- Constellation: Cepheus
- Right Ascension: 22h 23m 07.01521s
- Declination: +55° 57′ 47.6244″
- Distance: ~29,000 ly
- Apparent Magnitude: 6.0 - 7.3
- B-V Color Index: 2.22
RW Cephei is one of the larger stars know of with its radius extending out to the same distance as Jupiter is to our Sun. It is classified as either a red or yellow hyper giant star depending on how it is measured as it lies some where in between. A semi-regular variable star with one period measured around 346 days.
- Details
- Category: Stars
- Telescope: Explore Scientific 127 Refractor
- Camera: ZWO 2600 MM
- Constellation: Cassiopeia
- Right Ascension: 00h 49m 06.29070s
- Declination: +57° 48′ 54.6758″
- Distance: 19 ly
- Apparent Magnitude: 3.44, 7.5
- B-V Color Index: 0.58
Lost in the glare of Eta Cassiopeia primary star, Achird, is a dimmer companion. The two stars orbit each other in 480 years. Eta Cassiopeia A is a G type star much like our Sun and similar in size. Eta Cassiopeia B is a dimmer K type star.
Also visible in the image is a small planetary nebula PK122-04.1 in the upper left side, near the edge of the image.
- Details
- Category: Stars
- Telescope: Explore Scientific 127 Refractor
- Camera: ZWO 2600 MM
- Constellation: Andromeda
- Right Ascension: 23h 41m 55.0361s
- Declination: +44° 10′ 38.825″
- Distance: 10.33 ly
- Apparent Magnitude: 12.23 - 12.34
- B-V Color Index: 1.90
Also known as HH Andromedae is another star located around 10 light years away. Like many stars located around our region, it is a small dim red dwarf star that requires optical aid to even see it. But if you can wait around 40,000 years, it will pass by at a distance of only 1.7 light years.
- Details
- Category: Stars
- Telescope: Explore Scientific 127 Refractor
- Camera: ZWO 2600 MM
- Constellation: Draco
- Right Ascension: 17h 32m 10.5 / 16.0
- Declination: +55° 11′ 03.27 / +55° 10′ 22.6
- Distance: 100 ly
- Apparent Magnitude: 4.88
Believed to be a true double star based on their similar motion and distance. The two stars are widely separated at around 1,900 astronomical units, so if they do orbit, it would take in excess of 44,000 years.
Star v1 is a magnitude 4.88 with a B-V color index of 0.26, and a spectral type A8Vm. Star v2 is also a magnitude 4.88, with a B-V color index of 0.27, and a spectral type A4IVm. So both stars appear to be about the same visually. Star v2 is actually a spectroscopic binary.
- Details
- Category: Stars
- Telescope: Explore Scientific 127 Refractor
- Camera: ZWO 2600 MM
- Constellation: Aquarius
- Right Ascension: 23h 06m 29.368s
- Declination: −05° 02′ 29.04″
- Distance: 40.6 ly
- Apparent Magnitude: 18.8
Trappist 1 is a cool red dwarf star located in the constellation of Aquarius. It is a dim star at around 18.8 magnitude, barely visible in images taken with modest equipment. Discovered in 1999 by John Gizis and other colleagues, later it was determined by transit methods that 7 possible planets obit the star.
Images of it from 2020 and 2022 show a small amount of proper motion across the sky.
- Details
- Category: Stars
- Telescope: Explore Scientific 127 Refractor
- Camera: ZWO 2600 MM
- Constellation: Ophiuchus
- Right Ascension: 17h 57m 48.49803s
- Declination: +04° 41′ 36.2072″
- Distance: 5.9 ly
- Apparent Magnitude: 9.5
Barnard's Star, being one of the closest stars to our solar system, displays one of the highest proper motion, which is the apparent angular movement of a star against the background stars. Just like highway signs appear to move faster than distant landmarks. It is a dim red dwarf star that requires optical aid to see it. It has a B-V color index of 1.7
A composite picture of images taken in July of 2014, and in July of 2022 showing the different positions against the background stars.
- Details
- Category: Stars
- Telescope: Explore Scientific 127 Refractor
- Camera: ZWO 2600 MM