Struve 256 

Richard Harshaw
Star: Struve 256 
Location of site: Northern Kansas City, Missouri (USA) 
94d 30m west longitude, 39d 15m north latitude 
980 ft above Mean Sea Level 
Date of observations (UT): Nov 2, 2000 at 2330 
Site classification: suburban 
Sky conditions
seeing--  8 out of 10 (at times, approaching 9) 
transparency-- 7 out of 10 (high, thin and spotty clouds, taking perhaps 1magnitude from the starlight) 
limiting visual magnitude-- 4.0 mag 
Telescope: Celestron C-8 
Eyepiece: 20mm, 104x 
 
 
Year of first measurement:  AB 1831, 21.0 / 196; AC 1831, 37.0 / 44 
Year of last measurement:  1991 
Distance (light years):  2,450 
Luminosity (in suns):  237 
Eyepiece and magnification:  20mm, 104x 
Colors noted:  W, rW (??), and W. 
I thought B looked brighter than 11.06 mag. 
The pair is overpowered by the rich field, so I rated it 4. 
 
 
 
Jim Jones
Star: Struve 256
Date and Time:  02:40 UTC, 11/16/00
Seeing: 5/10 <1 worst - 10 best>
Location of Site:  Lake Oswego, Oregon
Site Classification: Suburban 
Sky Darkness: 3.5 <Limiting Magnitude>
Telescope: 8 inch LX50 SCT
Eye Piece(s):  42mm Ultima
Magnification:  47x

 
 
 

Est PA without inst....100d
No apparent color.
Companion star seems at least one magnitude dimmer than primary.  Also viewed it through 7x50 binoculars.
 
These wide doubles are tough for me.  They are so far apart that it is hard to make the connection. Using binoculars help.