Observation by Mike Harlow: SS Cygni spectrum

Uploaded by

Mike Harlow

Observer

Mike Harlow

Observed

2026 Jul 19 - 23:00

Uploaded

2026 Jul 20 - 09:43

Objects

Spectrum

Equipment

12 inch F/3.6 astrograph
ASI6200MM CMOS camera, no filter
26cm, 3 degree objective prism

Exposure

20 x 10 seconds

Location

Ipswich, UK

Target name

SS Cygni

Title

SS Cygni spectrum

About this image

More fun with spectroscopy...

A 1 x 1.5 degree field in Cygnus containing SS Cygni as seen through an objective prism. The cataclysmic variable is towards the centre left hand side and shows the characteristic hydrogen Balmer series emission lines of the system at minimum (mag 11.5). Interestingly, there is another emission line object in the field at the lower right hand side shown by the red bar. Anyone know what it is, I haven't checked yet.

Nothing really new here...David Boyd did a very nice study of SS Cyg throughout an outburst in 2013. The spectrum above is at the same phase as Boyd's spectrum 'f'. There are also similar sequences of spectra shown in Hellier's 2001 book "Cataclysmic Variable Stars" figures 3.6 and 5.11.

Files associated with this observation

SS_Cyg_spectrum_20260719.jpg (1.6 MB)

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