zeta boo and more

Last night's forecast was for clear skies but middling transparency, but with seeing improving after 1am. So I took a nap in the evening expecting to be out very late. Transparency was as forecast, though it was more clear around 10pm-12am. Seeing was actually good in the same window. Around 1am the transparency grew worse, and the close stars were hazy. Seeing didn't seem to be getting any better, so I wrapped up at 1:30am.

All the same it was a big night. The very close Zeta Boo was a highlight. I also did a survey of Alpha Com. Many other close pairs to enjoy. After 11pm though, when neighbors and family had gone to sleep, I had to be mindful of not slewing too much or moving the ladder around, so as not to wake anyone.

A 2144 AB: 508; 205x: Light yellow-white A and B is easily seen, ~2" separation, yellow, almost two delta mag.
10h 09m 09.51s +21° 15' 29.9" P.A. 287 sep 2.7 mag 9.79,11.58

A 1988 AB: 508; 533x: Clean split with seeing, light orange stars, fairly equal but noticeable magnitude difference.
10h 09m 04.77s +25° 31' 03.2" P.A. 223 sep 0.4 mag 10.00,9.80 Sp K0 dist. 117.65 pc (383.77 l.y.)

COU 166 AB: 508; 333x: B flashes into view with averted vision. Close pair ~2" separation.
10h 07m 15.20s +22° 15' 17.2" P.A. 159 sep 2.5 mag 10.50,10.50 Sp F8

TDS 569 AB; 508; 333x: Easy, near equal blue-white stars, >2" separation [not physical]
10h 06m 33.24s +26° 01' 34.5" P.A. 89 sep 2.3 mag 10.94,11.08

TDS 6998 AB; 508; 533x: Elongation flashing with averted vision, but its hazy, not clear.
10h 04m 05.09s +27° 26' 54.3" P.A. 297 sep 0.8 mag 11.13,11.36

STF 1421 AB: 508; 333x: Wide pair, >1 delta mag, white tinged with yellow, ~5"
10h 18m 05.54s +27° 31' 27.9" P.A. 330 sep 4.6 mag 8.19,9.12 Sp F2 dist. 429.18 pc (1399.99 l.y.)

STF 1423 AB: 508; 533x: Split with seeing, light orange A and very faint, ~3 delta mag B, very close, within diffraction ring <1".
10h 19m 10.64s +20° 33' 48.1" P.A. 302.6 sep 0.6 mag 9.40,10.08 Sp K0 dist. 58.79 pc (191.77 l.y.)

HDS 1511 AB: 508; 1067x: Out of round olive, airy disk swimming in diffraction.
10h 32m 17.36s +24° 26' 32.1" P.A. 38 sep 0.1 mag 7.48,9.08 Sp F0 dist. 99.01 pc (322.97 l.y.)

HJ 484 AB: 508; 333x: B is seen with averted vision and I can barely hold it direct. Both A & B are a little blue due to their dimness. Wide. [not physical]
10h 32m 32.67s +27° 38' 50.0" P.A. 219 sep 12.3 mag 11.67,13.20

STF 1451 AB: 508; 333x: Easy pair, wide, ~1 delta mag
10h 35m 24.86s +26° 16' 09.7" P.A. 271 sep 8.5 mag 9.81,12.17 Sp G5

BAR 39 AB: 508; 533x: B appears with averted vision, very tight.
10h 39m 21.56s +22° 28' 02.3" P.A. 289 sep 1.1 mag 10.71,12.20

STT 225 AC; 508; 333x: Very light yellow-orange A and ~2 delta mag, wide B. Did not see PER 2 AB, 8.53/10.60 0.4".
10h 40m 03.23s +19° 14' 25.6" P.A. 357 sep 6.5 mag 8.53,10.38 Sp F8 dist. 101.73 pc (331.84 l.y.)

STT 230 AB: 508; 333x: Cool effect of B appearing with averted vision like a meteor out of the corner of my eye. Wide. [not physical]
10h 54m 32.46s +20° 46' 22.9" P.A. 40 sep 9.2 mag 8.71,11.95 Sp F5 dist. 153.61 pc (501.08 l.y.)

BU 597 AB: 508; 333x: ! ~2 delta mag and ~1" separation, light orange stars, very steady images. Really nice.
10h 54m 49.70s +23° 45' 20.7" P.A. 47 sep 0.9 mag 9.20,10.13 Sp A5 dist. 183.49 pc (598.54 l.y.)

BRT 2405 AB: 508; 333x: A is a blue star, B appearing with averted vision.
10h 56m 44.65s +22° 15' 27.2" P.A. 222 sep 4.2 mag 11.40,11.90

Alpha Com: STF 1728 AB:
13h 09m 59.28s +17° 31' 46.0" P.A. 192.2 sep 0.52 mag 4.85,5.53 Sp F5V+F6V dist. 17.83 pc (58.16 l.y.)
I spent some time going though different combinations on Alpha Com, and here is a table of my notes:

The conclusions I draw:

8-inch mask gave the cleanest images, but did not have enough resolving power in my conditions. 8-inch might have done better at a higher elevation site (I'm at sea level) or in even better seeing.

72% Central Obstruction mask gave the tightest disk images, and resolved pretty well, but the crazy cross hatch diffraction will take some getting used to. Will need to experiment with this more.

Apodizing mask: I lose some resolution but the images a better than full aperture

Full aperture: best resolution & brighter but the diffraction is more pronounced, so depends highly on the seeing.

STF 1865 AB: 508; 1067x: Zeta Boo. Short period.
First impression was moderately well notched overlapping disks (eg. not barely notched, but not strongly notched either). With more time observing & getting used to the image, and in moments of better seeing, the notch became more distinct. It would not separate in spite of moments of better seeing. I could also see the elongation, but only subtly notched due to the smaller scale, at 667x.
14h 41m 08.92s +13° 43' 42.0" P.A. 293.8 sep 0.53 mag 4.46,4.55 Sp A0V+A0V dist. 53.88 pc (175.76 l.y.)

STF 1888 AB: 508; 333x: Xi Boo. Short period.  Richly colored yellow and orange stars, ~1 delta mag, ~5" separation, with several other stars in view. Very pretty.
14h 51m 23.38s +19° 06' 01.7" P.A. 297.9 sep 5.3 mag 4.76,6.95 Sp G8V+K5V dist. 6.71 pc (21.89 l.y.)

