8 february 2022

Bad news on the 6-inch, the RA motor seems to be malfunctioning.  It makes a loud clacking noise and has an electrical-sounding buzz when I try to slew.  It still tracks and I'll use it for solar observing for the time being.  I bought that motor used, thinking to save money, but I suppose the seller offloaded a bum unit on me.  I've ordered two new ones from Hurst and also ordered replacement belts for the encoders, so I'll be forced into doing the maintenance. 

Last night I observed the moon for a while at 20-inches.  The Leica zoom is perfect for this observing, as I can take in the scene then zoom in for more detail.  The TPAS seemed to help.  Seeing did not hold up after 9pm when it started to get cold, and a thin marine haze blew in.  I masked to 7-inches and went after some easy doubles.  I decided to clean up some Struves I haven't observed in Gem, CMi, and Cnc -- at least ones with <15" separation as that was the upper limit of my list.  Knocked them all off... 

STF1007 AB: 178; 150x: A is white and has a near equal very wide companion (AD, 7.43/7.74 67.7").  AB is faint, 4 Dm, and around 15", I needed to use averted vision at first but then could hold it.  Not physical.
07h 00m 37.12s +12° 43' 24.2" P.A. 300.00 sep 14.6 mag 7.43,11.40 Sp A2V dist. 280.11 pc (913.72 l.y.)

BU 100 AB: B is quite faint, 4 Dm, can see it direct vision, and very close to the white primary star, around 3".  Very nice looking pair.  Burnham discovered with his 6-inch.  WDS uncertain, but there is a good chance it is binary: 35% parallax overlap, 2,277 AU weighted separation, and high solar mass 5.16/2.46.
07h 00m 56.55s +12° 24' 00.4" P.A. 259.00 sep 3.4 mag 7.34,11.10 Sp K0

STF1008 AB: 178; 150x: B is very closely split, around 2", and about 1 Dm.  WDS uncertain, but it is a good possibility to be binary: 63% parallax range overlap, 1,240 AU weighted separation, 2.96/2.14 Msol.
07h 01m 36.12s +26° 34' 25.3" P.A. 272.00 sep 2.3 mag 8.70,9.96 Sp B9

STF1012 AB: 178; 150x: Wide, 1 Dm.  WDS calls it physical and likely this is correct: 21% parallax range overlap, 1,050 AU weighted separation, 1.10/0.94 Msol--however lacking radial velocity data for the secondary.
07h 04m 54.51s +28° 07' 01.3" P.A. 168.00 sep 12.8 mag 9.20,9.83 Sp G0

STF1116 AB: 178; 150x: Fine hairline split at 150s.  B is orange color, closely split about 2", more than 1 Dm.  WDS uncertain, but they don't share parallax ranges (-25%), so these are not binary.
07h 34m 32.02s +12° 18' 16.9" P.A. 95.00 sep 1.7 mag 7.81,8.50 Sp B8 dist. 248.14 pc (809.43 l.y.)

STF1047 A-BC: 178; 150x: The A-BC pair is easy, wide, nearly 2 Dm.  BC not seen.  Not physical.

07h 14m 20.05s +15° 45' 33.5" P.A. 30.00 sep 24.1 mag 8.07,9.66 Sp A5III

STF1046 AB: 178; 150x: B is wide and faint, needed averted vision to detect it, then can hold direct.  Not physical.
07h 14m 38.43s +14° 33' 41.1" P.A. 244.00 sep 9.3 mag 9.41,12.50 Sp A4V

STF1155 AB: 178; 150x: Faint and wide B.  BC is a near equal 0.5" pair, COU1111.
07h 54m 28.38s +26° 10' 01.9" P.A. 343.00 sep 16.8 mag 8.67,10.40 Sp K2 dist. 694.44 pc (2265.26 l.y.)

STF1143 AB: 178; 150x: Very faint, barely there, seen with averted vision only.  Well separated around 10".  WDS uncertain, and I don't find Gaia data for the secondary.

07h 48m 03.42s +05° 24' 35.5" P.A. 152.00 sep 9.3 mag 6.60,11.00 Sp K0 dist. 254.45 pc (830.02 l.y.)

STF1134 AB: 178; 150x: White A and very faint B, well separated around 10".  WDS claims physical, though I don't find Gaia data for the secondary.
07h 43m 31.09s +03° 29' 09.8" P.A. 147.00 sep 9.6 mag 7.07,10.38 Sp F8 dist. 50.94 pc (166.17 l.y.)

STF1114 AB: 178; 150x: Well split, half delta mag.  WDS says physical, however they do not share parallax ranges (-82%) so they are not binary.
07h 33m 41.76s +09° 17' 18.0" P.A. 52.00 sep 6.4 mag 9.23,9.99 Sp G5

STF1103 AB: 178; 150x: Ice blue-white A and Dm B, well separated.  WDS uncertain, however the chances are good it is binary: 41% parallax range overlap, 931 AU weighted separation, 2.75/1.93 Msol.
07h 30m 33.61s +05° 15' 16.8" P.A. 245.00 sep 4.2 mag 7.12,8.64 Sp B9 dist. 187.62 pc (612.02 l.y.)

