Kappa Tau (65 + 67 Tau)

 
Bob Hogeveen
Star: Kappa Tau (65 + 67 Tau)
Date & Time: November 14, 2001
Seeing: 5 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Transparancy: 8 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Annen, The Netherlands
53N, 6E
Site classification: Village backyard 
Sky darkness: 5 <Limiting magnitude>
Telescope: Guan Sheng 80mm f/6, Celestron C11
Magnification: 19x, 93x 
Harshaw Scale: 4 <1-5; 1 best>		 Very wide in the 80mm and extremely wide in the C11.

However, this pair holds a surprise: A faint pair of two mag. 10 stars, separated bij 10", right in between the very bright 65 and 67 becomes visible with the C11. With the C11 can also be seen that A is white and B is a tiny bit yellow.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
Dave Moore 
Star: Kappa Tau (65 + 67 Tau)
Date & Time: 14th November 2001, 21.33 GMT 
Seeing: 6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Transparancy: 4 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Charminster, Dorset, UK
51ºN, 1ºW
Site classification: Suburban
Sky darkness: 4.5 <Limiting magnitude>
Moon: None
Bootle Scale: 8 
Telescope: 8" Meade LX-90 SCT f/10 
Eyepiece(s): 30mm Celestron Ultima, 26mm Meade Super Plossl, 12.5mm 
Celestron Ultima, 2x Barlow 
Magnification: 67x, 167x		 Very wide at 67x. I suspect that this is an easy binocular double, it is so wide. There are even fainter stars in between the two main stars. Which are very bright. One star is off-white and the other slightly brighter star is white.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
Patrick Kelly
Star: Kappa Tau (65 + 67 Tau)
Date & Time: 12/04/01, 
Seeing: 9 -> 4 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Transparancy: 8-9 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Centreville, Maryland, USA
Site classification: rural town backyard w/streetlights
Sky darkness: 5 <Limiting magnitude>
Telescope: Astro-Physics 5" f/8 non-ED triplet
Starfire refractor on G-11 equatorial mount
Eyepiece(s): TeleVue 55, 40 and 32mm Plossls,
Nikon 25mm ortho-design microscope eyepiece, Pentax 18mm and 6mm orthos
Magnification: 18x, 25x, 31x, 45x, 55x, 166x		 Star colors: none noted
Comments and observations: Extremely wide and noted for the common proper motion of the components. Redeeeming quality is the presence of
faint Struve 541, a 9.5-10 pair at 5.6" separation in the field and situated between 65 and 67. In degraded seeing and lower magnification, this pair was unresolved until 111x with averted vision.
A very cool pair-in-a-pair.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
Tomás Vázquez 
Star: Kappa Tau (65 + 67 Tau)
Date & Time: 5/12/2001, 21:45:21 UT
Seeing: 4 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Transparancy:  <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Sevilla, Spain
37 24 N. 5 58 W
Site classification: Urban
Sky darkness: 3 <Limiting magnitude>
Telescope: Celestron C8 w/ Focal Reducer (f/6,3)
Magnification: n/a, Camera CCD.

CCD Camera: SX-L8.
Time of Integration: 30 seconds.
Software Lecture CCD: LUCAS 1.2C
Software Treatment: LAIA 3.2A
Position Image: North up, East left.
Telescope Computer Interface: MICRO-GUIDER III + E.C.U.

 Description: The measures that I have taken out the double stars, of the Angle of Position and Separation, it is the following: 

STF 9 AB 
AP:173.3º D:334.16"

STF 9 Aa 
AP:268.47º D:143.85"

STF 9 Bb 
AP:214.23º D:108.74"

 

 
Stuart Clough
Star: Kappa Tau (65 + 67 Tau)
Date & Time: 29.12.01 2040 - 2345 UT
Seeing: 6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Near Halifax
West Yorkshire, England.
Site classification: Suburban
Temp: -4ºC
Conditions: Clear except between 2110 & 2240, when mainly overcast, 
Wind SW - NW 5/15kts
Sky darkness: 3.0 (U Mi) <Limiting magnitude>
Telescope: Orion Optics UK GX250
Eyepieces: 25 mm Ortho, 20 mm Plossl, 9mm Ortho, 7.5mm Plossl
Magnification: x10 (finder) x48, x60, x133, x160
     		 A very wide pair of pale yellow stars. Split in x10 finder, pleasant but unremarkable at x60.
 
Ambience: The early part of the evening was a bit like sitting in a late arriving Christmas card. 

Freezing hard, clear sky, bright winter constellations rising in the south east together with the even brighter gas giants. The full moon casting the shadows of gaunt winter trees on the couple of inches of lying powdery snow. All this combined with a few far away strings of coloured lights and even an illuminated Santa in the distance gave a quite magical effect.

On a dark night, the lights would have been a nuisance. Tonight they did not matter.

Unexpected cloud intervened and put a stop to things for a while, but, since this was a magical night, it cleared after an hour or so. Came inside cold but happy at 2345. The drive battery was complaining that it needed charging.

Who says that full moon always spoils things?
   
 
 
Tom Teague
Star: Kappa Tau (65 + 67 Tau)
Date & Time: 2001 December 30, 2355 UT
Seeing: 5 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)> 
Location of site: Chester, England
53°11'08"N; 02°51'39"W
Site classification: Suburban
Temp: -3ºC
Sky darkness: Not assessed (full moon)
Telescope: 63/840 Zeiss refractor
Magnification: x21, x56
 

 

 In same field x21 lies another even wider pair (Upsilon + 72).  Kappa seen better x56.  This slightly surprising result may be due to my own astigmatism becoming more prominent at the larger exit pupil x21.  Yellow and white.  Estimated PA = 175.  An attractive double, but possibly better in binoculars?