Observations Under Suburban Skies
Among Cetus’ notable stars lies the binary star Struve 274, a quaint pair of white stars that are fairly easy to view in any modest backyard scope.
Struve 274’s stars are close in magnitude and color. The primary star shines at magnitude +7.5, while the nearby secondary is slightly dimmer at magnitude +7.6. The stars lie a healthy 13.7 arcseconds apart, making them an easy binary target for amateur astronomers. Also known as STF 274, HD 15695, SAO 110591, HIP 11737.
Among Cetus’ notable stars lies the binary star system of Nu Ceti also known as v Ceti and Struve 281. Nu Ceti is a magnitude 4.9 yellow star with a close dim companion star only 8 arcseconds away. Backyard astronomers will enjoy the challenge of splitting this tight pair that lies in the late autumn constellation of Cetus. The double star is also known as STF 281, Nu Cet, SAO 110635, HIP 12093, HD 16161, HR 754, v Cet.
The double star Rho Orionis, also known as SAO 112528, features a orange-colored primary in the winter constellation of Orion. The pair of stars lies closely to each other, only separated by 6.5 arcseconds in distance.
Struve 649 is a double star featuring a fairly bright primary white-blue colored variable star with a dimmer blue companion nearby. This quaint pair lie in the constellation Eridanus, the river, best viewed in winter.
The primary star in Struve 649 is a variable star lingering around the 5th magnitude. This blue-white star has a stellar classification of B8V. At a friendly distance of 21.3 arcseconds away, the secondary star is more blue in color and is much dimmer at a magnitude of +9. This pair is also known as STF 649, SAO 131806, HD 33224, HR 1671.
The binary star Struve 742, also known as HD 37013, lies near the famous Crab Nebula in the constellation Taurus and lies 220 light years from Earth. The tight pair is best viewed on winter nights with a telescope. Also known as SAO 77313.
e Tauri is a double star featuring a bright primary blue star with a dimmer secondary star in the constellation Taurus, the Bull. The magnitude +5 primary star shines blue and is classified as stellar type B3V. The dimmer viewable secondary star, at magnitude +9.8, appears white in color and is classified as a yellow-white F5V star. The two stars are separated by 9.2 arcseconds and lie 139 light years away from Earth. Also known as 30 Tau, SAO 93611, HD 23792, HR 1174, STF 452.
14 Aurigae, a prominent multi-star system in the Auriga constellation, features a bright primary star of +5 magnitude while the dimmer secondary appears blue. The stars are 286 light years away and separated by 14 arcseconds. As part of the Orion Spur in the Milky Way, 14 Aurigae provides insights into stellar evolution.
Struve 572 is a nice binary star in the constellation Taurus, the Bull, most prominent during winter evenings in the Northern Hemisphere. The pair were first observed by astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve in 1822. Modest backyard scopes should be able to split the two stars, which are only separated by 4.5 arcseconds. The double is also known as STF 572, SAO 76682, HR 1470, HD 29364.
The Garden Astronomer