[Double Star Log]
Last Updated 01.07.2016
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I've completed several of the observing programs offered by the Astronomical League.  My favorite is easily the Double Star Club.  Every amateur astronomer has spent countless hours observing deep sky objects such as those found in the Messier Catalog or the New General Catalog (NGC).  Double stars tend to be overlooked or merely brief stops in the star-hopping articles found in Sky & Telescope or Astronomy.  Through the Double Star Club, I gained a new appreciation for these stellar companions.  Therefore, I decided to publish my Double Star Log online in hopes of giving you an appreciation for double stars as well.

Below is the list of the 100 double and multiple stars that make up the Astronomical League's list.  I've broken the log into ten parts.  To explore my observations just click on the page number link at the top of each section.  To give you a better understanding of what each grouping looks like I created a figure for each observation.  The figures are based on my original sketches.  The separations are not to scale, but should give you a general idea of what the systems eyepiece appearance.  The colors are just my best guesses based on my notes.  To give you a sense of the magnitude differences I created the following scale:


[Magnitude Scale]

Only one star on the list is brighter than magnitude 1 (Rigel) and only two stars are fainter than magnitude 9, so that's why I set my scale for magnitudes 1 - 9.  One thing I was notoriously bad about was making a note of north on my sketches.  If you really need to know then just use the positions angles given in the list below.  My goal wasn't to keep systematic observations, but just to enjoy each double star in a purely aesthetic sense.

The only telescope I used for the Double Star Club was my Meade 10" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope.  A much smaller telescope is capable of observing most, if not all, of the double stars on the list.  In fact, I've been able to resolve several of the pairings through my Tele Vue Pronto (70 mm refractor).  All the observations were made in and around Kalamazoo County (Michigan).  Kalamazoo Township is my own backyard, which is pretty light polluted.

There are, of course, thousands of other double stars within reach of most amateur telescopes, but the objective of the Double Star Club is to introduce you to those that are easy to find and resolve.  If you want to go beyond the double stars contained in the list below then I highly recommend The Night Sky Observer's Guide (Volume 1 & 2) or Volume 1 of the Webb Society Deep-Sky Observer's Handbook (out of print).  They contain enough double and multiple systems to keep you busy for a LONG time!

So, enjoy browsing through my observations.  I hope you take the time to actually get out under a clear starry sky and check out the real thing!

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OBJECT SAO RA DEC MAGS SEP PA
Eta Cassiopeiae 21732 00h 49.1m +57° 49' 3.4, 7.5 12" 307°
65 Piscium 74295 00h 49.9m +27° 43' 6.3, 6.3 4.4" 297°
Psi 1 Piscium 74482 01h 05.6m +21° 28' 5.6, 5.8 30" 159°
Zeta Piscium 109739 01h 13.7m +07° 35' 5.6, 6.5 23" 63°
Gamma Arietis
92680 01h 53.5m +19° 18' 4.8, 4.8 7.8"
Lambda Arietis 75051 01h 57.9m +23° 36' 4.9, 7.7 37" 46°
Alpha Piscium 110291 02h 02.0m +02° 46' 4.2, 5.1 1.7" 50°
Gamma Andromedae 37734 02h 03.9m +42° 20' 2.3, 5.5 9.8" 63°
Iota Trianguli 55347 02h 12.4m +30° 18' 5.3, 6.9 3.9" 71°
Alpha Ursae Minoris 308 02h 31.8m +89° 16' 2.0, 9.0 18.4" 218°

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OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
Gamma Ceti 110707 02h 43.3m +03° 14' 3.5, 7.3 2.8" 294°
Eta Persei 23655 02h 50.7m +55° 54' 3.8, 8.5 28.3" 300°
Struve 331 23763 03h 00.9m +52° 21' 5.3, 6.7 12.1" 85°
32 Eridani 130805 03h 54.3m -02° 57' 4.8, 6.1 6.8" 347°
Chi Tauri 76573 04h 22.6m +25° 38' 5.5, 7.6 19.4" 24°
1 Camelopardalis 24672 04h 32.0m +53° 55' 5.7, 6.8 10.3" 308°
55 Eridani 131442 04h 43.6m -08° 48' 6.7, 6.8 9.2" 317°
Beta Orionis 131907 05h 14.5m -08° 12' 0.1, 6.8 9.5" 202°
118 Tauri 77201 05h 29.3m +25° 09' 5.8, 6.6 4.8" 204°
Delta Orionis 132220 05h 32.0m -00° 18' 2.2, 6.3 52.6" 359°

