In the winter constellation of Taurus, lies HR 1997, a fairly faint binary that you can see with any moderate backyard telescope. The good news is the pair of stars lie far apart, 75 arcseconds, from each other. The double is also known as SAO 77578, ADS 4392, HR 1997, HD 38693, HIP 27421, BD+20 1105.
Tag Archives: Winter
IC 348: A Stellar Nursery and Fireworks Show in Perseus
IC 348 is a beautiful star cluster wrapped in a veil of milky nebulosity. On autumn and winter nights, turn your attention to the Perseus constellation and this cosmic cradle where stars are born. It’s also known as C 0341+321, Collinder 41.
Rho Orionis (Struve 654): An Orange-Yellow Double in Orion
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: A White-Blue Primary with a Dim Blue Companion in Eridanus
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.
Struve 742 (HD 37013): A Tight Binary Star Nestled Up to the Crab Nebula
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 (Struve 452): A Blue Primary with a Dim Companion in Taurus
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 (Struve 653): A Multiple Star System in Auriga
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: A Tight White Binary Star in Taurus
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 