43 replies to this topic

[Thomas Marshall]

The trick that I have taught people looking for the Pup is to try it at Twilight.  If you go out at night, the contrast is too much and that makes it much harder to find the Pup in the glare. 

 

Set your scope on Sirius as the sun is setting then wait until the sky is just dark enough to see some mag. 9 field stars near Sirius.  Then you can swing close to Sirius and catch the Pup before the skies darken and the glare burns your eye. 

 

For me, Sirius will be in the proper spot in mid-March, and I will take out my trusty refractor for another look.

 

Cheers,

 

Ron

Health and weather permitting, I will try this later this month. With my Lunt 102/F7.

[John Fitzgerald]

After 10 years, I finally got a very  brief glimpse of the companion and perhaps for less than two seconds.  This time of year I always take a look at Sirius as a rule and usually spend 2 minutes or so at the most.  I figure that it's a once in a lifetime moment for me.  I thank all of you for your input and congratds   Mark

If the seeing is good enough generally to have a decent chance at seeing Sirius B, or any difficult object, most times it pays off to watch for several minutes, at least, for those moments of good seeing that might reveal the object being sought after.

[skysurfer]

I tried but to no avail. I used a 4-ish inch (110mm ED) f/7 with a Vixen LV 6mm (128x), saw the diffraction rings, speckles around the very bright Sirius, sometimes a 'speckle' on the expected place (10" NE of Sirius), but if that were the Pup ?

Conditions were good, it was late at night and Sirius was still about 50 degrees high and steady air.

 

Should I try in twilight, then Sirius is even higher in the sky (60-70 degrees) ?

[R Botero]

Yes, twilight makes it easier.

[John Fitzgerald]

I tried but to no avail. I used a 4-ish inch (110mm ED) f/7 with a Vixen LV 6mm (128x), saw the diffraction rings, speckles around the very bright Sirius, sometimes a 'speckle' on the expected place (10" NE of Sirius), but if that were the Pup ?

Conditions were good, it was late at night and Sirius was still about 50 degrees high and steady air.

 

Should I try in twilight, then Sirius is even higher in the sky (60-70 degrees) ?

From 52 degrees north, Sirius never rises more than about 22 degrees in altitude.  The celestial equator is only 38 degrees high.

[skysurfer]

From 52 degrees north, Sirius never rises more than about 22 degrees in altitude.  The celestial equator is only 38 degrees high.

True, but I am in South Africa now at 33 South. On 52 North i never tried to find the Pup as it is too low in the sky.
 

[azure1961p]

It SHOULD show in that aperture. Pete

[John Fitzgerald]

True, but I am in South Africa now at 33 South. On 52 North i never tried to find the Pup as it is too low in the sky.
 

I was going by the location in your profile Loc: EU, N 52 E 6.

[Nucleophile]

Sometimes you can (briefly) see the Pup in average/below average seeing if there are stratus clouds of varying thickness passing by Sirius.  I was able to see the pup in this way the other night using my 8 inch reflector and modest power (197x). 

 

When a cloud of just the right thickness would pass, the intense glare of Sirius was sufficiently diminished to allow the companion to be seen.  Of course, if the cloud is too thick, the Pup is also occluded.  To be sure, it is a fleeting view and it helps to know what you are looking for.

 

There was a lengthy discussion here last year regarding use of polarizing filters to achieve the same effect.

 

Try it sometime.  It is a neat phenomenon and a nice way to take advantage of crummy conditions.

Edited by Nucleophile, 17 March 2023 - 01:45 PM.

[skysurfer]

Sometimes you can (briefly) see the Pup in average/below average seeing if there are stratus clouds of varying thickness passing by Sirius.  I was able to see the pup in this way the other night using my 8 inch reflector and modest power (197x). 

 

When a cloud of just the right thickness would pass, the intense glare of Sirius was sufficiently diminished to allow the companion to be seen.  Of course, if the cloud is too thick, the Pup is also occluded.  To be sure, it is a fleeting view and it helps to know what you are looking for.

