double star forum, "when was the last time you saw a double star picture in the Sky & Telescope gallery?" And I think that says it it.

Paul

"when was the last time you saw a double star picture in the Sky & Telescope gallery?" And I think that says it it.

Paul

I have to agree with you there paul.

I totally agree,
I started off on double stars, as they were the only thing my 60mm scope could easily see.
Have a look a gamma Leonis before it gets lost in the western horizon, its a very nice pair of golden stars.
Its an easy double, but the colour is striking.

Paul,
This post is quite a coincidence as last night I did a constellation focus on Bootes and its doubles for the monthly club meeting. However I had to do it "blind" as the weather did not co-operate to allow me to run through them visually first.
It is nice to see an observing report of these doubles that have reasonably short orbital periods. For example, Xi Bootis where the two lie at a relatively nearby distance of 22 light years and take 151 years to complete one orbit.

Great report.

Hi,

"I had forgotten what a joy it was to view doubles"

Indeed, it is good you were not put off by the unfortunate by-line:
"A place for all those people who get turned on by seeing two or more dots next to each other or a dot that changes brightness!"
under "Multiple and Variable Stars" section.

John

John

Clearly written by someone who has not spent much, if any, time viewing these beautiful objects.

Paul