Acrux separation

Is it just me or does the separation of the two brighter stars in Acrux seem smaller in the past 12 months? Now I realise that they are revolving around each other but I didnt think I would notice with them closing on each other in 1 year through the eyepiece. I am sure it's not my imagination nor poor collimation as I notice it through my SCT as well.

Anyone else agree with this or am I just going nuts?

[h0ughy (David)]

cant answer you straight up here, but maybe some data from the big observatories might have an answer for this by looking at photographic plates for the area?

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Hi,

Your going nuts

Its a long period binary. James Dunlop 1st measured the separation in 1826 at 5.4". According to the Washington Double Star Catledog the separation in 2000 was 3.9". The separation is slowly decreasing but you and I won't detect the change in separation from 1 year to the next.

CS-John B

[Gargoyle_Steve (Steve)]

Don't worry about it Dennis, Nutsville must be a great place to be - look at how many people seem to be there!

[Adrian-H]

theyve allways looked the same to me

[ving (David)]

nothing wrong with being nuts

its where i live!

[MarkN]

Nightshift

This might interest you

http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/acrux.html

An easy-to-read reference (well, I think so).

Mark.