Struve 609 

Paolo Morini
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 17 nov 1998, approx 22 UTC 
Seeing:  4 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: San Romualdo, 
a little village in the country near Ravenna – Italy. 
Site classification: Suburban 
Sky darkness: 4.5  <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: Takahashi FS102 
Magnification: 164x (LE5 Tak eyepiece) 
Clearly split – faint – a little jewel in the dark of the sky. I think colors are white, but too faint to perceive colors. 

 
Chuck Layton
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: Dec. 23, 1998, 08:30 UT 
Seeing:  2 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Tacoma (WA) 
Site classification: --- 
Sky darkness: 3.6  <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: 20cm f/6 Eq. Newtonian 
Magnification: 177x
Observed Colorations of Components:  Both the primary and comes are white. Other comments:  Very close and hard to separate due to the haze layer and fog. 

 
Dave Mitsky
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time:  1/19/99 03:20 UT 
Seeing:  6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>. Transparency: ~ 4 
Location of site: ASH Naylor Observatory (http://www.msd.org/obs.htm) near Lewisberry, PA 
Site classification: Rural 
Sky darkness: ~ 5.0  <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: 17” f/15 classical Cassegrain 
Magnification: 118x, 202x, 249x 
A close (2.4") pair of 8.5 magnitude F8 stars that were split marginally at 118x. The best view of this colorless binary was at 249x.

 
Ilario Melandri
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 13/Dec/1999 – 19.16 UTC 
Seeing: 3 <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:  5.5 <Limiting magnitude>
Temperature: +2C 
Telescope: 150 mm f/15 achromatic refractor 
Magnification: 140 x (eyepiece Plossl Clavé 16 mm)

 


 
William L. Schart
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 12/26/99 9:53 pm CST
Seeing:  7 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Killeen, TX (Lat 31 N, Elev 600 ft) 
Site classification: Suburban 
Sky darkness: 4.5 <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: Orion 6" Dob. 
Magnification: 32x, 48x, 72x, 98x, 144x
 

Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 1/4/2000 9:37 pm CST
Seeing:  7 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Killeen, TX (Lat 31 N, Elev 600 ft) 
Site classification: Suburban 
Sky darkness: 4.5 <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: Orion 6" Dob. 
Magnification: 32x, 48x, 72x, 120x, 144x, 240x 
 

Easily split at 32x. Both stars are close in magnitude and appeared to be a nice blue. Separation 18", PA 272 degrees. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Questions were raised about my observation of this pair on 12/26/99. I went back and this time I feel that I have observed the correct pair. Not split at lower powers, at 72x I began to suspect elongation, at 120x suspected splitting (but maybe this was wishful thinking). I broke out the barlow and barely split it at 144x, and definately split it at 240x. 
 
 
 
 

 


 
Randall Heckman
Star:  Struve 609 
Date & Time:  12/26/99 at 2:25 UT 
Seeing: 4 
Location of Site: Heckman Observatory 
40 37' 10" N and 99 03' 50" W 
Site Classification:  Rural 
Sky Darkness (Limiting Magnitude):  5 
Telescope:  8" Orion Dob 
Magnification: 120x
Separation (Clear or Toughing): Clear 
Magnitude Comment: Seemed to be of equal magnitude 
Color Comment: White or colorless 
General Comment: Easy to find and split 
 
 

 


 
Richard Harshaw
Star: Struve 609 [ADS 3484; HD 30926] 
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): Dec 29, 1999 (0200 to 0400 UT) 
Site classification: suburban 
Sky conditions
seeing-- began at 8 out of 10, degraded to 6 by 0400 UT 
transparency-- 8 out of 10 
limiting visual magnitude—4.5 
Temperature: began at 40F, dropped to 26F by 0400; no wind at first, 
but a breeze picked up slightly as a front passed by about 0330 UT 
Telescope: Celestron C-8 
Eyepiece: 7.4 mm Plossl (270x) 
Colors of white (F8) and reddish-orange.  It came and went with the deteriorating seeing-- at times appearing as a "peanut" and at brief moments with a clean black strip between the two stars. 
 

 
David Bushard
Star: Struve 609 
Location of site: River Falls, WI (USA) 
longitude 92, latitude 45N 
elevation approx 800 ft (246 m) 
Date of observations: 29 Dec 1999, 8:00 to 11:00 pm local time (CST) 
Site classification: rural 
Sky conditions
Seeing: 6 of 10, improving later 
transparency: 6 of 10 
limiting visual magnitude: 5.2 
Temperature: 25 F (-3 C), winds light and variable 
Telescope: Meade 12" LX-200 EC 
Eyepiece: Televue 22mm Panoptic (138x), Televue 13mm Nagler (234x) 
Not split at 138x, but "peanut" shape visible.  clear split at 234x.  no 
color apparent. 
 