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OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
Struve 747 132298 05h 35.0m -06° 00' 4.8, 5.7 35.7" 223°
Lambda Orionis 112921 05h 35.1m +09° 56' 3.6, 5.5 4.4" 43°
Theta 1 Orionis - 05h 35.3m -05° 23' 6.7, 7.9, 5.1, 6.7 8.8", 13", 21.5" 31°, 132°, 96°
Iota Orionis 132323 05h 35.4m -05° 55' 2.8, 6.9 11.3" 141°
Theta 2 Orionis 132322 05h 35.4m -05° 25' 5.2, 6.5 52" 92°
Sigma Orionis 132406 05h 38.7m -02° 36' 4.0, 7.5, 6.5 12.9", 43" 84°, 61°
Zeta Orionis 132444 05h 40.8m -01° 57' 1.9, 4.0, 9.9 2.4", 58" 162°, 10°
Gamma Leporis 170759 05h 44.5m -22° 27' 3.7, 6.3 96" 350°
Theta Aurigae 58636 05h 59.7m +37° 13' 2.6, 7.1 3.6" 313°
Epsilon Monocerotis 113810 06h 23.8m +04° 36' 4.5, 6.5 13.4" 27°

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OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
Beta Monocerotis 133316 06h 28.8m -07° 02' 4.7, 5.2 7.3" 132°
12 Lyncis 25939 06h 46.2m +59° 27' 5.4, 7.3 8.7" 308°
Epsilon Canis Majoris 172676 06h 58.6m -28° 58' 1.5, 7.4 7.5" 161°
Delta Geminorum 79294 07h 20.1m +21° 59' 3.5, 8.2 6.8" 211°
19 Lyncis 26311 07h 22.9m +55° 17' 5.6, 6.5 14.8" 315°
Alpha Geminorum 60198 07h 34.6m +31° 53' 1.9, 2.9 2.2" 171°
Kappa Puppis 174198 07h 38.8m -26° 48' 4.5, 4.7 9.9" 318°
Zeta Cancri 97645 08h 12.2m +17° 39' 5.6, 6.0 5.9" 89°
Iota Cancri 80415 08h 46.7m +28° 46' 4.2, 6.6 30" 307°
38 Lyncis 61391 09h 18.8m +36° 48' 3.9, 6.6 2.7" 229°

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OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
Alpha Leonis 98967 10h 08.4m +11° 58' 1.4, 7.7 177" 307°
Gamma Leonis 81298 10h 20.0m +19° 51' 2.2, 3.5 4.4" 122°
54 Leonis 81583 10h 55.6m +24° 45' 4.5, 6.3 6.5" 110°
N Hydrae 179967 11h 32.3m -29° 16' 5.8. 5.9 9.2" 210°
Delta Corvi 157323 12h 29.9m -16° 31' 3.0, 9.2 24.2" 214°
24 Comae Berenices 100160 12h 35.1m +18° 23' 5.2, 6.7 20.3" 271°
Gamma Virginis 138917 12h 41.7m -01° 27' 3.5, 3.5 3.6" 293°
32 Camelopardalis 2101 12h 49.2m +83° 25' 5.3, 5.8 21.6' 326°
Alpha Canum Venaticorum 63256 12h 56.0m +38° 19' 2.9, 5.5 19.4" 229°
Zeta Ursae Majoris 28737 13h 23.9m +54° 56' 2.3, 4.0, 4.0 14.4", 709" 152°, 71°

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OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
Kappa Boötis 29045 14h 13.5m +51° 47' 4.6, 6.6 13.4" 236°
Iota Boötis 29071 14h 16.2m +51° 22' 4.9, 7.5 38" 33°
Pi Boötis 101138 14h 40.7m +16° 25' 4.9, 5.8 5.6" 108°
Epsilon Boötis 83500 14h 45.0m +27° 04' 2.5, 4.9 2.8" 339°
Alpha Librae 158836 14h 50.9m -16° 02' 2.8, 5.2 231" 314°
Xi Boötis 101250 14h 51.4m +19° 06' 4.7, 7.0 6.9" 332°
Delta Boötis 64589 15h 15.5m +33° 19' 3.5, 8.7 105" 79°
Mu Boötis 64686 15h 24.5m +37° 23' 4.3, 7.0 108" 171°
Delta Serpentis 101623 15h 34.5m +10° 32' 4.2, 5.2 3.9" 178°
Zeta Coronae Borealis 64833 15h 39.4m +36° 38' 5.1, 6.0 6.3" 305°