STT 235 AB: 508; 533x: Short period. Pretty yellow A, orange B, ~1" ~2 delta mag.
11h 32m 20.76s +61° 04' 57.9" P.A. 44.2 sep 0.95 mag 5.69,7.55 Sp F8V dist. 27.99 pc (91.3 l.y.)

STF 1523 AB: 508; 333x: Alula Australis. Short period.  Pretty orange-yellow stars, ~half delta mag, ~2" separation.
11h 18m 10.90s +31° 31' 45.0" P.A. 156.5 sep 2.1 mag 4.33,4.80 Sp F9V+G9V dist. 10.42 pc (33.99 l.y.)

STF 1524 AB: 508; 333x: Alula Borealis. Bright orange A and B is a neat little white point well separated and very much fainter
11h 18m 28.74s +33° 05' 39.5" P.A. 145 sep 7.8 mag 3.64,10.10 Sp K3IIIBaO dist. 122.4 pc (399.27 l.y.)

COU 1259 AB: 508; 533x: Smudgy elongation. Not quote resolved. Conditions seem to be deteriorating.
11h 20m 19.91s +36° 03' 58.3" P.A. 311 sep 0.7 mag 10.41,10.86

STF 1543 AB: 508; 333x: 57 UMa. A is a pale yellow, B a neat orange, ~3 delta, wide ~6"
11h 29m 04.12s +39° 20' 13.1" P.A. 354 sep 5.4 mag 5.35,10.67 Sp A2V dist. 65.23 pc (212.78 l.y.)

STT 234 AB: 508; 1067x: Surprisingly tough. Had indications of elongation at powers starting from 533x, but needed 1067x to get the clear bump, but even then it wasn't cleanly split.
11h 30m 49.91s +41° 17' 12.7" P.A. 186.3 sep 0.4 mag 7.45,8.13 Sp F6V dist. 74.79 pc (243.96 l.y.)

26 April 2020

The forecast for last night was for clear in the early evening and then poor transparency later on, and that forecast held true. Seeing was not so great, 5-6/10, better high up. The moon was low in the west when I came out at 9pm, and clear. But by 10pm it cast its glow over a haze, and then I saw bands of high clouds coming overhead. So I had to wrap up at 10:30pm. All the same there were some good pairs. I started in eastern Lynx and then moved to Leo Minor which was in pretty good position.

ES 1541 AB: 508; 333x: White and dull white pair, ~1 delta mag, wide ~8"
09h 22m 05.95s +39° 58' 00.7" P.A. 23 sep 8.2 mag 10.41,11.20

TDS6583 AB: 508; 533x: Just split with seeing, very tight, noticeable mag difference ~0.5-1, orange stars
09h 28m 23.15s +39° 54' 56.7" P.A. 71 sep 0.5 mag 10.78,10.94

STF 1374 AB: 508; 333x: Pretty orange-yellow stars, ~2 delta mag, ~3 separation
09h 41m 21.88s +38° 57' 01.9" P.A. 311.5 sep 2.81 mag 7.28,8.65 Sp G3IV dist. 51.28 pc (167.28 l.y.)

HO 369 AB: 508; 1067x: With 533x I can tell this is not single, but the elongation is too tentative. At 1067x the best I can manage is elongated notched, with seeing. Seeing and transparency are not good enough.
09h 51m 09.34s +36° 29' 20.8" P.A. 106.3 sep 0.41 mag 8.02,9.85 Sp F2 dist. 121.21 pc (395.39 l.y.)

A 2139 AB: 508; 333x: White A and blue B, ~2" separation, >2 delta mag. [not physical]
09h 52m 15.53s +40° 58' 13.4" P.A. 292 sep 2 mag 8.01,10.68 Sp A3 dist. 95.51 pc (311.55 l.y.)

HJ 2509 AB: 508; 333x: Wide light blue stars, ~1 delta mag.
09h 52m 50.16s +37° 11' 32.0" P.A. 61 sep 15.8 mag 10.89,11.70 Sp G0

HU 631 AB: 508; 533x: Bright orange-yellow A star, B is a very small, faint blue point, ~1" separation, very much fainter ~3 delta mag.
10h 03m 59.08s +32° 38' 48.8" P.A. 258 sep 0.8 mag 8.00,9.34 Sp F8 dist. 76.45 pc (249.38 l.y.)

HU 877 AB: 508; 333x: Very fine white pair, ~2 delta mag, ~2" separation, very nice.
10h 25m 32.60s +36° 46' 59.0" P.A. 250 sep 1.7 mag 9.14,10.47 Sp G0 dist. 224.22 pc (731.41 l.y.)

HU 880 AB: 508; 333x: ! Exceptionally fine split, white stars.
10h 31m 14.44s +37° 07' 27.4" P.A. 144 sep 0.9 mag 10.10,10.43 Sp F8

STF 1443 AB: 508; 333x: Wide pair, white, ~1 delta
10h 33m 17.07s +37° 40' 25.0" P.A. 161 sep 5.3 mag 9.87,10.00 Sp G0 dist. 99.8 pc (325.55 l.y.)

STF 1459 AB: 508; 333x: Wide light yellow-orange stars, ~2 delta.
10h 40m 12.46s +38° 24' 11.4" P.A. 153 sep 4.6 mag 8.34,8.85 Sp K4III dist. 2325.58 pc (7586.04 l.y.)

crummy night

At least it was clear last night, or I should say clear-ish. Transparency hurt by high thin clouds, and seeing was quite poor. I used the 8-inch mask throughout, and had generally better views at lower than my usual powers. I wanted to observe in Lynx since it was in the darkest part of my sky and high up, but because it's past meridian and such a thin, elongated constellation, most of the slewing is side-to-side rather than up-down when I'm pointed at meridian. So I moved back to Leo, but since I've been through there on some previous nights I didn't find much on the lists which would be within reach under the poor conditions.

Unfortunately the weather pattern is to be the same in the coming days (high cloud, poor seeing), but will try to get out when I can.

