Have You Split Beta Muscae?

[EpickCrom (Joe)]

Hi fellow Astronomers! I would like to hear from anyone who has split Beta Muscae. This star has defied me time and time again. Seperation is listed as 0.8" with similar 3rd magnitude components.My latest failure was a few minutes ago I use a 10 inch dob. So have you ever split this star and with what aperture scope? Has anyone split it with a 10 inch?

Joe

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

I have also found Beta Musca difficult to split, however, last year I was able to split it with a 140mm Vixen Achromat.

In a thread about Antares B, this is what I wrote last June:


...However, last night was special as the evening had very good seeing. It was an unusual day with Cairns having fog in the morning. That is a rare event here.

So flushed with success, I tried to split Beta Musca, which I have been trying to do for the last 30 years with many different scopes. With 230x, I could see the discs were overlapping, but not separated. At 265x, I could see the discs were close and was not sure if they were separated. With 320x, I had to patiently wait for moments of better seeing and then I could see that they were separated. At 400x, it was too much power and it was never clear enough to see anything.

I am delighted; I never expected to ever see Beta Musca split.

I started to think of more difficult splits, but the clouds rolled in about 8.45pm and ended the evenings viewing.
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[ngcles]

Hi Joe,

Observing note from 25 February 1999 on a night when I rated the seeing at 7/10 (good but not great).

R207 Double star Musca
25cm x363: Brilliant pair but quite close. Split but difficult at x276, no problems at x363. Both are cold white or bluish – close, 1-1.2" in PA 30, only 3/10ths of a magnitude in difference between the components, 3.8 4.1?? Very beautiful. Showpiece.

A measure I saw elsewhere on the net in 2007 was 1.0" in PA 50. Apoastron was in 1954 at about 1.5" and they are currently slowly closing.

Hope that helps.

Best,

L.

[EpickCrom (Joe)]

Originally Posted by Tropo-Bob

I have also found Beta Musca difficult to split, however, last year I was able to split it with a 140mm Vixen Achromat.

In a thread about Antares B, this is what I wrote last June:


...However, last night was special as the evening had very good seeing. It was an unusual day with Cairns having fog in the morning. That is a rare event here.

So flushed with success, I tried to split Beta Musca, which I have been trying to do for the last 30 years with many different scopes. With 230x, I could see the discs were overlapping, but not separated. At 265x, I could see the discs were close and was not sure if they were separated. With 320x, I had to patiently wait for moments of better seeing and then I could see that they were separated. At 400x, it was too much power and it was never clear enough to see anything.

I am delighted; I never expected to ever see Beta Musca split.

I started to think of more difficult splits, but the clouds rolled in about 8.45pm and ended the evenings viewing.
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Hi TroppoBob, nice report! Glad you finally split Beta Muscae last year, it's a tough one for sure. I am inspired by your success and will try again on a night with good seeing. Thanks

[EpickCrom (Joe)]

Originally Posted by ngcles

Hi Joe,

Observing note from 25 February 1999 on a night when I rated the seeing at 7/10 (good but not great).

R207 Double star Musca
25cm x363: Brilliant pair but quite close. Split but difficult at x276, no problems at x363. Both are cold white or bluish – close, 1-1.2" in PA 30, only 3/10ths of a magnitude in difference between the components, 3.8 4.1?? Very beautiful. Showpiece.

A measure I saw elsewhere on the net in 2007 was 1.0" in PA 50. Apoastron was in 1954 at about 1.5" and they are currently slowly closing.

Hope that helps.

Best,

L.

Thanks for including your observing notes Les! Beta Muscae sure sounds lovely once split! Great job resolving it, armed with your knowledge I will try to split it again on a night of "perfect" seeing. Thanks

[glend (Glen)]

I too have split Beta Muscae, with a couple of different scopes. First was with my GSO 16" f5 Dob back in my Bretti dark site days; the second was with my GSO f12 Cassegrain in perfect conditions in my observatory. I have tried with my ED150DX f8, and could just see a hint of an hour glass gap, but the conditions were not ideal, and it maybe beyond that scope.

[EpickCrom (Joe)]

Originally Posted by glend

I too have split Beta Muscae, with a couple of different scopes. First was with my GSO 16" f5 Dob back in my Bretti dark site days; the second was with my GSO f12 Cassegrain in perfect conditions in my observatory. I have tried with my ED150DX f8, and could just see a hint of an hour glass gap, but the conditions were not ideal, and it maybe beyond that scope.

Great job splitting that toughie Glenn! I will keep trying. Thanks and clear skies to you.