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View Full Version here: : Wolf-Rayet 31A, is it feasible for imaging?


glend
01-03-2016, 04:52 PM
Looking at the story about the hubble photo of WR31a, located here:

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/hubble-spots-massive-beautiful-doomed-star-with-blue-bubble-20160229-gn6xmo.html

I was wondering if imaging it was feasible, as I can't find much detail about it. Stellarium places it near Eta Carinea so it is certainly in our sky at the moment but I can't find the exact location. I am heading out to the dark site this weekend and I'd like to try it with my RC.
Has anyone tried this target and if so what is the magnitude? and is it near a recognised object?
thanks

Merlin66
01-03-2016, 05:10 PM
Glen,
There are a few WR star close by which are subject to current spectroscopic observations.
There's a full WR catalogue:
http://pacrowther.staff.shef.ac.uk/WRcat/

WR31a is listed:
RA/Dec 10 53 59.66 (http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/java/alapre.pl?-c=10 53 59.66-60 26 44.30) -60 26 44.30 (http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/java/alapre.pl?-c=10 53 59.66-60 26 44.30)
V mag 10.85

RickS
01-03-2016, 08:03 PM
It's fairly bright but also small:

http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=wr31a&NbIdent=1&Radius=2&Radius.unit=arcmin&submit=submit+id

glend
01-03-2016, 08:32 PM
The star itself holds little interst for me, i am primarily interested in trying to capture the expanding gas ring surrounding the star with my full spectrum camera.
Thanks for the info guys.