HJ 1164 AB: 203; 205x: Near equal, white, ~7"
09h 08m 05.64s +45° 10' 32.0" P.A. 173 sep 6.1 mag 9.59,9.92 Sp K0

AG 165 AB: 203; 333x: A is white and hazy (in poor conditions) and B flashes into view with averted vision.
09h 23m 19.01s +22° 10' 45.3" P.A. 16 sep 1.4 mag 9.95,10.11 Sp A3

STF 1353 AB: 203; 205x: Faint & hazy in poor conditions; elongated haze split with seeing, near equal.
09h 27m 39.28s +15° 44' 32.0" P.A. 125 sep 3.3 mag 9.91,9.98 Sp G5 dist. 96.06 pc (313.35 l.y.)

STF 1356 AB; 203; 205x: Omega Leo. Elongated & notched, similar magnitude, yellow-orange stars.
09h 28m 27.41s +09° 03' 24.4" P.A. 113.6 sep 0.87 mag 5.69,7.28 Sp F9IV dist. 33.17 pc (108.2 l.y.)

STF 1360 AB: 203; 205x: GS Leo. Wide, light orange-yellow, near equal
09h 30m 35.95s +10° 36' 06.4" P.A. 242 sep 13.8 mag 8.95,8.86 Sp G5 dist. 18.87 pc (61.55 l.y.)

STF 1426 AB: 203; 333x: Split with seeing, white, very close, near equal. Part of plus one, a two delta mag not far away
10h 20m 32.32s +06° 25' 47.6" P.A. 313.7 sep 0.91 mag 7.99,8.30 Sp F5 dist. 149.7 pc (488.32 l.y.)

STF 1511 AB: 203; 205x: Plain white pair, near equal, wide
11h 07m 11.56s +10° 54' 48.2" P.A. 287 sep 7.6 mag 9.27,9.50 Sp K0 dist. 221.73 pc (723.28 l.y.)

STF 1527 AB: 203; 333x: At 205x I know something is up with this star. At 333x it is overlapping disks and notched. At 533x it is still only notched but a bit larger and hazier.
11h 18m 59.91s +14° 16' 06.9" P.A. 292.7 sep 0.4 mag 7.01,7.99 Sp F9V dist. 30.74 pc (100.27 l.y.)

STF 1537 AB: 203; 205x: Nice wide split, clean view, ~1 delta mag, ~3" separation, light yellow color A, B is bluish.
11h 24m 28.94s +20° 37' 16.5" P.A. 358 sep 2.3 mag 8.23,9.07 Sp G0 dist. 92.59 pc (302.03 l.y.)

HDS 1642 AB: 203; 533x: Can flash B into view with averted vision. Marginal.
11h 34m 09.95s +11° 01' 25.9" P.A. 245 sep 1.2 mag 6.62,9.43 Sp A2m dist. 102.88 pc (335.59 l.y.)

long night

Last night was predicted to be very clear, transparent, and with good then excellent seeing during the early hours of the 15th. I decided to stay out as long as I was able to take advantage of it, since I was observing from home and could just sleep in this morning. I observed from 9pm to 3:30am, when seeing started to deteriorate, haze started to build, and my tiredness was leading me to mistakes (the scope hit the ladder twice while slewing). Overall it was a great night; seeing was not perfect but a respectable 7/10. There was still some low haze but it didn't bother me too much. I was able to go after some of the Short Period list objects, and made some notable observations. I used my apodizing mask throughout the night. It was not an entirely quiet night: there was a loud vacuum type of sound coming from the direction of 880, I presume some road construction, which did not end until after 1am.  I stayed out long enough to see the moon rise, in near conjunction with Jupiter and Saturn.

AC 5 AB: 508; 533x: Gamma Sex: I get a split with seeing of nearly equal orange yellow stars, only momentarily.
09h 52m 30.47s -08° 06' 17.7" P.A. 37.7 sep 0.49 mag 5.43,6.41 Sp A1V dist. 85.11 pc (277.63 l.y.)

A 2761 AB: 508; 333x: Attractive yellow-orange A and bluish B, well separated, about three delta mag.
09h 43m 29.38s +06° 12' 27.7" P.A. 252 sep 1 mag 8.96,9.25 Sp F5 dist. 206.61 pc (673.96 l.y.)

A 2560 AB: 508; 533x: Challenging faint close companion suspected with 333x, but seen well with 533x. With seeing, light orange A and blue B, ~2 delta mag, ~1" separation
09h 50m 02.86s +01° 47' 37.2" P.A. 18 sep 1.1 mag 8.84,9.81 Sp F5 dist. 227.27 pc (741.35 l.y.)

A 2570 AB: 508; 667x: Light yellow-orange stars, slight elongation to overlapped disks, very tough [doubtful, this one currently 0.05"]
10h 25m 58.68s +02° 55' 45.2" P.A. 133.1 sep 0.05 mag 7.79,7.71 Sp A2V dist. 170.36 pc (555.71 l.y.)

HEI 762 AB: 508; 333x: B just hangs in there with direct vision, flashes brighter with averted vision. ~2.5" ~1 delta mag.
10h 29m 59.21s +05° 42' 37.3" P.A. 145 sep 2.6 mag 10.50,11.40

STF 1456 AB: 508; 333x: Easy bright pair, almost 2 delta mag, wide light orange stars
10h 38m 17.33s +01° 14' 38.4" P.A. 45 sep 13.7 mag 8.24,9.75 Sp F5 dist. 98.23 pc (320.43 l.y.)

STF 1457 AB: 508; 333x: Attractive bright sunny yellow pair, more than 2" separation, slight mag difference
10h 38m 43.14s +05° 44' 02.9" P.A. 333.9 sep 1.84 mag 7.69,8.16 Sp F5V dist. 65.4 pc (213.33 l.y.)

J 1369 AB: 508; 333x: Easy, ~2 delta mag, pretty wide [I didn't think it would be physical but it is]
10h 41m 02.02s +03° 35' 46.6" P.A. 121 sep 7.5 mag 10.11,11.73 Sp K2 dist. 52.91 pc (172.59 l.y.)

STF 1464 AB: 508; 333x: Light yellow A and blue B, pretty wide, attractive pair. Likely part of plus one [STF 1464 AC 8.26/10.51 66.7"]
10h 41m 35.43s -00° 16' 20.8" P.A. 302 sep 5.8 mag 8.26,10.26 Sp F6V

A 2768 AB: 508; 533x: 34 Sex: Surprisingly difficult. Light orange A and a very small 2 delta mag pin prick appears within the first diffraction ring, so about 0.5" separation. Very tough. With seeing only.
10h 42m 37.53s +03° 34' 58.9" P.A. 239.6 sep 0.62 mag 6.92,8.45 Sp F7V dist. 71.38 pc (232.84 l.y.)

