#12 Seeing Double

 20/12/2020

   Up to now on The Grand Tour I have only observed one double star; and that was an all to superficial glance at the showpiece double Beta Cygni. There are in fact 89 doubles on the list so tonight I decided it was time to hunt down a few more starting with three in Aries. All observed visually with the 8" SCT  f10 x210.

Gamma Arietis   Both components are magnitude 4.8  and separated by 8".  Both appear white with maybe a hint of yellow

Lambda Arietis  Separated by 37" with components of magnitude 4.9 and 7.7. The primary is a golden yellow colour and to me the secondary has a lavender blue tint.

1 Arietis   Very widely separated by about 3'  and magnitudes 6.2 and 7.4.  The primary has  a golden yellow tint and the secondary white / blue but the colours are not so obvious as Lamda just observed. 

.   A quick trip to Andromeda now with my wide field eyepiece x60 to observe Open Cluster               NGC 752  At 50' across this large cluster fills the field of view. The brightest star on view is orange and terminates the southern end. A white double terminates the northern end. The main body of the cluster sprawls out between these and is moderately rich. No fainter stars are hinted at with averted vision.

 The Infinity video camera was now attached for some galaxy hunting.

NGC 672  Spiral galaxy in Triangulum with what appears to be a diffuse elongated core. Forms a nice group with at least two other galaxies rather like the Leo triplet but fainter.

NGC 925  Barred spiral galaxy also in Triangulum. Elongated and also has a diffuse, spread out central area. Faint spiral arms are visible. A bright spot near the centre is, I guess, a foreground star.

   I never associated Perseus with galaxies but two rather fine ones make my list.

NGC 1275 and Perseus Galaxy Cluster

 NGC 1275  Magnitude 12 galaxy classed as peculiar but appears like an elliptical with a bright core. Brightest member of compact cluster of galaxies with at least 10 in the field of view. Apparently the closest super cluster  to Virgo.

NGC 1023  Magnitude 9.4 elliptical galaxy with a very impressive, bright core.

 Staying in Perseus for two fine Open Clusters.

NGC 1245

 NGC 1245  Very rich in relatively faint stars and fairly compressed. Has chains of stars curving away from centre rather like a loose globular.

 NGC 1513  Rich group of stars of varying magnitudes elongated north to south.

 To finish of the evening I had another look at Comet M3 Atlas.

Comet M3 Atlas

Well condensed nucleus with tail fading away to north - east. Around magnitude 10.