Theta Eridani

Eddy O'connor
Star: Theta Eridani
Date & Time:
Seeing: 6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Transparency: 9 <1-10 Scale (10 best)>
Location of site: Terara, New South Wales, Australia,
Long.150º.38 ; Dec. S 34º.52.

Site classification: Suburban
Conditions
:
slight breeze. Moon set.
Sky darkness:  <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: 8" Newt. F9
Eyepieces: 12mm Plossl,18mm Ultima Celestron
Magnification:
 
This star forms a wide triangle with I and S Eri and is impressive.

A comfortable 2.8 and 3.9 pair at a wide 8.3" makes a beautiful White
and  Light Blue combination at low power. Unfortunately is lies 40º
South.

Always willing to be diverted under the starry dome, at this stage I
was coaxed over the border to Fornax where I managed to pick up two
glowing star cities in the Fornax 1 Galaxy Cluster. The large(8.1' X
7.6') NGC 1399 glowed clearly as a slightly oval mag. 8.8 object,
while the fainter NGC 1387  at 10.8 mag. and 3.1'X 2.8'was faint but
obvious. Back to the doubles.

 


Luis Balanzino
Star: Theta Eridani
Date & Time: November 13 and 14, 2004, 1h to 4h UT
Seeing: 5 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Transparency: 5 <1-10 Scale (10 best)>
Location of site: Cordoba, Argentina
31.400 S, 64.183 W

Site classification: Urban area with considerable light pollution
Temperature: 20ºC
Moon: none
Sky darkness: 4 <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: TAL-1 eq. reflector (110mm f/7.3)
Eyepieces: 25mm TAL Plossl, 15mm TAL Kellner, 10 mm TAL Plossl, 3x
TAL Barlow

Magnification: 32x, 54x, 80x, 96x, 161x
 

Also catalogued as Dunlop 9 and Piazzi 2. Known as Acamar, was the river’s end in ancient times. A splendid pair, a gem of the southern sky and one of the best in the whole heavens, and in my opinion the most beautiful in Eridanus.


I consider the four best pairs in Eridanus:
1) Theta Eridani
2) f Eridani (Dunlop 16), a beautiful bluish pair not far from Theta
3) p Eridani (Dunlop 5), close to Achernar in the far south of the constellation, a lovely pair of yellow stars
4) 32 or w Eridani one of the best color contrast in the sky.


Theta itself has very bright components, quite close, both stars brilliant white or slightly greenish, sometimes this pair remembers Mizar to me. Yet split at 32x, it looks better at 54x and 80x.

 


(c) 1998-2004 The Spirit of 33