Kaffaljidhma split

You are right, Mike. There is a 3rd companion. I read on another website. I must check it out. It is too windy tonight on Christmas Eve. It supposed to be clear tomorrow night. Valerie and I do have guests, but I do aim to introduce them to the 6.2" apo after Christmas dinner! Somehow Kaffaljidhma just might get my full attention. Thank you for the article -I have just printed it off.
By the way, if I do get out the telescope tomorrow night, it will be my 49th observing session this year -a record for me! And the 158mm is working very well indeed. Thank God!

Aubrey.

Hi Aubrey, tried to look at Kaffaljidhma tonight but when it was not behind a
tree it was behind a cloud so no luck. I did get a look at 4 Auriga stf 616
a lovely neat double, mags. of 5 &8.2 sep.4.7" I saw the primary as white
and the companion as orange. I was using the 80mm zeiss at 75x to split it.
at 120x the companion was more difficult. Have a look if you get a chance.

Pat.

I had difficulties too observing tonight, Pat. After having a huge Christmas dinner with 2 great young couples, we had to have a 1 hour long walk. It was after 6pm when we got to the telescope, and of course the dew and mist had set in. I introduced our friends to Albireo, Mesarthim and M45 Pleiades. Then I called it a night at about 8pm. It was great fun getting each person to guess the colours of Albireo. I gave them the facts and figures about it and Mesarthim (Gamma Arietis) which blew us all away. When the dew started to set in on the guidescope, I knew I had to put away the whole telescope before the main scope developed the same problem. Its tube was already soaked with the dew at 6pm.
But I definitely have the desire to observe Kaffaljidhma one more time before the year is out. Hopefully the dew will stay away next time.

Aubrey.

Right then, gentlemen. I have just finished observing Kaffaljidhma. The colours of A and B are definitely white and yellow. I could see them both at magnifications 167X and 225X, and I found component C in the 10 o'clock position. I had to pinpoint him -there are 5 stars surrounding Gamma Ceti. C is a very dim and is barely orange -it is magnitude 10.2. I am very pleased with this observation. Thank you all for the challenge.
Also this is my 50th observing session of the year! I never thought I could make it.
And I was delighted to have found Neptune at 6pm before he went behind a big tree.

Aubrey.

Hi Aubrey,
Thats a great result catching those colours, not an easy one, let hope we get some more clear nights soon.

Thank you, Dave. I did observe a few other objects in Cetus last night over a 4 hour period. Nu Ceti, north of Gamma, is a lovely double which I split at 112X, 140X and 167X.
There is a charming equation mark asterism ending at Nu -effortlessly visible at 11X in the guidescope.
And lastly, I thought 66 Ceti is rather a stunning sight as a double at 40X. And once I found that star, I found very easily Mira nearby. I reckon it is at magnitude 7.5 at present. It is a wonderful variable star. Come to think of it, that is what Mira means -"Wonderful"!
The weather over here on the east coast is starting to change. So my 50th night observing could well be my last telescope night in 2013!!
Here's to clear skies in 2014.

Aubrey.