Bos 1

Eddy O'connor
Star: Bos 1 (Beta 2; Dunlop 226?)
Date & Time: Tuesday, July 16th  2001
7.30 -9p.m local; UT +9
Seeing: 7 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>. 
Transparency: 7/10 
Location of site: Terara, New South Wales, Australia
Long.150º.38 ; Dec. S 34º.52. 
Temperature. 7ºC
Site classification: Suburban
Sky darkness: -- (No Moon) <Limiting magnitude> 
Telescope: 8" Newt. F9 
Eyepieces: 25mm K, 12.5 mm ortho
Magnification: 73x, 146x
Harshaw Scale: 2 <1-5; 1 best>
    
 My map confuses me with the variety of names for this star. Regardless of this is it a stunner! 

It is the most Westerly of Sagittarius's dazzling doubles and is part of the team of the naked eye pair Beta 1 and Beta 2 Sag. just SW of  Corona Australis.

Comments: This is a delightful double to end the night. The Primary is a brilliant White and the companion is wide and a dazzling Blue colour. Perfect for small telescopes.

Ambience: Time has slipped away on me, carried along by a night of great doubles. The joints click and the back aches but all is forgotten after such a glorious display of the wonders of the night sky. Capricorn is up and I quickly note the position of Uranus in the finderscope. Neptune is not immediately apparent - but another night. Many secrets still remain in Sagittarius, so rich is DSOs.  I had never thought of looking for doubles there. It is so pleasant to be proved wrong sometimes!