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OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
Xi Scorpii 159665 16h 04.4m -11° 22' 4.8, 7.3 7.6" 51°
Struve 1999 159670 16h 04.4m -11° 27' 7.4, 8.1 11.6" 99°
Beta Scorpii 159682 16h 05.4m -19° 48' 2.6, 4.9 13.6" 21°
Kappa Herculis 101951 16h 08.1m +17° 03' 5.3, 6.5 28" 12°
Nu Scorpii 159763 16h 12.0m -19° 28' 4.3, 6.4 41" 337°
Sigma Coronae Borealis 65165 16h 14.7m +33° 52' 5.6, 6.6 6.2" 233°
16 / 17 Draconis 30012 16h 36.2m +52° 55' 5.4, 6.4, 5.5 3.4", 90" 108°, 194°
Mu Draconis 30239 17h 05.3m +54° 28' 5.7, 5.7 2.0" 42°
Alpha Herculis 102680 17h 14.6m +14° 23' 3.5, 5.4 4.7" 107°
Delta Herculis 84951 17h 15.0m +24° 50' 3.1, 8.2 8.9" 236°

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OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
36 Ophiuchi 185199 17h 15.3m -26° 36' 5.1, 5.1 4.4" 154°
Omicron Ophiuchi 122387 17h 18.0m -24° 17' 5.4, 6.9 10.3" 355°
Rho Herculis 66000 17h 23.7m +37° 09' 4.6, 5.6 4.1" 316°
Nu Draconis 30447 17h 32.2m +55° 11' 4.9, 4.9 62" 312°
Psi Draconis 8890 17h 41.9m +72° 09' 4.9, 6.1 30.3" 15°
40 / 41 Draconis 8994 18h 00.2m +80° 00' 5.7, 6.1 19.3" 232°
95 Herculis 85647 18h 01.5m +21° 36' 5.0, 5.1 6.3" 258°
70 Ophiuchi 123107 18h 05.5m +02° 30' 4.2, 6.0 2.8" 72°
Epsilon Lyrae 67310 18h 44.3m +39° 40' 5.0, 6.1, 5.2, 5.5 208", 2.6", 2.3" 357°, 94°, 173°
Zeta Lyrae 67321 18h 44.8m +37° 36' 4.3, 5.9 44" 150°

- - - - - Page 9 - - - - -

OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
Beta Lyrae 67451 18h 50.1m +33° 22' 3.4, 8.6 46" 149°
Struve 2404 104170 18h 50.8m +10° 59' 6.9, 8.1 3.6" 183°
Otto Struve 525 67566 18h 54.9m +33° 58' 6.0, 7.7 45" 350°
Theta Serpentis 124068 18h 56.2m +04° 12' 4.5, 5.4 22.3" 104°
Beta Cygni 87301 19h 30.7m +27° 58' 3.1, 5.1 34.4" 54°
57 Aquilae 143898 19h 54.6m -08° 14' 5.8, 6.5 36" 170°
31 Cygni 49337 20h 13.6m +46° 44' 3.8, 6.7, 4.8 107", 337" 173°, 323°
Alpha Capricorni 163422 20h 18.1m -12° 33' 3.6, 4.2 378" 29°
Beta Capricorni 163481 20h 21.0m -14° 47' 3.4, 6.2 206" 267°
Gamma Delphini 106475 20h 46.7m +16° 07' 4.5, 5.5 9.6" 268°

- - - - - Page 10 - - - - -

OBJECT
SAO
RA
DEC
MAGS
SEP
PA
61 Cygni 70919 21h 06.9m +38° 45' 5.2, 6.0 28" 146°
Beta Cephei 10057 21h 28.7m +70° 34' 3.2, 7.9 13.3" 249°
Struve 2816 33626 21h 39.0m +57° 29' 5.6, 7.7, 7.8 11.7", 20" 121°, 339°
Epsilon Pegasi 127029 21h 44.2m +09° 52' 2.4, 8.4 142" 320°
Xi Cephei 19827 22h 03.8m +64° 38' 4.4, 6.5 7.7" 277°
Zeta Aquarii 146107 22h 28.8m -00° 01' 4.3, 4.5 1.8" 266°
Delta Cephei 34508 22h 29.2m +58° 25' 3.9, 6.3 191.9" 192°
8 Lacertae 72509 22h 35.9m +39° 38' 5.7, 6.5 22.4" 186°
94 Aquarii 165625 23h 19.1m -13° 28' 5.3, 7.3 12.7" 350°
Sigma Cassiopeiae 35947 23h 59.0m +55° 45' 5.0, 7.1 3" 326°


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