To me there is something very comforting about reading vintage astronomy books, especially when the wind and rain are shouting outside on a cold winter's night.
Being curled up on the favourite chair, all dance and flicker with woodstove glow and candlelight to illuminate, those old school astronomy words and pictures come to life.
Long before digital imaging and GoTo mounts, digital text and apps, books such as Sir Patrick Moore's "The
Observer's Book of Astronomy" were my favourite type of guide to the night sky.
This pocket sized book for a long time was my only guide to astronomy, albeit with a bit of help from a trusty planisphere, and not forgetting my Tasco 40mm/f15 telescope.
One of the visual highlights of that little book is the artwork of astronomer Mr Leslie F. Ball (L.F.B.).
His paintings of coloured double stars as seen through an old-school lens and thought, is something that modern digital photographs just can't replicate.
Over the next few months, I’m having a go at chasing down these picturesque doubles and see if I can rekindle that Leslie F. Ball artistic feeling.
With a 60mm f/15 refractor, I'm going to search out for those (L.F.B.) double stars.
The L.F.B. List (plate no: 21)
1. Alpha Herculi(Rasalgethi).
A wide pair featuring a bright orange-red giant primary and a contrasting blue-green secondary.
In the 60mm: An easy and beautiful wide split.
2. 70 Ophiuchi
A binary system showing a bright yellow-orange primary paired with a slightly fainter purplish or yellowish-red companion.
In the 60mm: A good test of steady optics, a high-power eyepiece (around 80x–100x) should separate them.
3. Alpha Piscium (Alrischa)
Located in the cord connecting the two fishes, this pair shows two similar pale green/white or yellowish-white stars.
In the 60mm: A delicate pair. While the colour difference isn't as dramatic as Rasalgethi.
4. Gamma Andromedae (Almach)
Sometimes called the "Northern rival to Albireo," this is a great double featuring a golden-yellow bright primary and a sapphire-blue companion.
In the 60mm: A 60mm f/15 refractor handles this pair easily, textbook Airy disks with distinct jewel-like colours.
5. Gamma Arietis (Mesarthim)
A tight, bright pair of matching brilliant white stars, often observed with slight bluish or silvery tints.
In the 60mm: A good test for clean optics and high magnification.
They appear as two bright headlights sitting close together in the field of view.
6. Beta Delphini (Rotanev)
A tight binary system in the constellation of the Delphinus, showing yellowish-white components.
In the 60mm: A great autumn target.
Though challenging due to their closer separation, an f15 refractor's steady, pin-point diffraction patterns will tease them apart on a steady night.
WHY A 60MM f/15 REFRACTOR?
In an era of big aperture and computerized tracking, catching doubles
with a 60mm/f15 refractor allows the hobby to again explore that old school spirit.
The slow f/15 focal ratio naturally reduces false colour on bright stars and
provides those sharp high-contrast views needed to split tight binary
pairs.
Plus, centering objects manually using a simple alt-azimuth or
wooden equatorial mount turns every star split into a small personal achievement
As and when I capture the L.F.B. list, I'll write up a blog post of my findings.
