15 Lyncis — Double Star in Lynx

Magnitude 4.3^m DoubleStar Lynx (Lyn) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 4.35

Spectral Type G5III-IV giant

Star Color Orange (B-V 0.85)

Distance 233 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 06h 57m 16.5s

Dec +58° 25' 21.0"

Constellation Lynx (Lyn)

HR 2560

HIP 33449

HD 50522

SAO 26051

Flamsteed 15 Lyn

Double Cat 5586

3How easy to split?

Primary 4.4 mag Companion 5.5 mag Separation 0.7″

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Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	V. hard	V. hard	V. hard
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	V. hard+	V. hard+	V. hard+
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Hard	Hard	Hard

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

To reach "Medium" at Bortle 3, you'd need at least a 320 mm reflector.

4Visibility

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Best season Nov – Jan (peak: Dec)

5Multiple Star System Quadruple D,E: optical

Components 4 (quadruple)

Component IDs AB

Separation 0.7″

Companion Mag 5.5

Companion Sp F8V

Position Angle 236°

Star Colors A: Orange B: Yellow

Discoverer STT 159

Notes

AB binary. C, 13v at 29" optical. D, 9.5 at 207".

Separation over time

Period: 262.0 y Eccentricity: 0.740 Now: 0.70", PA 240° -0.01" in 5 years

Apparent separation over time, computed from ORB6 orbital elements. Steep curves indicate fast-changing pairs — catch them while they're splittable.

Eyepiece View

Telescope Eyepiece

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80x Dawes: 1.9″ TFOV: 0.6°

Seeing

Scale Realistic = true angular size

A: 4.3 · B: 5.5 · Sep: 0.7″ · PA: 236° · N up, E right

Unresolved · Rayleigh: 2.3″ · Dawes: 1.9″ · Eff: 2.3″

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7

Size Comparison

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8

Compare Stars

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9

Spectral Classification

10

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

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Read: The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram — Reading Stars Like a Map

11

Stellar Lifecycle

12

Blackbody Spectrum

13

Stellar Absorption Spectrum

Simulated absorption spectrum based on spectral type. Hover over lines to identify elements.

14

Stellar Fusion

Discover

15Stellar Notes

Dynamical

0.007".

16

Light Travel Time Machine

17

Relativistic Travel

Nearby in the Sky

Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.

Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.

Tight double — a rewarding split at 1.9″

Double Star mag 4.87 1.8° Lynx

Eclipsing binary, period 9.9d

Variable Star mag 5.64 4.7° Lynx

Easy double, sep 13.8″

Double Star mag 5.45 4.7° Lynx

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 12.6 6.9° Camelopardalis

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