6-inh f/15 second light

I traced the shakiness I observed in the 6-inch refractor to the wooden tripod mount I built.  There was inadequate lateral support in the top where it met with the adapter plate.  With so much weight at the top end and such a solid connection to the ground, the middle/top of the tripod was the weakest point and the top could not help but vibrate.  So I tore the tripod apart and used the wood to build a tall table or stand type of structure, using steel connectors usually used to build tall hunting blinds.  I reused the cast aluminum tripod that came with the Byers, and strapped it to the stand with plumbing straps.  Each leg is staked to the ground with #5 rebar.  Not it is totally steady and there is no vibration from the support, only from any backlash in the gears.  I impressed myself with the polar alignment because the tracking is amazingly good -- I can hold Jupiter in the center of the field as it rises in the east, a very difficult test.  I used the scope the last couple of nights to get used to it and will make some refinements (like dressing the wires, adding the setting circles, etc.).  But I'm very happy it's done.

Seeing and transparency were not very good either night, but in any case this is the scope I'll use for these mediocre nights -- but especially for solar observing.  The star test looked really good, and the star images are all I can ask for.  I'm looking forward to many productive years with this scope.

STT 371 AB-C: 152;  104x: Nice close 2 delta white stars.  Not physical.  Power too low to notice AB is 0.9" 7.05/7.55 and physical.

19h 15m 56.96s +27° 27' 21.4" P.A. 269.00 sep 47.2 mag 7.03,9.77 Sp B8V dist. 277.01 pc (903.61 l.y.)

M56: Haze of faint stars with some brighter scattered ahead of them, fairly large a half field of view.  

M57: Ring Nebula, can see the annulus and one side thicker/brighter, and a light grey-green color.

BU 648 AB: 152; 104x: Fairly bright red-orange star, B resolves as a very tiny point inside A's diffraction.

STF 2461 AB: 152; 175x: Elongation only up to 380x

19h 07m 25.58s +32° 30' 06.2" P.A. 281.00 sep 3.2 mag 5.26,9.10 Sp F0V dist. 41.58 pc (135.63 l.y.)

BU 975 BC: 152; 175x: Fine split, near equal white.  No data on the B star in Gaia.  Components of STF 2351.

19h 14m 29.16s +34° 33' 51.0" P.A. 262.00 sep 1.0 mag 9.70,9.80 Sp K0V dist. 66.58 pc (217.18 l.y.)

STF 2362 AB: 152; 175x: 1 delta mag, blue-white A and ruddy B, well split.  WDS is uncertain but this is probably gravitationally bound: 28% parallax overlap, 428 AU weighted separation, 1.72/1.32 solar masses.

18h 38m 25.70s +36° 03' 11.3" P.A. 187.00 sep 4.4 mag 7.53,8.72 Sp A5 dist. 105.26 pc (343.36 l.y.)

 

STT 525 AB: 152; 285x: Suspected at 175x, best seen 285x.  Orange A, subtle elongation to notched with best seeing, unequal.  Wide SHJ 282 AC also seen.  WDS uncertain but there is a -34% parallax overlap, so it's not possible to be.

18h 54m 52.52s +33° 58' 06.9" P.A. 130.00 sep 1.8 mag 6.14,9.12 Sp A8+G5III dist. 358.42 pc (1169.17 l.y.)

STF 2481 A-BC: 152; 175x: Near equal, white, wide.  BC is SE 2 and 0.2" 8.31/9.40 63-year period -- a great target for my 20-inch.  

19h 11m 07.90s +38° 46' 48.4" P.A. 18.00 sep 4.8 mag 8.39,8.31 Sp G6V dist. 52.85 pc (172.4 l.y.)

STF 2469 AB: 152; 175x: Faint A and very faint, 2 delta mag B, split with seeing with 175x, a steady and close split with 285x.  WDS is uncertain but it very likely is gravitationally bound: 30% parallax overlap, 181 AU weighted average, stellar mass 1.85/1.43.

19h 07m 47.60s +38° 55' 41.6" P.A. 126.00 sep 1.3 mag 7.93,9.13 Sp A3 dist. 139.08 pc (453.68 l.y.)