 

I tried the same yesterday night. Sirius was sometimes between passing stratus clouds as well and Sirius was about 70 degrees high here in South Africa.

I sometimes thought that I really saw the Pup northeast of Sirius A. Or was it wishful thinking that is were just parts of diffraction rings ? I used a 110mm ED f/7 using a TMB Planetary 4mm (192x) and the air was rather steady allowing a sharp image.

[scout]

I finally saw the Pup for the first time tonight in my AT102EDL. I had been trying every clear night for the past two months, and tonight, finally the seeing calmed enough to see Sirius' companion blink in and out of visability amongst the glare and diffraction rings. I used my zoom and barlow to quickly slide through different powers between 100x and 200x to "fight" the seeing changes.

 

I also saw both the E and F stars in Orion's Trapezium, which was also a first for this new scope in the two months I've owned it. I had seen E several times, but F was elusive until tonight.

 

And I saw a beautiful view of Theta Aurigae too, which reminded me of Rigel and it's pinprick companion, and a nice bright double in Leo (forgot the name).

 

Very excited, since I just started double star observing this year after never really trying it with my dob. I'm sure the 10" would make double star observing much easier, but I like the pinpoint stars that my new refractor shows. And the challenge of using a smaller scope is fun too.

Edited by scout, 09 April 2023 - 01:53 AM.

[Nucleophile]

Congrats and welcome to the wonderful world of double star observations!

 

I am not terribly far from you and I concur the seeing was fantastic last night--a welcome relief from the muck of some many nights this spring.

[John Fitzgerald]

I could not come close to seeing Sirius B last night.  Seeing was mostly mediocre, clearing up for only a few seconds at a time.   I am a considerable distance NE of Dallas.

[RAKing]

Very excited, since I just started double star observing this year after never really trying it with my dob. I'm sure the 10" would make double star observing much easier, but I like the pinpoint stars that my new refractor shows. And the challenge of using a smaller scope is fun too.

 

Congrats on splitting Sirius!  Sounds like you have a wonderful little 4-incher.

 

And you might be surprised with the 10-inch Dob.  I had a woman come over to me at a star party once.  She had overheard me talking about Epsilon Lyrae, the "Double Double".  I let her take a look through my 5-inch refractor and she exclaimed, "So that's what it looks like!  I haven't been able to see it yet."  I asked her what scope she was using, and she pointed to her 12-inch Dob.

 

Yes, more aperture is great, but your Dob still has to be acclimated and collimated to beat a good refractor.

 

Congrats again!

 

Ron

[scout]

Congrats and welcome to the wonderful world of double star observations!

 

I am not terribly far from you and I concur the seeing was fantastic last night--a welcome relief from the muck of some many nights this spring.

 

Congrats on splitting Sirius!  Sounds like you have a wonderful little 4-incher.

Thanks guys! The jet stream finally left North Texas after hovering for a few weeks, and it's been cloudy a lot lately. The seeing was very good a few nights in February but I just couldn't eek out the Pup until last night. 

 

I'll also try the twilight and stratus clouds tips that you two mentioned. Not much time before Sirius and Orion get too low, so I'm glad I knocked out the Pup and the Trapezium Six.

Edited by scout, 09 April 2023 - 01:21 PM.

[Nucleophile]

 

 

I'll also try the twilight and stratus clouds tips that you two mentioned. Not much time before Sirius and Orion get too low, so I'm glad I knocked out the Pup and the Trapezium Six.

When Orion is prominent, I always use the trapezium as a seeing gauge (along with a defocused star).

When I saw F so pinpoint and bright last night I knew I was in for a special night!

[azure1961p]

Did it with my 4" ED AT. Pete

[ElGran]

I saw it for the first time today in the morning, half an hour before sunrise. Seeing is really important.

[Bill Barlow]

I saw Sirius B for the first time this spring with the 92 Stowaway at magnifications of 100-150.  It was very obvious to spot it.  I had been trying for over 10 years with various SCT’s and MAK’s from 5-12” but never saw it due to so much flaring/boiling  around Sirius that it hid the much smaller companion star.  
 

Bill