STF 1466 AB: 508; 333x: 35 Sex: Easy, wide, yellow-orange pair, ~2 delta mag. AC much further separated and 1 delta mag. [SkyTools showed a close CD pair: Hint of elongation with 533x, elongation is larger but more hazy at 1067x, but not resolved into stars -- but this one not in Stelle Doppie.
10h 43m 20.91s +04° 44' 51.6" P.A. 239 sep 6.7 mag 6.23,7.13 Sp K3III dist. 169.49 pc (552.88 l.y.)

A 2771 AB: 508; 533x: Elongated with 333x but a good clean split with 533x. Stars settle to fine points with seeing , ~1 delta mag, ~0.5" separation
10h 44m 38.71s +05° 29' 55.0" P.A. 112.3 sep 0.55 mag 9.18,9.70 Sp K0 dist. 71.79 pc (234.18 l.y.)

A 2572 AB: 508; 333x: Hairline split, white, near equal
10h 48m 48.88s +01° 24' 12.2" P.A. 121 sep 0.8 mag 9.77,10.11 Sp F5

STF 1334 AB: 508; 333x: 38 Lyn. A is a bright light yellow and B is a ~2 delta mag orange-yellow, well split and bright
09h 18m 50.64s +36° 48' 09.3" P.A. 229 sep 2.5 mag 3.92,6.09 Sp A1V dist. 38.27 pc (124.84 l.y.)

STF 1320 AB: 508; 333x: Easy, wide, yellow-white A and blueish B. [not physical]
09h 13m 21.20s +42° 19' 45.9" P.A. 216 sep 12 mag 9.50,10.50 Sp G5 dist. 1639.34 pc (5347.53 l.y.)

TDS 6428 AB: 508; 533x: B flashes with averted vision only, extremely close split
09h 15m 38.21s +39° 42' 50.4" P.A. 299 sep 0.4 mag 10.40,10.49

STF 1333 AB: 508; 333x: Brilliant white pair, near equal, ~2" separation.
09h 18m 25.97s +35° 21' 51.3" P.A. 50 sep 1.9 mag 6.63,6.69 Sp A8V dist. 86.96 pc (283.66 l.y.)

STF 1338 AB: 508; 333x: Wonderful light yellow stars, near equal, ~1" separation
09h 20m 59.40s +38° 11' 17.9" P.A. 320 sep 1 mag 6.72,7.08 Sp F2V+F4V dist. 42.66 pc (139.16 l.y.)

STF 1339 AB: 508; 333x: Faint B but still easily seen, resolves nicely with seeing, almost 2 delta mag, ~1.5"
09h 20m 58.39s +36° 43' 09.6" P.A. 65 sep 1.5 mag 9.15,9.89 Sp A2

STF 1369 AB: 508; 333x: DI Lyn Very wide and bright light yellow stars, ~1 delta mag. [did not notice COU 2084 Aa,Ab, 6.98/8.79 0.2"]
09h 35m 22.50s +39° 57' 47.7" P.A. 150 sep 25 mag 6.98,7.98 Sp F2V dist. 85.18 pc (277.86 l.y.)

ES 301 AB: 508; 333x: B appears fine and clear with averted vision, blue color, and can then barely hold it with direct vision. Light yellow A. Very nice.
09h 42m 42.81s +40° 17' 30.9" P.A. 243 sep 5 mag 9.80,11.80 Sp G0

A 2152 AB: 508; 1067x: Marginal. Momentary glimpses of a fine point very nearly a hairline split. Pretty orange star, slightly fainter.
10h 28m 58.56s +34° 51' 48.0" P.A. 57 sep 0.4 mag 9.57,9.05 Sp F5 dist. 116.96 pc (381.52 l.y.)

COU 961 AB: 508; 533x: Very close, tough split, ~2 delta, ~1" separation, light orange A. [Did not notice CHR 34 Aa,Ab 0.3"]
11h 01m 49.33s +29° 52' 16.6" P.A. 327 sep 1.2 mag 7.20,9.36 Sp K0 dist. 132.28 pc (431.5 l.y.)

STF 1536 AB: 508; 333x: Iota Leo. Light orange A and a richer orange B, ~2 delta mag, ~2" separation.
11h 23m 55.37s +10° 31' 46.9" P.A. 92.7 sep 2.2 mag 4.06,6.71 Sp F4IV dist. 23.67 pc (77.21 l.y.)

HDS 1622 AB: 508; 533x: Tough. B appears with averted vision only, just a brightening haze to A.
11h 24m 15.66s +13° 54' 06.8" P.A. 37 sep 0.7 mag 8.50,11.30 Sp K0 dist. 61.58 pc (200.87 l.y.)

STF 1552 AB: 508; 333x: 90 Leo. Blazing white pair, ~1 delta mag, ~3"
11h 34m 42.50s +16° 47' 48.9" P.A. 208 sep 3.4 mag 6.26,7.31 Sp B4V+B9V dist. 581.4 pc (1896.53 l.y.)

STF 1556 AB: 508; 333x: Wide near equal, white stars.
11h 36m 17.58s +12° 07' 50.4" P.A. 52 sep 9.1 mag 10.69,10.77 Sp G5

STF 1555 AB: 508; 553x: Hairline split at 333x, clear split with 533x, very close ~0.5", bright. Part of plus one.
11h 36m 17.94s +27° 46' 52.7" P.A. 150.6 sep 0.67 mag 6.41,6.78 Sp F0V dist. 71.58 pc (233.49 l.y.)

STF 1633 AB: 508; 333x: Nice & wide, easy, bright light yellow stars.
12h 20m 41.37s +27° 03' 16.4" P.A. 245 sep 8.9 mag 7.04,7.13 Sp F3V+F3V dist. 91.83 pc (299.55 l.y.)

STF 1634 AB: 508; 333x: Light yellow A and slightly blue B, wide, ~2 delta mag.
12h 20m 42.06s +22° 54' 51.8" P.A. 147 sep 5.4 mag 8.77,9.90 Sp G5 dist. 285.71 pc (931.99 l.y.)

