Hi Geoff & All,
The star in question is EsB-365 (Espin-Birmingham - 365) and is a very red carbon star.
This star and several others of the same species were discussed recently in this forum at:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=41125
It is a very lovely sight next to the cold-white / bluish sapphire of
Mimosa.
(Rant mode enabled)
Call me a pedant if you will (and I know many will), but if I have a pet "what cheeses me off" in astronomy, it has to be the increasingly common use of the name "Beecrux" or "Becrux" or "Bcrux" for the star Beta Crucis. Arrrggggghh!!
It already has a very beautiful common (though seemingly becoming less common) name:
Mimosa. Let's not let that lovely appellation die (at least before me) !!
(Rant mode disabled)
(Not hard to tell from the above that I was clouded out tonight only 10 mins into an observing night after a 1hr drive to get there. Grrrrr ... Not happy Jan!! Where's the Valium!!
)
Best,
Les D