When I attended IIS Jan 2007, I was shown a beautiful red star that was considered by the owner of the 20-inch obsession(I think correct size, it was the smaller of the two) to be his favourite. I think it may have been near Columba or Orion (not Betelgeuse or Aldebaran)?. It was not very bright but it was a beautiful deep blood red.
Does anyone know what star I might have been shown?
Does any have a favourite red star they would like to mention?
When it comes to red stars, the big three for me are probably Betelgeuse, Aldebaran and Antares, but when it comes to "the little red star that could" I'd go for the one in the centre of NGC4755, the Jewel Casket.
Sorry, no idea which star you were looking at near Orion.
Hi Matt ... not sure off hand as to which star that was, (would love to know though) ... but are quite a few threads around re carbon stars - this is one
".. my favorite Carbon Star is also EsB 365, however another stunning example is Hind's Crimson Star R Leporis.
This is a Mira Variable with a period of 432 days. I have read a few observing reports that don't rate Hind's Crimson Star, but it is a variable and if you catch it near max brightness it is magnificent." - per Trevor (Quark)
That red star near Beta Crucis is the most richly coloured star I've seen, although I haven't hunted down any other carbon stars so can't compare it to those.
One of my favourites is EsB 365 - that amazing little red star near Beta Crux
Agreed and so easy to find beside Mimosa. With practice, it can be seen using binoculars. I have located R Leporis as well - bit of a struggle star-hopping!
Now I have to go looking for "X TrA / EsB 422, positioned in Triangulum Australe at 15h 14.3m -70 15, B-V =3.62 - a real killer for this deep red carbon star." Sounds exciting, thanks Enchilada!
When I attended IIS Jan 2007, I was shown a beautiful red star that was considered by the owner of the 20-inch obsession(I think correct size, it was the smaller of the two) to be his favourite. I think it may have been near Columba or Orion (not Betelgeuse or Aldebaran)?. It was not very bright but it was a beautiful deep blood red.
Does anyone know what star I might have been shown?
Does any have a favourite red star they would like to mention?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Skies
I was just about to suggest R Leporis, too. Thats a well known red star near Orion.
Hi Matt,
It was me that showed you that "red" star that night at IISAC 2007. The scope is in fact an 18"/F4.5 Obsession and Liz and Jacquie are spot on. It was R Leporis, also known as "Hinds Crimson Star". It is only about 5 degrees from Rigel in Orion. Despite some other comments, in my opinion it is most impressive as it dims, not at its brightest. This is a Mira type variable and these stars go redder as they dim and turn more pinkish/orange, as they brighten. Unfortunately, although they are redder as they dim, they are harder to see and hence they often don't show as impressive targets in smaller telescopes, when they are dim.
Cheers,
John B
PS: I will post a list of about 20 or so of my favourite "red" stars for anyone that is interested, tomorrow when I have a bit more time.
Speaking of red stars, one night last year I was out on an impromtu hunt, and by chance I came across 4 striking orange stars in one FOV. I didn't have any atlas with me, but it was near the Scorpion's tail.
I'm going to hunt this down, it better be as impressive as you say, otherwise you owe me 10 cases of beer
As my reputation is now at stake, here's some furthermore information, before you hang me from the yardarm...
X TrA is 5.6v magnitude. Spectral class is listed as C5 II, C6.4 - though later sources say C5,5 with the temperature of merely 2500K. B-V is an extraordinary +3.59 magnitude.
It is placed 15h 14.3m -70 deg 05' and lies 1.4 degrees SW of Gamma TrA (southern most star of the main southern triangle.)
One of the best references to this star (with several others) is found in Webb’s ‘Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes’ Vol. 2. under ‘Stars with Remarkable Spectra’.
This is probably the best Carbon star in the south - and is much brighter than EsB 365 near Beta Crucis.
In the northern sky T Lyrae has a B-V of 5.46, spectral type C8 and variable mag 7.8 to 9.6. It is 2 deg west of Vega.
T Cancri has B-V = 5.3 and spectral type R6v.
In the southern sky W Pictoris has B-V = 4.75 and spectral type N0v.
It was me that showed you that "red" star that night at IISAC 2007. The scope is in fact an 18"/F4.5 Obsession and Liz and Jacquie are spot on. It was R Leporis, also known as "Hinds Crimson Star". It is only about 5 degrees from Rigel in Orion. Despite some other comments, in my opinion it is most impressive as it dims, not at its brightest. This is a Mira type variable and these stars go redder as they dim and turn more pinkish/orange, as they brighten. Unfortunately, although they are redder as they dim, they are harder to see and hence they often don't show as impressive targets in smaller telescopes, when they are dim.
Cheers,
John B
PS: I will post a list of about 20 or so of my favourite "red" stars for anyone that is interested, tomorrow when I have a bit more time.
Thanks John.
You know how everyone has moments at the eyepiece that they will remember for the rest of their lives (like seeing Saturn for the first time), well I had two such moments that night and seeing that star was one of them. The other was comet Mcnaught.
Thankyou everyone for the other suggestions. I will hunt them down asap.
In the southern sky W Pictoris has B-V = 4.75 and spectral type N0v.
Darn your so quick. I was looking at this star in Megastar 5.0 just before I'd read this post. (Scout's honour!) I'll agree with this star being ultra-red.
Here is a useful my description for observers;
W Pic / EsB 154 / HIP 26958 (05432-4627), whose position is 05h 43.2 -46 deg 27' (2000), being best found some 34 arcmin WNW (PA 285 deg) from double star HJ 3801 (05465-4636) with its 5.3 magnitude K0 primary star. HJ 3801 companion is 12.5 magnitude and is separated by 37 arcsec in PA 37 degrees.
This LB type variable type for W Pic, however, is given 7.98V - and is slightly misleading, as the star doesn't seem that bright on the occasions I've observed it. Magnitude in the GVSC4 varies between 11.8p and <15 magnitude is an unknown period. Mostly, the star in past observations hovers between 9.0v and 9.4v, but is notoriously difficult to judge visual with such an extraordinarily wide B-V variation. Few observations have been made in the last decade till 2009. Sadly it is mostly not a very bright star, and estimate it requires at least 7.5cm to 10.5 cm is see any outstanding colouration.
Two coloured images appear as attachments. Not the spiral shape of the scatter light from the telescope. How bizarre!!
** Note Those interest will find a great catalogue (rather technical, though) being the "Hipparcos red stars in the HpV_{T2} and VI_C systems" by Platais, I., et.al. (2002)
[Available at arvix resourcce;, http://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0211048v1 ]
The selection of interest are;
Star Var Mag B-V
HIP 62401 RU Vir 9.97v 4.63
HIP 38787 V406 Pup 7.62v 3.20:
HIP 23203 R Lep 11.63 4.60
HIP 93666 V Aql 6.78 3.98
HIP 43905 T Cnc 8.23 4.31
Comment : More example to follow, which those in the recent IIS Spectroscopy thread here might be interested in as well...
Best Red Star???
W Pic / EsB 154 and HJ 3501