STF 1639 AB: 508; 333x: Pretty yellow stars, ~2" separation, ~2 delta mag.
12h 24m 26.81s +25° 34' 56.7" P.A. 322.8 sep 1.85 mag 6.74,7.83 Sp A7V+F4V dist. 90.25 pc (294.4 l.y.)

STF 1643 AB: 508; 333x: Yellow-white stars, ~3" separation, ~2 delta mag.
12h 27m 13.72s +27° 01' 29.6" P.A. 3 sep 2.73 mag 9.03,9.45 Sp K2 dist. 27.21 pc (88.76 l.y.)

COU 53 AB: 508; 333x: Faint pair, split clearly with averted vision, hazy with direct. A nice pair.
12h 27m 58.02s +21° 58' 11.9" P.A. 213 sep 2.4 mag 12.10,12.70

WRH 12 AB: 508; 1067x: 23 Com. !! I get a definite snowman and can tell the larger from the smaller star, pointed in a certain direction in relation to a faint field star. Short Period double.
12h 34m 51.12s +22° 37' 45.1" P.A. 10.1 sep 0.34 mag 4.96,6.90 Sp A0IV dist. 95.06 pc (310.09 l.y.)

AG 180 AB: 508; 1067x: !! Most remarkable. I can see the light orange airy disk of A, though it dances in diffraction. When seeing stills, a very fine, very small point presents itself for a moment before being washed out. Consistently in the same place as I move the eyepiece about.
12h 36m 48.74s +20° 14' 15.8" P.A. 355 sep 0.3 mag 7.81,9.79 Sp F5 dist. 91.83 pc (299.55 l.y.)

COU 392 AB: 508; 333x: Faint pair, B star seen with averted vision only.
12h 37m 22.38s +23° 21' 28.4" P.A. 335 sep 2.1 mag 10.30,11.00

STF 1686 AB: 508; 333x: Near equal white, wide.
12h 52m 58.16s +15° 01' 53.5" P.A. 187 sep 5.7 mag 8.58,8.72 Sp F5 dist. 123.76 pc (403.71 l.y.)

STF 1687 AB: 508; 533x: 35 Com. Can see the 7th magnitude B at 333x, but it's easier to resolve with 533x. Part of plus one. Bright orange A and deeper orange B.
12h 53m 17.77s +21° 14' 42.1" P.A. 200.9 sep 1.18 mag 5.15,7.08 Sp G7III dist. 86.81 pc (283.17 l.y.)

STF 1699 AB: 508; 333x: White near equal pair, ~1.5" separation. Nice
12h 58m 40.88s +27° 28' 27.8" P.A. 12 sep 1.7 mag 8.74,8.77 Sp G0V dist. 69.4 pc (226.38 l.y.)

STF 1709 AB: 508; 333x: ! White stars, ~2 delta mag, ~3" separation. Very attractive pair
13h 02m 30.62s +23° 29' 57.8" P.A. 252 sep 2.7 mag 7.88,10.01 Sp F4V dist. 160 pc (521.92 l.y.)

COU 95 AB: 508; 533x: Tentative split at 333x, definite with 533x, with seeing for both. More than 1 delta mag, >0.5" separation
13h 02m 34.66s +23° 17' 38.6" P.A. 287 sep 0.7 mag 9.70,11.30 Sp K0

STF 1728 AB: 508; 1067x: Diadem. !! Most definite well split near equal, light yellow-orange. A faint star [AB-C] also in the field to tell orientation. Short period, made sketch. Wow!
13h 09m 59.28s +17° 31' 46.0" P.A. 192.2 sep 0.52 mag 4.85,5.53 Sp F5V+F6V dist. 17.83 pc (58.16 l.y.)

BU 1111 BC: 508; 1067x: !! Short period pair, it is a component of STF 1835. I get a nothed near equal elongation with a clear direction in relation to the A star. Very cool
14h 23m 22.59s +08° 26' 41.7" P.A. 19.9 sep 0.28 mag 7.40,7.70 Sp F0V+F2V dist. 65.92 pc (215.03 l.y.)

A 1101 AB: 508; 1067x: !! I stared for a long time and had brief instants of an elongation or bump, and even a tentative split of a star. Sketched the orientation will check the PA later [I think I have it. My orientation on the sketch is in the correct position as in relation to the AB-C & AB-D pairs.]
14h 15m 50.57s +10° 17' 59.3" P.A. 222.7 sep 0.33 mag 9.69,10.32 Sp K0 dist. 59.88 pc (195.33 l.y.)

HU 575 AB: 508; 1067x: !! Short period. Small, faint, but definite split of these orange-red near equal stars. I sketched a clear orientation to field stars. Awesome.
14h 42m 33.63s +19° 28' 46.9" P.A. 84.3 sep 0.33 mag 9.77,10.05 Sp M0 dist. 21.58 pc (70.39 l.y.)

STF 1564 AB: 508; 333x: Pretty gold and blue pair, wide, ~1 delta mag.
11h 39m 37.84s +26° 57' 23.7" P.A. 87 sep 5.3 mag 8.81,9.33 Sp A3V dist. 431.03 pc (1406.02 l.y.)

STF 1566 AB: 508; 333x: Orange-yellow A and light yellow B, close but resolvable.
11h 40m 38.67s +21° 02' 11.3" P.A. 349 sep 2.4 mag 8.71,9.98 Sp G5 dist. 512.82 pc (1672.82 l.y.)

HU 888 AB: 508; 533x: Hairline split, with seeing. Noticeable mag difference. Tough
11h 42m 50.96s +21° 04' 49.5" P.A. 175 sep 0.5 mag 9.45,9.74 Sp F5 dist. 729.93 pc (2381.03 l.y.)

STF 1582 AB: 508; 333x: Nice wide yellowish stars, ~2 delta mag.
11h 56m 00.86s +21° 58' 54.8" P.A. 76 sep 12 mag 8.09,9.53 Sp F7IV dist. 160.51 pc (523.58 l.y.)