STF1099 AB: 178; 150x: White stars, near equal, good split.  WDS uncertain, but they do not share parallax ranges (-47%), so they are not binary.
07h 29m 25.86s +11° 31' 44.5" P.A. 344.00 sep 3.9 mag 8.54,8.94 Sp A0

STF1063 BC: Near equal faint stars, well separated around 7".  WDS says physical, and they probably are: 59% parallax range overlap, 2,885 AU weighted separation, 1.80+1.65 Msol. 
07h 18m 02.98s +04° 21' 03.8" P.A. 208.00 sep 7.1 mag 10.42,10.95

STF1168 AB: 178; 150x: Bright white A and very much fainter B, closely split, can just see direct.  BV CMi, WDS is uncertain, however their parallax ranges do not overlap (-77%), so they are not binary.
07h 58m 45.18s +05° 37' 23.8" P.A. 218.00 sep 6.0 mag 6.97,14.60 Sp B9 dist. 1086.96 pc (3545.66 l.y.)

STF1185 AB: 178; 150x: Faint but pretty pair, nearly 1 Dm, close but nice split.  WDS says physical, and the parallax range do overlap (24%), there is a modest 348 AU weighted separation, and 1.06+0.93 Msol, and the delta in radial velocities (0.21) is less than the escape velocity (3.18), so they are indeed very likely to be binary.
08h 07m 07.38s +01° 20' 46.5" P.A. 94.00 sep 3.8 mag 9.59,10.26 Sp K0

STF1194 AB: 178; 150x: White stars, B is very closely separated around 3", and very faint.  WDS says not physical, however there is 12% parallax range overlap, 2,192 AU weighted separation, and 2.91+2.21 Msol, so it is possible they could be binary.
08h 10m 27.54s +01° 55' 03.5" P.A. 319.00 sep 3.3 mag 9.40,10.70 Sp A2

STF1167 AB: 178; 150x: Faint but well separated pair, 1 Dm.  WDS uncertain, but there is no parallax range overlap (-56%), so they are not binary.
07h 58m 34.29s +16° 28' 09.3" P.A. 229.00 sep 12.2 mag 9.79,11.80 Sp G0

STF1179 AB: 178; 150x: Faint, near equal, wide.  Not physical.
08h 04m 44.84s +12° 04' 22.9" P.A. 202.00 sep 23.4 mag 10.19,9.95 Sp G0

STF1191 AB: 178; 150x: Near equal white stars, pretty close.  WDS says not physical, however they share parallax ranges (16%), only 552 AU weighted separation, 1.19+1.10 Msol, and the radial velocity delta (0.1) is less than the escape velocity (2.71), so they are likely binary.
08h 10m 47.59s +19° 01' 51.9" P.A. 77.00 sep 3.6 mag 10.30,10.80 Sp G5

STF1202 AB: 178; 205x: White A, faint B seen best with higher magnification, very closely separated around 3".
08h 13m 34.20s +10° 50' 49.7" P.A. 305.00 sep 2.7 mag 7.37,9.61 Sp F7V dist. 77.28 pc (252.09 l.y.)

STF1206 AB: 178; 150x: Near equal, pretty wide.  WDS uncertain, but they do not share parallax ranges (-70%), so they are not binary.
08h 14m 41.20s +07° 10' 42.4" P.A. 200.00 sep 11.7 mag 9.90,10.38 Sp A2

STF1214 A-BC: 178; 150x: Faint, very close around 5".  BC not seen.  WDS not physical, and they do not share parallax ranges (-84%).  Also, the BC pair, BU 1320, is also not physical in spite of the the 0.6" separation, as this pair also does not share parallax ranges (-58%)
08h 20m 12.15s +17° 00' 19.4" sep 4.8 mag 10.70,11.00 Sp F8

STF1218 AB: 178; 150x: B is very faint, and just hold it direct, 2 Dm, well split around 4".  WDS says physical, and they do share parallax ranges (34%), 1,281 AU weighted separation, 1.81+1.38 Msol, however the radial velocity delta (3.28) exceeds the escape velocity (2.1), so these are not or will not remain binary.
08h 23m 27.70s +23° 10' 47.6" P.A. 268.00 sep 4.1 mag 9.76,11.30 Sp F2

STF1221 AB: 178; 150x: B is faint 1 Dm, well split around 5".  WDS uncertain, however they share parallax ranges (18%), 2,112 AU weighted separation, 1.94+1.63 Msol, so might be binary.

08h 24m 35.10s +13° 40' 12.2" P.A. 110.00 sep 4.9 mag 10.40,11.60