Comments: 
STF 2382:  Just split at 112x.  Nicer view at 311x. It is interesting to see the difference in magnitude for two stars that spectroscopically should be identical twins! 

The orbital period may be 1,165.6 years (Guntzel-Lingner, 1956). The masses are 1.58 and 1.13 solar (2.71 solar total). 
First measure (1831) by F. W. Struve:  3" @ 26.  Phillips obtained 2.9" @ 11 in 1912. 
Star A is a spectroscopic binary of 1.58 solar masses and rotates at 200 kps; B is 1.13 solar masses. 
The stars share common proper motion. 

STF 2383:  Just split at 112x, but better at 311x. 
C is 6.74 solar masses; and D is 6.12 solar masses. 
The AB distance is at least 155 AU, CD is at least 165 AU, and the AB - CD distance is at least 13,000 AU. 

This system is a member of the Hyades group. 
The orbital period for Epsilon 1 may be 1,165 years; for Epsilon 2, 585 years (both by Guntzel-Lingner, 1956).  The separation and PA of the two Epsilons has not changed since discovery. 

The system was discovered by William Herschel in 1779, and first measured by F. W. Struve in 1831 (2.6" @ 155); Phillips got 2.3" @ 124 in 1912.  There are many more extremely faint companions too. 
This complex is a member of the Hyades Group. 
Rating:  1 
 

Using X67 tonight I got elongation with a hint of a figure of eight for
both stars. A clear split was observed using a 9mm orthoscopic eyepiece giving X134 magnification. Through this eyepiece the colours of the four stars seemed to be white.
 
 

Star: Epsilon Lyrae
Date & Time: 22nd, July, 2001. 21:00 UT
Seeing: 7-8 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Transparency: 8 <0:worst -10:best >
Location of site: Quintueles, Gijón, Spain.  43º 32N, 5º 55W. Altitude: 20 m.
Site classification: Suburban
Sky darkness: 3.0-3.5 <Limiting magnitude> 
Temperature: about 17º C
Conditions: Sky rather transparent
Telescope: Zeiss Telementor
Eyepieces: 35, 10 and 5mm Baader-Planetarium Eudiascopics
Magnification: 24x, 84x, 168x
 

Between both Epsilon-1 and Epsilon-2, GSC-3122-1635 is clearly observed at both magnifications, forming a characteristic V.

The mount is aligned with Vega using the hour angle from the program "Planetarium" for the Palm-Pilot computing platform, simply rotating the mount around its z-axis until this beautiful star enters the field.
 
 
 
 

At 84x, the small Zeiss show the typical "eight" shape for each double and the perpendicularity is clearly observed. GSC-3122-1635 is child's play at only 24x, forming one of the most characteristic "Vs" in the entire sky. At 168x the split is clean, although again, image quality doesn't reach the "standards" set in Sena de Luna.
 

Ambience: Friday 27th July was unlike any other evening's observing I have ever 
experienced here. No cloud, above average seeing, little wind, the high temperature - over 20C at midnight - and shorts and a cold drink the order of the day at the scope, the first quarter moon sinking in the West.. This can't really be northern England can it?

All down to the Azores high pushing north east and hopefully staying a while.... It makes a pleasant change from the normal succession of Atlantic lows. A pity that a neighbour's security light has jammed in the `on' position whilst he is away on holiday, but at least it is behind me when Lyra is in the eyepiece.

Description: The measures that I have carried out from the Amgle of Position and Separation to this double are the follwing:

AP: 173.17º D: 207.44"

Data Catalog WDS.
AR: 18h44m18.00s DE:+33°40'
STF137 ABxCD Epsilon.
m: 5.0-6.1/ 5.2-5.5
D: 207.7"-2.6 "-2.3"
AP:3 57° 173°94°
 

There is a fairly conspicuous star of about mag. 9 closely following.  I watched for the two fainter 'acolytes', as Smyth calls them (Herschel's debilissima), and caught glimpses of each of them using averted vision x210.  They lie either side of the axis of the main Epsilon pair.  Interestingly, I could see each only when looking for the other, and was never able to see both simultaneously.  These were momentary glimpses only, at the very limit of detection, and my observation is somewhat devalued by the fact that I had seen the drawing reproduced in later editions of Webb's Celestial Objects.  I therefore knew beforehand where to look, so that the effects of observer bias cannot be completely discounted.  Webb reports having glimpsed one and suspected the other in very fine conditions with his 3.7-inch fluid refractor which was, however, almost certainly an instrument of much inferior optical quality by comparison with my Zeiss.  In very fine air, Ward apparently saw both with 2.1 inches of aperture. He was, of course, noted for his exceptionally acute vision, and performed many prodigious feats of this kind.

I have remarked in the past that although, as a boy and a very young man, I found the wider Epsilon pair an easy naked eye split, I cannot now separate them even with the help of my spectacles.  Bessel is said by Webb to have done it "at 13", from which I infer that Bessel also lost the ability to split the two main components in later life.  At least I am in good company.
 

Using a 2x barlow from my observing companion on the 7mm gave me 138x. The result of this was more than I expected. The separations were clear and almost wide. The star-images were very clean, small dots, very different from the diffraction ringed images I'm used to.
Although the image was rather dim, it was definitely pleasing! What is happening? Is this the first step towards APO-fever?

Rating: 2

Comments: The low-power field is a delight with the two 5.5 primaries sitting at the edge of the field and then comes the task of splitting the primaries. Tonight, only the southern member detaches fitfully as it pulsates in the heavy atmosphere. Another fainter star in the field. 

The "double-double" remains one of my favorite doubles.
I guess I like the orderliness of it.  When the seeing is good
and you get good crisp separations it can be impressive.

A mag 8 star lies about half way between the two doubles
and somewhat to the south.  This is SI 37 I.