BRT 2289 AB: 508; 333x: ! Very fine near equal white, nice and clean
11h 56m 07.55s +20° 15' 08.2" P.A. 86 sep 1.6 mag 11.05,11.10 Sp G0

STF 1577 AB: 508; 333x: Wide, white, ~1 delta mag
11h 53m 19.61s +20° 19' 11.1" P.A. 10 sep 8.6 mag 10.11,11.30 Sp F5

TDS 8089 AB: 508; 1067x: Marginal. Extremely faint B, only in a moment of perfect seeing, near reddish star.
11h 52m 32.77s +22° 42' 41.9" P.A. 100 sep 0.4 mag 9.89,10.09 Sp G9III-IV

STF 1596: 508; 333x: 2 Com. Bright off white pair, wide, ~2 delta mag.
12h 04m 16.60s +21° 27' 33.0" P.A. 236 sep 3.7 mag 6.18,7.48 Sp F0IV-V dist. 101.01 pc (329.49 l.y.)

BRT2413 AB: 508; 333x: Fine pair, faint, near equal, can just see above the sky background [not physical]
12h 03m 23.03s +21° 56' 54.1" P.A. 238 sep 3 mag 11.10,11.20

COU 92 AB: 508; 533x: Marginal. I get flashes, very faint, of maybe a star pair but its a bit hazy.
12h 04m 38.40s +22° 31' 42.7" P.A. 107 sep 1.1 mag 12.30,12.50

A 2163 AB: 508; 533x: ! Excellent pair. Hairline split at 333x, nice wide split with 533x. Near equal, >0.5"
12h 02m 12.09s +21° 07' 36.9" P.A. 169 sep 0.7 mag 10.27,10.39 Sp K0

AG 176 AB: 508; 333x: Nice equal white, ~3" separation
12h 16m 46.54s +30° 03' 51.8" P.A. 184 sep 2.3 mag 10.25,10.25 Sp K0V

STT 245 AB: 508; 333x: Orange-yellow A and orange B, ~3 delta mag, wide.
12h 17m 30.60s +28° 56' 13.6" P.A. 282 sep 8.4 mag 5.70,11.20 Sp A3IV dist. 54.95 pc (179.25 l.y.)

13 april 2020

Last night was clear, but a little dewy and transparency was poor -- planes on approach to Oakland cast their beams through the haze. Seeing was poor, 5/10, so I kept the magnification relatively low at 333x, except for a couple of observations, and used my apodizing mask throughout. I did have some moments of very good seeing, which made me hopeful. But by 11:15 it had grown noticeably colder and the seeing went to pot. I presume an inversion had created a turbulent warm/cold air layer above me. So I packed it in. Hopes for some clear skies tonight.

STF 1413 AB: 508; 333x: Very pretty equal pair, white, close ~1.5"
10h 12m 18.72s +16° 20' 54.3" P.A. 270 sep 1.8 mag 9.76,9.77 Sp G0

STF 1417 AB: 508; 333x: Equal yellow-white pair, ~2"
10h 15m 08.60s +19° 07' 27.3" P.A. 78 sep 2.4 mag 9.24,9.31 Sp F2 dist. 235.29 pc (767.52 l.y.)

HU 1254 AB: 508; 333x: Elongated to hairline split. Noticeable magnitude difference.
10h 15m 10.48s +11° 52' 43.5" P.A. 20 sep 0.6 mag 10.05,10.43 Sp G0 dist. 67.93 pc (221.59 l.y.)

STT 215 AB: 508; 333x: Near equal light yellow stars, ~1.5"
10h 16m 16.05s +17° 44' 24.6" P.A. 176.1 sep 1.5 mag 7.25,7.46 Sp A9IV dist. 114.55 pc (373.66 l.y.)

STF 1419 AB: 508; 333x: Light yellow-white A and slightly blue B, wide ~4", ~1 delta mag.
10h 17m 02.94s +10° 06' 51.7" P.A. 225 sep 4.5 mag 8.87,9.86 Sp A0 dist. 431.03 pc (1406.02 l.y.)

STT 523 AB: 508; 333x: 39 Leo. ! Nice bright light yellow-orange A star. B is very small, very faint, ~8" separation, a single little point, barely has its own light.
10h 17m 14.53s +23° 06' 22.3" P.A. 300 sep 7.9 mag 5.80,11.30 Sp F6V+M1.5 dist. 22.81 pc (74.41 l.y.)

A 2369 AB: 508; 533x: ! Needed higher magnification to get it. Orange star with a faint but nice star in first diffraction ring, much fainter, ~1". Nice

10h 17m 59.92s +17° 11' 11.9" P.A. 296 sep 1 mag 8.53,9.66 Sp K2 dist. 4000 pc (13048 l.y.)

COU 170 AB: 508; 333x: Can't see the pair but there seems to be two galaxies in the field. [NGC 3189 & 3187]
10h 18m 41.27s +21° 55' 22.8" P.A. 122 sep 0.7 mag 11.10,11.80

STF 1424 AB: 508; 333x: Algieba. Very bright, A is yellow-orange and B is a blazing white orange, like a fire.
10h 19m 58.35s +19° 50' 29.4" P.A. 126.5 sep 4.73 mag 2.37,3.64 Sp K0III dist. 39.89 pc (130.12 l.y.)

STT 216 AB: 508; 333x: Yellow and very much fainter orange B, ! delta mag, ~4" separated.
10h 22m 43.81s +15° 20' 39.7" P.A. 229.2 sep 2.29 mag 7.38,10.28 Sp G5 dist. 28.77 pc (93.85 l.y.)

A 1990 AB: 508; 333x: Near equal, elongated in a haze but does resolve to two stars with seeing, a bit more than 1" separation
10h 23m 25.93s +26° 29' 38.7" P.A. 290 sep 1.5 mag 9.48,9.60 Sp F8

A 1991 AB: 508; 333x: Near equal, split with seeing, ~1" separation
10h 23m 34.87s +26° 17' 26.1" P.A. 191 sep 1.5 mag 10.13,10.38 Sp G5V

STF 1429 AB: 508; 533x; Elongated to hairline at 333x, split at 533x. Light orange stars, near equal
10h 25m 01.79s +24° 36' 44.1" P.A. 154.4 sep 0.78 mag 9.05,9.34 Sp G0V dist. 67.48 pc (220.12 l.y.)