STF 2534 AB: 152; 175x: Very slight magnitude difference, blue-white, wide.  WDS is uncertain, but there is -38% parallax overlap, so it is not.

19h 27m 40.63s +36° 31' 44.4" P.A. 63.00 sep 6.9 mag 8.21,8.39 Sp B9III dist. 900.9 pc (2938.74 l.y.)

STF 2624 AB: 152; 175x: Very slightly unequal magnitude, close white stars.  WDS uncertain, but there is 22% overlap and a rather wide 4,020 AU weighted separation, and very high stellar mass 8.58/7.70 -- so maybe

20h 03m 29.42s +36° 01' 28.6" P.A. 174.00 sep 1.9 mag 7.09,7.73 Sp O9.5IIIe dist. 862.07 pc (2812.07 l.y.)

STT 394 AB: 152; 175x: Light orange A and a faint wide companion.  WDS calls it physical, no data for B in Gaia.

20h 00m 11.43s +36° 24' 50.8" P.A. 294.00 sep 11.0 mag 7.14,10.27 Sp K1III dist. 152.44 pc (497.26 l.y.)

STF 2609 AB: 152; 175x: Wide 1 delta mag.  WDS is uncertain, 3% parallax range overlap, 660 AU weighted separation, 3.81/3.01 stellar mass -- maybe.

19h 58m 34.37s +38° 06' 20.8" P.A. 22.00 sep 1.9 mag 6.69,7.64 Sp B5IV dist. 440.53 pc (1437.01 l.y.)

STF 2666 AB: 152; 175x: 2 delta mag, quite close, white A and bluish B.  WDS uncertain, 32% overlap, 2,749 AU weighted separation, very high stellar mass 7.63/4.80 -- likely to be gravitationally bound. 

20h 18m 06.99s +40° 43' 55.6" P.A. 245.00 sep 2.8 mag 5.96,8.24 Sp O9IV+B1.5 dist. 595.24 pc (1941.67 l.y.)

STF 2663 AB: 152; 175x: Pretty close near equal.  WDS uncertain, 3% parallax overlap, 3,216 AU weighted average, high stellar mass 3.60/3.09.

20h 16m 48.53s +39° 41' 50.4" P.A. 323.00 sep 5.4 mag 8.20,8.66 Sp A0II dist. 2702.7 pc (8816.21 l.y.)

BU 677 AB: 152; 285x: Did not see the 10th magnitude companion, 4.94 mag primary.

20h 47m 10.72s +34° 22' 26.8" P.A. 120.00 sep 10.0 mag 4.94,10.03 Sp K3III dist. 136.43 pc (445.03 l.y.)

STT 413 AB: 152; 175x: Very unequal mag snowman.  Physical with an 800-year period.

20h 47m 24.53s +36° 29' 26.7" P.A. 0.10 sep 0.9 mag 4.73,6.26 Sp B5Ve dist. 235.85 pc (769.34 l.y.)

STF 2736 AB: 152; 175x: 52 Cyg, the Veil Nebula double.  Dramatic light orange A and very faint, wide blue B.  WDS uncertain, 61% parallax overlap, 1,058 AU weighted separation, 2.07/1.62 stellar mass, likely gravitational.
20h 56m 43.74s +12° 59' 33.8" P.A. 219.00 sep 5.3 mag 8.34,9.36 Sp F2 dist. 294.99 pc (962.26 l.y.)

BU 67 AB: 152; 175x: Very faint B, with seeing and averted vision only.  WDS uncertain, but -8% parallax overlap.  Burnham discovered with his 6-inch.  

20h 50m 36.05s +30° 54' 45.7" P.A. 310.00 sep 1.5 mag 6.85,9.87 Sp A8III dist. 120.05 pc (391.6 l.y.)

STT 418 AB: 152; 285x: Incredibly fine split, near equal.  Suspected at 175x.  Physical with a 709-year period.

20h 54m 49.84s +32° 42' 23.2" P.A. 283.20 sep 0.9 mag 8.23,8.27 Sp G0 dist. 60.72 pc (198.07 l.y.)