55 Pisces 

Richard Harshaw
Star: 55 Pisces 
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): UT: 02:15 of Sept. 16, 2000 
Site classification: suburban 
Sky conditions: 
seeing-- 4/10 up to 8/10, in short spans of time 
transparency-- 8 out of 10 
limiting visual magnitude-- 5.0 mag 
Telescope: Celestron C-8 
Eyepiece: 10mm (207x) 
 
 		 Position:  0040+2126 
Magnitudes:  5.4, 8.7 
Sep/PA's:  7 + / 192 -. 
Year of last measurement:  1990 
Distance (light years):  n/a 
Luminosity (in suns):  n/a 
Eyepiece and magnification:  10mm  (207x). 
Colors noted:  Y! and B!.  Some observers report Y and B or O and B.  Webb saw them as Y! and B!. 
The primary emits strongly in the infra-red. 
First measure 6.4" @ 193. 
Rating:  3. 
 
 
 
 
Eddy O'Connor
Star: 55 Pisces 
Date & Time: 8 -10 p.m local; UT +11. Monday, September 18th 2000 
Seeing: 5-6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Transparency: 9. No Moon. Temp 18º C. Windy. 
Location of Site: Terara, New South Wales, Australia, Long.150.38 degrees; 
South 34.52. 
Site Classification: Suburban 
Sky darkness: 4.5 <Limiting magnitude> 
Instrument: 8"  F9 Dobsonian 
Magnification: 72X (25mm Kellner)		 I had a long wait for this fine double to lift off my horizon at this time. It was soon located after a star hop from the Eastern flank of Pegasus. At low altitude I found the primary yellow and the secondary Bluish with both a colour and brightness contrast in the pair. A wide  bright star (45 Pis) lies in the same field giving this double a magical effect. 

Comments: Webb finds the colours Very Yellow and Very Blue;Norton suggests Orange and Blue. The Observer's Guide agrees and gives the PA as 194. This fine star can be dedicated to the Superfish of your choice at the Homebush Aquatic Centre. 

Ambience: Twenty four hours is such a short time under the sky. Gone is the balmy, sweet-scented air of last night and  now the lively North Easter whips up everything and carried the tang of the ocean with it. Invigorating for people but not for long-tubed telescopes. I attached a flat tin full of nuts and bolts to offset the wind conditions tonight and every time I moved the tube the rattling sound suggested a companion in chain mail at my elbow. The sky was dark but seeing poor. I packed up late but pleasantly aware that I had witnessed a feast of golden doubles tonight and I remain grateful for all who so carefully and so wisely selected such Olympic trophies. 
 
 
 
Ilario Melandri
Star: 55 Pisces 
Date & Time: 21/09/2000 – 21.15 UT 
Seeing: 4 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>  
Location of site: Italy, Ravenna, San Romualdo, Lat 44 32’N Lon 12 08’E 
Elevation: 0 m 
Site classification: Rural  
Sky darkness: 5 <Limiting magnitude> 
Temperature: +13C 
Telescope: 150 mm f/15 achromatic refractor (lens by Romano Zen, Venice). 
Magnification: 140x (Plossl 16mm) 
 		 The separation is 6.5” and distance 521 light years. 
 
The distance between the two components corresponds at about 1040 Astronomical Units, more than 13 times the diameter of Pluto’s orbit 
around the Sun. 
 
 
 
 
Tim Leese
Star: 55 Pisces 
Date & Time: 28 September 2000 (20:30 UT) 
Seeing: 5-6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>  
Location of site: Cheshire. UK 
53° 15' N –2º 33' W  
Site classification: Suburban  
Sky darkness: 3 <Limiting magnitude>  
Telescope: 200mm f/6  Newtonian scope  mounted over a Vixen GP mount (manual slow motion). 
Any Quoted PA or SEP using micro guide. 
Magnification: X120  X96, X324 
  

 

 In the finder scope I located this star in the centre of a triangle of stars 
rather like the "stargate asterism" near to M104. 
 
Using a magnification of X120 the primary star appeared to be a yellow colour with the secondary a shade of blue/purple. With the microguide at X324 I attempted some measurements using Toms drift method (the easier one). From an average of 3 measures I found the secondary to be at PA 195deg with a SEP of  6.4 sec. 
 
The best view for colour contrast came from the microguide at X96 with the illuminator off. This is another first observation of this system for me and it certainly won't be the last. 
 
An excellent choice for the Olympic list. 
 
 
 
William L. Schart
Star: 55 Pisces 
Date & Time: 9/30/00 11:41 pm CDT  
Seeing: 7 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>  
Location of site: Killeen, TX (Lat 31 N, Elev 600 ft)  
Site classification: Suburban  
Sky darkness: 7 <Limiting magnitude>  
Telescope: Orion 6" Dob.  
Magnification: 32x, 72x, 98x
 
  
  		 I located this by pointing the scope in more or less the right location, then examining likely targets. I could not split this at 32x, but at 72X I could. However, the companion was too faint and tight to measure. However, the separation is well within the ball park (or should I say Olympic Stadium?), and the PA was about 180. The primary was a fairly bright yellow and the companion was greyish.