Visual binaries

Ian Ridpath    (Editor, Norton’s Star Atlas)

THIS TABLE contains the names, positions, and magnitudes of 72 visual binary pairs suitable for observation with modest telescopes. Their orbital periods range from a few decades to many centuries. Many of the faster-moving doubles will change noticeably in separation and position angle from year to year. This must be taken into account when planning an observation, and can be done as follows.

The appearance of a binary for any required date can be calculated from the BASIC program on this page. The program requires the input of the stars’ orbital elements, which can be obtained online from the Sixth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars.

The ADS number in the left column of the table below is that given in R. G. Aitken’s New General Catalogue of Double Stars, which extends to declination –30°. Other abbreviations used in the star identifiers are as follows:
BU = S. W. Burnham; HJ = John Herschel; I = R. T. A. Innes; MLO = Melbourne Observatory; STF = F. G. W. Struve; STT = O. Struve.

An earlier version of this table first appeared in Norton’s Star Atlas (Ian Ridpath, ed.).

ADS

number

Star

RA

h  m

Dec

°   ′

Magnitudes

ADS

number

Star

RA

h  m

Dec

°   ′

Magnitudes

17175

85 Peg

00 02.2

+27 05

5.8    8.9

8630

Gamma Vir

12 41.7

–01 27

3.5    3.5

434

Lambda Cas

00 31.8

+54 31

5.3    5.6

8695

35 Com

12 53.3

+21 15

5.2    7.1

520

BU 395

00 37.3

–24 46

6.2    6.6

8974

25 CVn

13 37.5

+36 18

5.0    7.0

671

Eta Cas

00 49.1

+57 49

3.5    7.4

Alpha Cen

14 39.6

–60 50

0.0    1.3

755

36 And

00 55.0

+23 38

6.1    6.5

9343

Zeta Boo

14 41.1

+13 44

4.5    4.6

1538

STF 186

01 55.9

+01 51

6.8    6.8

9413

Xi Boo

14 51.4

+19 06

4.8    7.0

1598

48 Cas

02 02.0

+70 54

4.7    6.7

9425

STT 288

14 53.4

+15 42

6.9    7.6

1615

Alpha Psc

02 02.0

+02 46

4.1    5.2

9494

44, i Boo

15 03.8

+47 39

5.2    var.

1631

10 Ari

02 03.7

+25 56

5.8    7.9

9617

Eta CrB

15 23.2

+30 17

5.6    6.0

2402

Alpha For

03 12.1

–28 59

4.0    7.2

9626

Mu2 Boo

15 24.5

+37 23

7.1   7.6 

2616

7 Tau

03 34.4

+24 28

6.6    6.9

Gamma Lup

15 35.1

–41 10

3.5    3.6

2799

STT 65

03 50.3

+25 35

5.7    6.5

9909

Xi Sco AB

16 04.4

–11 22

5.2    4.9

5423

Alpha CMa

06 45.1

–16 43

–1.5   8.4 

9979

Sigma CrB

16 14.7

+33 52

5.6    6.5

5400

12 Lyn AB

06 46.2

+59 27

5.4    6.0

10087

Lambda Oph

16 30.9

+01 59

4.2    5.2

5514

14 Lyn

06 53.1

+59 27

6.0    6.5

10157

Zeta Her

16 41.3

+31 36

3.0    5.4

6175

Alpha Gem

07 34.6

+31 53

1.9    3.0

10279

20 Dra

16 56.4

+65 02

7.1    7.3

6420

9 Pup

07 51.8

–13 54

5.6    6.5

10345

Mu Dra

17 05.3

+54 28

5.7    5.7

6650

Zeta Cnc AB

08 12.2

+17 39

5.3    6.3

MLO 4 AB

17 19.0

–34 59

6.4    7.4

6650

Zeta Cnc AB–C

08 12.2

+17 39

5.1    6.2

10660

26 Dra

17 35.0

+61 52

5.3    8.5

6914

BU 208

08 39.1

–22 40

5.4    6.8

11005

Tau Oph

18 03.1

–08 11

5.3    5.9

I 314

08 39.4

–36 36

6.4    7.9

11046

70 Oph

18 05.5

+02 30

4.2    6.2

Delta Vel

08 44.7

–54 43

var.    5.1

HJ 5014

18 06.8

–43 25

5.7    5.7

6993

Epsilon Hya

08 46.8

+06 25

3.5    6.7

11483

STT 358

18 35.9

+16 59

6.9    7.1

7307

STF 1338

09 21.0

+38 11

6.7    7.1

11635

Epsilon1 Lyr AB

18 44.3

+39 40

5.0    6.1

7390

Omega Leo

09 28.5

+09 03

5.7    7.3

11635

Epsilon2 Lyr CD

18 44.4

+39 37

5.3    5.4

Psi Vel

09 30.7

–40 28

3.9    5.1

Gamma CrA

19 06.4

–37 04

4.5    6.4

7545

Phi UMa

09 52.1

+54 04

5.3    5.4

12880

Delta Cyg

19 45.0

+45 08

2.9    6.3

7555

Gamma Sex

09 52.5

–08 06

5.4    6.4

14296

Lambda Cyg

20 47.4

+36 29

4.7    6.3

7724

Gamma Leo

10 20.0

+19 51

2.4    3.6

14360

4 Aqr

20 51.4

–05 38

6.4    7.4

7846

BU 411

10 36.1

–26 41

6.7    7.8

14499

Epsilon Equ AB

20 59.1

+04 18

6.0    6.3

8119

Xi UMa

11 18.2

+31 32

4.3    4.8

14636

61 Cyg

21 06.9

+38 45

5.4    6.1

8148

Iota Leo

11 23.9

+10 32

4.1    6.7

14787

Tau Cyg

21 14.8

+38 03

3.8    6.6

8197

STT 235

11 32.4

+61 05

5.7    7.6

15270

Mu Cyg

21 44.1

+28 45

4.8    6.2

8539

STF 1639

12 24.4

+25 35

6.7    7.8

15971

Zeta Aqr

22 28.8

–00 01

4.3    4.5

8573

BU 28

12 30.1

–13 24

6.5    9.6

16538

Pi Cep

23 07.9

+75 23

4.6    6.8

Gamma Cen

12 41.5

–48 58

2.8    2.9

16836

72 Peg

23 34.0

+31 20

5.7    6.1