Struve 2470 and 2474: Lyra’s Other Entrancing Double Double

During my teenage years, I was fascinated by the double-double star system Epsilon Lyrae. This quartet of stars greeted me on late summer nights. If only back then I knew the constellation Lyra held another double-double in its grasp. The “other” double-double is Struve 2470 and 2474. The two doubles make for an entrancing sight and are just as alluring as Epsilon Lyrae if you ask me—they lie parallel to each other with similar brightness. This enhances their allure as they appear harmoniously in the darkness of the cosmos.

My Observations

Earlier tonight, I was observing the double star Struve 2470 through my scope and was surprised to see four stars instead of the expected two. Upon closer inspection, all four stars appeared similar. I even removed my glasses to check for any defects in my eyepiece. It was only after a moment of confusion that I realized that Struve 2474 was located nearby, and together, Struve 2470 and 2474 made a “double double” star system. This experience was both surprising and fascinating. I ran into the house and called up to my wife to come look. She came out on this cold night of late autumn and enjoyed this remarkable quartet.

Key Stats

Struve 2470

Visual Magnitude	7.0 | 8.4
Separation	13.8″ | 5590 AU
Position Angle	267°
Distance from Earth	1320 ly
Designations	STE 2470, SAO 67870, HD 178849, HIP 94043

Struve 2474

Visual Magnitude	8.8 | 7.9
Separation	15.9″ | 677 AU
Position Angle	263°
Distance from Earth	160 ly
Designations	STE 2474, SAO 67875, HIP 94076

Sources and Notes

Illustration of Mintaka by Pablo Carlos Budassi is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Details here.

Sketch by Wayne McGraw