POU3080 AB; 508; 333x: Light orange-yellow A and ~1.5 delta mag B, white, well separated.
10h 25m 29.14s +23° 21' 38.6" P.A. 102 sep 5.6 mag 9.74,10.90

STT 217 AB: 508; 333x: ! Just split cleanly, ~1 delta mag, yellow-tinged white stars. Nice close pair.
10h 26m 53.01s +17° 13' 09.9" P.A. 148.9 sep 0.8 mag 7.85,8.58 Sp F6V dist. 84.75 pc (276.45 l.y.)

STF 1434 AB: 508; 333x: Near equal white, wide
10h 27m 08.41s +18° 03' 44.6" P.A. 281 sep 6.5 mag 9.49,9.68 Sp G5 dist. 60.83 pc (198.43 l.y.)

STF 1439 AB: 508; 333x: ! Very clean images, light yellow-orange stars, ~1 delta mag, well split, very pretty
10h 30m 06.42s +20° 48' 04.3" P.A. 73 sep 1.4 mag 8.32,8.87 Sp G0V dist. 76.63 pc (249.97 l.y.)

STF 1442 AB: 508; 333x: Near equal white with a hint of yellow, wide. [not physical]
10h 31m 58.95s +22° 02' 22.0" P.A. 157 sep 13.3 mag 8.18,8.54 Sp F0 dist. 137.93 pc (449.93 l.y.)

STF 1447 AB: 508; 333x: Nice pair of yellow stars, ~1.5 delta mag, wide
10h 33m 47.28s +23° 21' 02.4" P.A. 124 sep 4.6 mag 7.52,8.88 Sp A2 dist. 153.61 pc (501.08 l.y.)

STF 1450 AB; 508; 333x: 49 Leo. ! Striking pair, light yellow A and a richer orange-yellow B, ~2.5 delta mag, well split
10h 35m 02.16s +08° 39' 01.6" P.A. 156 sep 2.2 mag 5.80,7.90 Sp A2V dist. 131.41 pc (428.66 l.y.)

J 79 AB: 508; 333x: ! Very nice, ~2 delta mag, close ~2" separation, blue-white stars.
10h 38m 54.93s +07° 21' 26.0" P.A. 132 sep 1.5 mag 9.02,10.12 Sp F8 dist. 176.06 pc (574.31 l.y.)

STT 227 AB: 508; 333x: ! Pure white stars, ~1" separation, ~2 delta mag, very fine and striking
10h 41m 41.58s +10° 44' 22.3" P.A. 2 sep 0.9 mag 8.27,8.77 Sp A2

A 2483 AB: 508; 333x: ! Wow, very fine ~2 delta mag, ~2" separation. Very much fainter B about as faint as can be before needing averted vision.
10h 42m 08.09s +16° 17' 03.6" P.A. 227 sep 2.2 mag 9.36,11.38 Sp G5 dist. 168.92 pc (551.02 l.y.)

STF 1468 AB: 508; 333x: Near equal white stars, wide
10h 44m 39.96s +20° 42' 18.5" P.A. 334 sep 4.4 mag 9.68,9.65 Sp G0 dist. 104.49 pc (340.85 l.y.)

STT 228 AB: 508; 533x: With fine focus, split with seeing, ~1 delta mag, ~1" separation. Pretty tough needed 533x to split, elongated at 333x.
10h 47m 16.93s +22° 34' 32.0" P.A. 170 sep 1.7 mag 8.17,8.93 Sp F0 dist. 158.23 pc (516.15 l.y.)

A 2370 AB: 508; 333x: (Red giant branch star) Very nice, white A and B blue for faintness, very clear, widely split, ~ 2 delta mag.

10h 49m 34.11s +16° 30' 24.9" P.A. 335 sep 2.7 mag 9.95,10.87 Sp G5 dist. 471.7 pc (1538.69 l.y.)

A 2371 AB: 508; 333x: Nice ~2 delta mag pair, ~2.5" separation. [not physical]
10h 49m 45.93s +18° 05' 09.6" P.A. 320 sep 2.7 mag 9.85,10.96 Sp F8

HO 376 AB: 508; 333x: White A, B just seen direct, wide ~4", decent pair
10h 52m 40.84s +23° 12' 03.6" P.A. 218 sep 3 mag 9.90,11.10 Sp F8

STF 1487 AB: 508; 333x: 54 Leo. Brilliant pair, light white-yellow stars, ~2 delta mag, wide
10h 55m 36.80s +24° 44' 59.0" P.A. 112 sep 6.8 mag 4.48,6.30 Sp A1V+A2Vn dist. 87.95 pc (286.89 l.y.)

STF 1517 AB: 508; 533x: ~ Touching disks with 333x, clean slit with 533x, ~0.5" separation, Yellow-orange stars, near equal
11h 13m 40.99s +20° 07' 43.3" P.A. 315.3 sep 0.73 mag 7.54,8.02 Sp G5V dist. 54.5 pc (177.78 l.y.)

BU 1283 AB: 508; 533x: Elongated at 533x, but the sky is too hazy, and this pair is a bright star's glare. BU 1283 looks like a piece of debris from an exploding bright star. [Theta Leo, 3.33v, to the SW]
11h 14m 24.68s +15° 30' 51.8" P.A. 174 sep 0.3 mag 9.80,10.40 Sp F0

making the most of it

Had a pretty decent night last night, in spite of poor seeing and transparency. I used the 8-inch mask throughout, and kept magnification low to only 205x. Also there was a full moon throwing a lot of glare through the sky due to the haze, so I pointed it in the opposite direction and observed in the west, in Gemini and Cancer, and I stuck with brighter pairs. I could not get below 1". There were low clouds to the east and they seemed to rise with the moon -- so that by 11pm I was shut down by clouds. Still, 2 hours of peaceful observing was good for me. Some very fine pairs observed, too.

KU 30 AB; 203; 205; About one delta mag, well split, slightly orange stars
07h 35m 59.79s +34° 19' 41.1" P.A. 110 sep 3.2 mag 9.35,10.32 Sp F0 dist. 740.74 pc (2416.29 l.y.)

STF 1119 AB; 203; 205x: V345 Gem, variable of the delta Scuti type. A is white with a pink tinge. B is light blue, about two delta mag, well split around 3"
07h 38m 30.23s +33° 42' 41.4" P.A. 353 sep 3.3 mag 8.08,9.35 Sp F0 dist. 161.81 pc (527.82 l.y.)

