You'll find these listings an aid to planning an evening of astronomy with your telescope. Details of each object aid your planning based on magnitude, double star separation, and type of object visible in that month. Each listing is a pdf file with black background, enlarged red type, so you can use this right from your phone or tablet. The listing are calculated for:
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Excerpt from one listing for Zeta Ursae Majoris - Mizar (Uma)
| Zeta Ursae Majoris - Mizar (Uma) | ||
|---|---|---|
| RA: 13h 24m | Mag(v): 2.3, 4.0 | Type: Double Star |
| Dec: 54° 56' | Sep: 14 arcsec | SP Class: A1V, A5V |
| Distance: 83 ly | Sep (AU): 345, 16 | PA: 152, 71° Mag: 10-50x El: 28° / Az: 40° |
| Mizar and it's neighbor Alcor are a binary star system that is 80 light years away in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, otherwise known as the Big Dipper. These stars are found in the middle of the handle of the Big Dipper. In the past, some have used the two stars as a test of your eyesight if you can see both stars. Mizar, the brighter star, is itself a double star, though you won’t see this in a telescope. Spectroscopic analysis shows Mizar has two additional stars and Alcor has three. Spectroscopy gives us the color spectrum of each star which astronomers can use to determine if it is coming from a single star or more than one. You are really looking at a total of seven stars. | ||