Zeta Cancri is a triple!

Having split stf 1162 and stf 1167 last night, I returned once again to the constellation of Cancer. My wife Valerie accompanied me to the back garden.
1. We split Stt 191. Component A is 7.4 mag and B is 8.6. A is peach in colour, B is azure. A lovely sight at 40X.
2. Stf 1170 -wonderfully close at 112X. Very nice at 140X. Magnitudes: 8.7 and 9.1. Separation: 2.4 seconds. Like 2 eyes looking at us!
3. And lastly, Zeta Cancri. No problems making this fellow a double at 40X. But it is a figure 8 at 225X, and gloriously split at 280X and 320X. According to stelle doppie goaction, the A and B components are a mere 1.1 seconds apart! Therefore this is the tightest double I have ever seen. Needless to say, I am delighted with the performance of my 6.2" apo. Perhaps others will give Zeta Cancri a shot.

P.S. all objects are in western Cancer, not eastern as I said last night.

Aubrey.

Hi Aubrey, I would like to have a shot at splitting Zeta Cancri with
my 150mm reflector, maybe tonight if clear. If I can split it it would be
the tightest double I would have split as well. It will be very tought
for a 150mm reflector thought.


Pat.

Great to hear from you once again, Pat. I was wondering would someone else pick me up on my challenge. Just yourself and Paul (Lunatic) so far. I wish you the very best, perhaps you can get the kidney bean (figure shape, if not a clean split would be great.
I have been doing some research on this star. It has a name: Tegmine. Pronounced teg-MEEN-e. Component A is 5.3 mag, B and C are 6.3 each, and all are slightly yellow in colour. Component A and B are 1.1" apart, with C 6" away from A.
Sir William Herschel was the first to discover the triple system in 1781 -the same year he discovered Uranus. It has been worked out that the actual distance between A and B is the same as the distance from the Sun to Uranus! 19 AU. Astronomy can be mind-blowing!
Do make sure your collimation is spot on.

Aubrey.

Thanks for the reports on doubles in Cancer Aubrey. I had hoped to check some of the same targets last night, but we had guests and by the time I got outside much of Cancer was behind the house. I posted a report of some doubles in Coma and Leo. I'm up for the challenge of zeta Cancri, next time we get reasonable seeing I'll definitely have a look. Thanks for highlighting it.

Mike

Thanks, Mike. It is hard to know if there will be clear skies tonight.

Aubrey.

It's certainly a challenge Aubrey, but I believe it is beyond the grasp of my 110mm scope. A-C should not be a problem, A-B is only 1.1" apart, theoretically it is possible, but it will require perfect seeing, not something I can get from the back garden. This will need a trip to Trooperstown, even then I believe that the best I can hope for is the elongation.

Still, I love a challenge.

Paul