 


 
Thad Robosson
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 12-30-99,  3:00 to 6:30 UT (12-31-99 UT) 
Seeing: 4-5   <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of Site:  Carbondale, IL, USA 
Site Classification: Suburban/near rural 
Sky darkness: 4.7 using "stars counted in the area of" method, (Taurus)   <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: 8" f/6 Newt on Dob mount  (soon to be split ring  :-) 
Magnification: 60x, 87x 
 

 

Notched at 60x, split at 87x 
 
 

 


 
Allen Ginzburg
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 01/03/2000, 05:14 UTC 
Seeing: 8  <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of Site: Aptos, CA (USA) 
Site Classification: Suburban 
Sky darkness: 4  <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: Meade LX-200 f/10 
Magnification: 105x 

 

Clearly separated, couldn't tell which was the brighter (primary).  One 
star had a slight blue tinge, the other slightly yellow. 
 
 
 

 


 
Jay Zimmerman
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 0440, 01/14/00 UT 
Seeing: 7 - 8 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of Site:  Carbondale, IL, USA 
Site Classification: Suburban/near rural 
Sky darkness: ~4.2  <Limiting magnitude> 
Temperature: 22°F (-5.56°C) 
Telescope: 97mm, f7 apo 
Magnification: 107x, 160x 

 

Remarks: Clean split at 107x; better view at 160x.  Colors: A = B = white to slightly yellow.  Estimated PA = 80° (actual = 72°). 

A tiny, dim, "headlight" double (similar to STF 589 but dimmer). This one was a bit of trouble but worth the effort. 
 
 
 
 
 

 


 
Philippe de Jocas 
Star: Struve 609  
Date & Time: January 22, 1h00-7h300 UT 
Seeing: 3-4 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>.
Location of site: Ottawa/Hull, Canada
Site classification: Suburban 
Sky darkness: 4.5 <Limiting magnitude>
Temperature: -25C 
Telescope: 6" f5 newtonian
Magnification: 120x
609 was  resoved, but with difficulty and only when the Seeing calmed down a bit, at 120x. 

 
Jim Brownfield
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 26/01/2000, 6:30 p.m.- 11:30 p.m. EST 
Seeing: 3 – 5 (improving) <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>.
Location of site: Huntsburg, Ohio, USA
Site classification: Suburban 
Sky darkness: 6 mag., could see ST 855, going to 5th mag. star Rho  <Limiting magnitude>
Other observing conditions:  83% humidity, 16 degrees F. with 12" snow on ground going to 84% humidity, 4 degrees F.
Telescope: 13.1"/F4.5 Dobsonian, with 5" aperture mask for the brighter pairs
Magnification: 75x
split at 75x close and dim, good pairing for 13" telescope 

 
John M. Ryan
Star: Struve 609 
Date of Observation: 30/01/00 23:10UT 
Location of Observation: Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca, Spain
40º 36' N, 6º 32'W, Elev. 800 Meters 
Seeing: 7 to 8. Best so far this new year based on the Luis Arguelles method (0 - 10, 10 best)  
Site classification: Urban
Limiting Mag. (naked eye): 5
Instrument: Meade 8"SCT  
Magnification: 80x,167x
Separation (Clear or Touching):Clear Split 
Magnitude Comment:Both components about equal in accordance with the data. 
Color Comment:Both components appeared white 
General Comment:After Struve 589 this was a closer double to split but I had to go to 167x to be sure about the split. At this magnification the seeing stability could be noted with the double appearing and disappearing. The double would be stable for seconds and then disappear for seconds. Very interesting. 

 
John Clemmer
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: Feb 27/2000 2000 EST  
Seeing: 8, quite good <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Location of site: Priceville, Ontario, Canada
W80 41'41"  N44 10' 40"
Site classification: Rural 
Sky darkness: 7/10ths lowest vis. magnitude around 6.1 seen in Orion <Limiting magnitude>
Telescope: 4.5" f26 Kutter Schiefspiegler
Magnification: 108x (26mm eyepiece) 

 

clean w/ 26mm 108x 

 
G.E.O.D.A Group
Star: Struve 609 
Date & Time: 3-III-2000, 19:00-22:00 
Seeing: 7.5 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of Site: Manises, Valencia, Spain. GPS coordinates: 39º 29' 36" N, 00º 27' 56" W. 
Site Classification: Urban-Suburban 
Sky darkness: 4.5 <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: Meade 10" LX-200 SCT 
Magnification: 200x 
Published measures are the mean of two observations made from two different observers. 

d = 5.5; PA = 65