HD 190466, also known as Herschel 1470 (HJ 1470), is a variable double star in the constellation Cygnus. Backyard astronomers can aim for this cherry red star on late summer and autumn nights.
The astronomer John Herschel cataloged star 1470 as part of his collection of 5,500 objects recorded in the 19th century. While it appears HJ 1470 has multiple companion stars, astronomers mainly note the magnitude +9.2 secondary component that appears 29.3 arcseconds away. Also, depending on one’s field of view, it’s possible to see the famed Chapel Arch, a pretty “arch” of double stars in Cygnus.
My Observations
| Date | November 15, 2022 |
| Time | 8:23 p.m. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Magnification | 169x |
| Scope | Meade 8″ SCT |
| Eyepiece | 12mm |
| Seeing | Good |
| Transparency | Good |
HJ 1470 has been an unexpected surprise for me. I went to this region knowing the star was there, but I was searching first for the famed Chapel’s Arch, best described on Astronomy.com by Glenn Chapel. While I was interested in the arch, I found HJ 1470 to be a beautiful sight writing on my notepad: “I’m unsure why really, but I can’t take my eyes off this little red star. It’s dim but shines an almost cherry red like an ember from the local summer fires slipped into the atmosphere and stayed there floating above the frosty nights of autumn. I will visit you again HJ 1470; you deserve a better name for a star so sweet.”
Key Stats
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Best Viewing | Autumn |
| Visual Magnitude | +7.1, +9.2 |
| Separation | 29.3″ | 19,000 AU |
| Spectral Class | A=Ma, B=? |
| Absolute Visual Magnitude | -1.91 |
| Distance from Earth | 2,100 ly |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Spur |
| My Viewing Grade | A- |
Sources and Notes
Banner illustration was created by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and is under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Per ESO agreement: Here is the original image on the ESO website.
Sketch by Wayne McGraw
AKA: SAO 69335, HJ 1470
The Garden Astronomer 