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