HD033203 - a colorful after-work double spring/winter double - Apr

HD033203 in Aur, currently favorably positioned (J052512.00+345136.0)
for 41N op's, is visible in small refractors after sunset from urban
light polluted skies. Mullaney's _Celestial Harvest_ describes this
HD033023 as "gold & bluish-red." The primary of this binary is a v6.8
B2II star and of unknown distance.

Current CCDM data on HD033203 (CCDM05103+3719, STF0644) a

C PA Sep VMag
A 6.8
B 221 1.6 7.1
C 15 72.6 9.4

HD033203 is about 3 degs southeast of the "Kids" in Aur (eps Aur, zet
Aur and eta Aur), 1 deg southwest of mu Aur. Courtesy star hopping
finders chart are provided at:

http://members.csolutions.net/fisher...r_HD033023.jpg
http://members.csolutions.net/fisher..._HD033203B.jpg

From a light polluted urban setting, there are no significant bright
star asterisms to star hop between the Kids to HD033203. HD033203 sits
in a "flying wedge" asterim in a relatively empty star field. I found
the best method to locate it was to practice direct sweeping southeast
down the centerline of the Kids to mu Aur using binoculars. A second
direct sweep southwest 1 deg takes one to the flying wedge asterim -
the only significant asterim within three degrees of mu Aur. See the
finder charts. Once the position was mentally fixed with respect to
the Kids, I used a 3° dot finder and my lowest feasible magnification
(22x) and greatest TFOV to mark off 3 degrees of southweasterly RA
sweep.

In a small alt-az 60mm refractor under urban Bortle class 8 mag 3.0
light-polluted urban skies at 22x, HD033203 appears as a single star.
Applying more magnification down to 77x in a small refractor, HD033203
just splits into two stars with interconnect diffraction rings.
Mullaney's _Celestial Harvest_ describes this double with a B2II
primary as "gold & bluish-red." At this apeture and light pollution
level, these colors were not evident. I plan to revisit HD033203 from
a darker sky site.

Looking at the finder chart -

http://members.csolutions.net/fisher..._HD033203B.jpg

- two other stars in the flying wedge asterim are doubles. In a small
refractor apeture, the brighter multiple at the north base of the
flying wedge appears quasi-stellar - hinting at its nature. In an
urban light polluted setting, it was not possible to separate that
mulitiple with small apetures.

All-in-all, this was a nice 20-30 minutes of not-so-easy after-work
beer-in-hand viewing at 41N.

- Canopus56

This double is Struve 644. I looked at it last month in my NexStar 9.25
inch SCT, and while it split fairly easily, at the time I could see
little if any color contrast (the primary appeared a sort of
yellowish-orange color (K-class spectral type)). There is a third
fainter star in the field but it may not have been related to the other
two. For a more interesting color-contrasting target, try Psi-5
Aurigae, as it shows an off-white primary and a fainter orangish
companion about 31 arc seconds away. Better yet, Iota Cancri is a real
beauty when it comes to color contrast, so it easily trumps the other
two stars. Clear skies to you.
--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

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David Knisely wrote:
This double is Struve 644. . . . For a more interesting color-contrasting
target, try Psi-5 Aurigae, as it shows an off-white primary and
a fainter orangish companion about 31 arc seconds away.

Thanks David. psi5 Aur is the next one on my list, after HD035295 (HJ
2268) also in Aur.

Better yet, Iota Cancri is a real beauty when it comes to color contrast,
so it easily trumps the other two stars.

It does have a great color constrast. iot Can is pretty well-known,
like the main Orion doubles. I'm trying to stay off the main-beaten
path.

- Canopus56

Originally Posted by David Knisely

This double is Struve 644. I looked at it last month in my NexStar 9.25
inch SCT, and while it split fairly easily, at the time I could see
little if any color contrast (the primary appeared a sort of
yellowish-orange color (K-class spectral type)). There is a third
fainter star in the field but it may not have been related to the other
two. For a more interesting color-contrasting target, try Psi-5
Aurigae, as it shows an off-white primary and a fainter orangish
companion about 31 arc seconds away. Better yet, Iota Cancri is a real
beauty when it comes to color contrast, so it easily trumps the other
two stars. Clear skies to you.
--
David W. Knisely

Hi Dave - does Iota Cancri look like this colour shot taken tonight?

Nytecam 51N 0.1W