Confirm I've found Plaskett's star?

[jahnpahwa]

Hey champions, I've just taken some pics of what i think is Plaskett's star, and I'm wondering how to confirm it? Is there an online plate solver i can use? Or, is there anyone here who is keen to hunt it down and take a pic for me to compare mine to?

Mine look good compared to what i can see online, and i think my starhopping went ok, but I'd love to be 100% sure of it.



Thanks!!
JP

[JA]

Hi JP,

You could try using Stellarium or similar skymap.... excerpt attached
258361

Best
JA

[glend]

I looked it up in Sky Safari, star catalog reference HR2422, V640, SAO 114146.
Location near the Rosette Nebula, exact location is: RA 06h 38m 28.22s; DEC +06 degrees 07' 01.3".

Magnitudes are +6.05 and +11.00
Separation is 1.2", so it is going to be hard to split.

It would be hard to image cleanly at this time of year, as it is no higher than about 33 degrees in the NW (from my place) and certainly considerably lower in Canberra at full darkness just around 7pm. Sets around 9:54pm.

[jahnpahwa]

Thanks Glen and JA!

yeah, i followed a star map, hopped to where I thought it would be and came up with a bunch of doubles with my 8mm EP. Maybe I didnt split it after all. I was just wondering if there is a way to upload a pic to a solver and it will confirm each star?

EDIT, i see the SAO code there, I think my mount has that as an object option... will see how I go with that. Cheers!

[glend]

JP, not every object is in your mounts SAO memory, they tend to load the brightest ones. If you can input RA and Dec on your hand controller that will get you there exactly, But it has set already.

[jahnpahwa]

Thanks Glen. I've just compared the best pic I could find online and I do have it, which is great. It is not split, though.

Its an important star to me because John Plaskett is the my great-great uncle in law. I got the two kids and my wife to check it out in the eyepiece tonight before I took the pics, my father in law is super chuffed that we (incl. three of his blood relatives) have now seen it. It would cool to one day split it!

[JA]

^ What a wonderful legacy :thumbsup:

Best
JA