STF 1123 AB; 203; 205x: Pretty white pair, ~3", slightly less than two delta mag.
07h 41m 31.99s +33° 24' 34.8" P.A. 167 sep 3.6 mag 9.25,9.79 Sp F8

STF 1144 AB; 203; 205x: Fine pair, Bis a nice sharp hard point, very much fainter than yellowish A, widely separated ~8"
07h 49m 00.84s +28° 34' 26.4" P.A. 358 sep 8.2 mag 7.94,10.33 Sp F0 dist. 184.16 pc (600.73 l.y.)

HJ 431 AB; 203; 205x: Very fine pair, near equal white stars, well split ~5"
07h 52m 14.46s +29° 48' 29.4" P.A. 53 sep 5.8 mag 10.90,10.90

COU 951 AB; 203; 205x: Difficult given poor seeing and transparency this night. A is considerably more bright about half delta than B, white stars, split.
07h 54m 13.96s +27° 53' 02.4" P.A. 134 sep 3.1 mag 9.87,10.69 Sp G5

ES 422 AB: 203; 205x: B revealed with averted vision only, clearly seen with averted vision with yellowish A, pretty wide.
07h 55m 27.26s +29° 09' 30.7" P.A. 182 sep 14.9 mag 8.40,10.80 Sp G0

ES 291 AB; 203; 205x: B seen with averted vision only, but flashed out clearly. Wide, ~7"
08h 02m 44.02s +32° 11' 09.1" P.A. 348 sep 6.4 mag 8.64,11.80 Sp K0

AG 337 AB: 203; 205x: Split, very close near equal orange-yellow stars.
08h 05m 05.60s +28° 27' 22.5" P.A. 104 sep 2.7 mag 9.87,10.19 Sp G0

STF 1291 AB: 203; 205x: 57 Cnc. Very nice pair, strong orange yellow colors, ~1 delta mag, bright, nice close split.
08h 54m 14.65s +30° 34' 45.8" P.A. 309 sep 1.6 mag 6.09,6.37 Sp G7III dist. 141.44 pc (461.38 l.y.)

STF 1298 AB: 203; 205x: 66 Cnc. Excellent pair. A is a pure white, B is much fainter and seems red to purple color, nicely separated
09h 01m 24.13s +32° 15' 08.3" P.A. 137 sep 4.4 mag 5.95,8.56 Sp A2V dist. 143.06 pc (466.66 l.y.)

AG 161 AB: 203; 205x: Very fine white pair, nicely split in the scene, near equal. [sadly it is not physical]
09h 05m 39.99s +32° 26' 35.8" P.A. 225 sep 4.3 mag 10.13,10.55

AG 162 AB: 203; 205x: Pretty, near equal off white stars, ~4" [not physical]
09h 07m 10.98s +30° 38' 30.1" P.A. 107 sep 4.1 mag 9.78,10.09 Sp K0

STF 1311 AB: 203; 205x: Milk white A and off-white, yellowish B, ~1 delta mag, well separated.
09h 07m 27.01s +22° 58' 51.1" P.A. 199 sep 7.8 mag 6.92,7.13 Sp F4V+F5V dist. 58.17 pc (189.75 l.y.)

POU 3029 AB; 203; 205x: Wide separation, white stars, about half delta mag
09h 08m 09.79s +23° 52' 42.9" P.A. 315 sep 8.1 mag 10.08,10.36 Sp F5

STT 201 AB: 203; 205x: Extremely fine split, with seeing only, finest of the night, significant mag difference, just above 1" separation.
09h 23m 54.55s +27° 53' 54.9" P.A. 206 sep 1.4 mag 8.48,9.48 Sp F5 dist. 156.25 pc (509.69 l.y.)

ES 428 AB: 203; 205x: B pops out with averted vision, widely separated. A is white, and I can barely hold b direct. At the end of an attractive curve of four stars of similar magnitude.
09h 36m 31.37s +28° 20' 23.2" P.A. 203 sep 13.2 mag 9.30,11.20 Sp G

procyon b snafu

Over a couple of nights earlier this week I felt certain I had observed Procyon B, and posted as such on Cloudy Nights.  I used my 20-inch with apodizing mask and a 9mm orthoscopic eyepiece to which I added a piece of black tape across the field stop in a crude attempt to make an occulting eyepiece.  The bar it formed in the eyepiece had a ragged edge and was out of focus.  I determined where north and west were before starting to track, and positioned the blocked out half of the eyepiece perpendicular to north-west -- as one would do when trying to block a bright object out. I saw what I truly believed to be a "hard point" of a star about three diffraction rings out from bright A.  In fact I thought my set-up was very clever, that the ragged edge and out of focus bar was allowing more of Procyon's light to be spread and cancelled leaving an airy disk (which it did) which would reveal the B star.  As fate would have it, the spot was right where it should be, to the northwest, and it happened to be about 5" separated, which I confirmed by looking at other 5" pairs later in the night.

The following night the seeing was better and I was able to "see" Procyon B in the same set-up, and even with a barlow, and even with my 8mm Ethos with tape across the field lens.  I did rotate the eyepiece a little, trying to test for ghost images, but I only moved it a little.  Bingo, I really thought I had it.

But then I tried using a 12mm ortho with a crosshair, and I noticed the ghost image or reflection of the bright star in the eyepiece, and it moved with the eyepiece as I rotated it in the field.  I had the same issue with a 9mm Ramsden I used on Procyon a couple weeks ago, where it was showing a star just outside of Procyon's glare, but in the wrong PA (to the south east).

So I put my occulting eyepiece back in and I rotated it around and that little spot rotated too, always perpendicular to the occulting bar.  Same for the 8mm.  My heart sank.  I had to post a retraction on Cloudy Nights and apologize; and hopefully people would not follow my example.  The lesson is to really, really make sure of an extreme observation, because it's easy to be fooled.

The other problem, which I should have admitted when I first made the observation, is that B really appeared obvious and bright -- I should have known better, from my own experience, that 11th magnitude stars even on good nights from my back yard are dim, and especially so when next to bright companions.  I guess I just assumed the occulting bar had done its magic to reveal the faint B star to me.

On the bright side, Venus passed through the Pleiades these last couple of nights, and I was able to take a look first through the 80mm monocular one night and then through binoculars the next night.  Very pretty and a memorable sight.