10 replies to this topic

[Chesterguy1]

Last night was about my 10th try to find that little bugger hanging out in the diffraction ring.  I had tried repeatedly and without success with my 120mm ED.  I've tried before with my 8", even on an EQ platform a few nights ago.  This time I managed to see it with the 8" at an ungodly 498x without the EQ, so constant nudging and then allowing it to drift (if the drifting was near rapids) .  I would call it my "great white whale", but it's more like a tiny white pimple.

 

You'd expect the 8" should easily split it, if I could just get improved seeing.

 

Chesterguy

[OJS]

Congratulations.

 

I think I first bagged this one in 2016 in my 128mm refractor (notes say it was "surprisingly easy at 345x"). It's getting easier. And very good seeing is essential. 

[Magnus Ahrling]

My respect to the two of you.Great obs!! 1.3" sep and mag 2.95 and 5.4 this is a real challanger. ( according to "stelle doppie") I must have tried it almost 10X with my scopes. See below!With no success. This little devil frustrates me!!
Have you observed 10 Aries? How much easier is it than Zeta Her?

All the best,
Magnus

[cildastun]

On the right night, it is fairly easy with my 180 Mak at x270 and above. With my smaller Mak 127 (119 mm clear aperture) it is a bit more of challenge - this is an image from four years ago:-

 

Chris

 

Edited by cildastun, 04 September 2018 - 05:21 PM.

[Magnus Ahrling]

Beutifull Nice little green secondary. Thanks for sharing!

 

Magnus

[Chesterguy1]

On the right night, it is fairly easy with my 180 Mak at x270 and above. With my smaller Mak 127 (119 mm clear aperture) it is a bit more of challenge - this is an image from four years ago:-

 

Chris

 

zetahercfa.jpg

My view mimicked your photo except that both A & B were a bit brighter and a little more active as they scooted through the fov. I have not tried 10 Aries.  One positive about Zeta Herculis is that it is well placed at 10 pm this time of year.

 

Chesterguy

[Chesterguy1]

Well, I confirmed my sighting of Zeta Herculis las night. Same instrument, equal or better seeing and this time on my EQ Platform. Despite not getting my platform aligned perfectly on Polaris because it was blocked by my house, I still managed enough accuracy so that, while it drifted through the EP, it wasn’t like the prior night. Still a tough split at 498x in my typical seeing. I salute those of you who are splitting it below 140mm.

 

Chesterguy

Edited by Chesterguy1, 11 September 2018 - 08:24 AM.

[lionel]

Chesterguy, congratulations on splitting Z Her.  In this game it pays to be persistent.

 

My most recent attempt was in late June with my 130 apo. It was a full moon night with average seeing for my area (P5) and Zeta Her was directly overhead.  I saw a close split at 234x with the spurious disks just touching in steady moments...a neat snowman pair. 

Edited by lionel, 20 September 2018 - 12:21 PM.

[Uwe Pilz]

I just tried to observe (split is the wrong word) this star with my 4 inch refractor. The observation was at the very limit. At 220x I saw a tiny deformation of the airy disc in the right direction.

[stf8]

Hello,

 

Here is my picture from Zëta Herculis with my LZOS 6inchs F8 APO refractor with a barlow TV 3X and ASI 224MC camera.

 

 

More information and pictures on the capture here (sorry it's in french):

http://www.astrosurf...dite-rutilicus/

 

Claude/Pringy77310/France

[Nucleophile]

I observed this double with the 8" reflector twice in recent days:

 

345x:  just split with smaller secondary appearing yellow against bright white primary; secondary appears to be sitting between first and second diffraction rings

 

314x:  when seeing permits, the yellowish secondary is seen sitting atop the primary

 

I did a few Aberrator simulations for the expected view using either my 8" or 15" reflectors; these are shown below.

 

 

The 8" inch simulation is fairly close to what I saw.  The 15" simulation shows the secondary now sitting near the second diffraction ring.  In some images I obtained recently with the 15" and an ASI 290MM camera this is pretty much what I saw.  In the composite image below the first diffraction ring appears as a fuzzy halo while second ring got washed out a bit in processing.

 

 

Edited by Nucleophile, 19 June 2019 - 08:11 PM.