Observation by Duncan Hale-Sutton: Double star Xi Bootis

Uploaded by

Duncan Hale-Sutton

Observer

Duncan Hale-Sutton

Observed

2024 May 01 - 22:11

Uploaded

2024 May 19 - 20:01

Objects

ξ-Boo

Equipment

Orion OMC-140 Maksutov Cassegrain
Nikon D90 at prime focus
HEQ-5 mount

Exposure

5s at ISO 1600, f/14.3

Location

Neatishead, Norfolk

Target name

Double Star Xi Bootis

Title

Double star Xi Bootis

About this image

My final double star from the night of the 1st May. With the D90 at prime focus it gives about 0.59 arc seconds per pixel. This image is a crop of the original full frame. I have orientated it with north at the top and west to the right. Xi Boo A and Xi Boo B are magnitudes 4.70 and 6.97 respectively. This is a much more interesting double as it is a true binary star with an orbital period of about 152 years. An old copy of the Webb Society's Double Star Handbook had the separation as about 7.1 arcseconds and the position angle as 341 degrees averaged over the period between 1964 and 1974. In 2019 the separation was measured to be 5.2 arcseconds and the position angle 298 degrees. So quite a bit of change in 50 years! The stars are closing and the position angle is decreasing. Three measurements from this frame gave an average of 5.5 +/-0.4 arcseconds and a position angle of 291 +/-3 degrees.

Files associated with this observation

20240501_2211 Xi Bootis.jpg (116.7 kB)

Like this image

Hugh Allen, Callum Potter, Nick Hewitt

Copyright of all images and other observations submitted to the BAA remains with the owner of the work. Reproduction of work by third parties is expressly forbidden without the consent of the copyright holder. By submitting images to this online gallery, you grant the BAA permission to reproduce them in any of our publications.

Registered charity no. 210769
Registered company no. 117572

For more information including contact details, click here.

Our Terms of Use are here.

Our Privacy Policy is here.