Struve 958 is a binary star in the Lynx constellation, best viewed on winter nights.
Both stars of Struve 958 shine a vibrant white at a magnitude of 6.3, making them perfect twins. This tight binary is not alone. Reports say this system actually has four stars, with the other two only known through spectroscopic studies. The stars are almost twice the size of our sun and 144 light years away from our solar system.
Historically speaking, William Herschel discovered this binary on November 13, 1782.
My Observations
| Date | January 20, 2023 |
| Time | 7:12 p.m. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Magnification | 169x |
| Scope | Meade 8″ SCT |
| Eyepiece | 12mm |
| Seeing | Below Average |
| Transparency | Below Average |
This is a brilliant pair of tight stars. I would visit a target like this to show those new to the hobby an example of a binary star.
Key Stats
| Constellation | Lynx |
| Best Viewing | Winter |
| Visual Magnitude | +6.3 | +6.3 |
| Separation | 4.5″ |
| Position Angle | 256° |
| Spectral Class | A=dF6 |
| Absolute Visual Magnitude | +3.1 |
| Distance from Earth | 144 ly |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Spur |
| My Viewing Grade | A+ |
| Designations | HR 2485, STF 958, SAO 25962 |
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
The Garden Astronomer 