When is the best time to observe HIP 102962?

HIP 102962 is best observed from June through August, with peak visibility during July when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is HIP 102962 located in the sky?

HIP 102962 lies in the constellation Pavo at right ascension 20h 52m and declination -62° 26′.

What telescope do I need to split HIP 102962?

Splitting HIP 102962 requires an aperture of roughly 100 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 2.4″ at magnitudes near 6.3. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

HIP 102962 — Double Star in Pavo

Magnitude 6.3^m DoubleStar Pavo (Pav) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 6.28

Spectral Type A2-3IV-V

Star Color White (B-V 0.15)

Distance 362 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 20h 51m 38.3s

Dec -62° 25' 45.0"

Constellation Pavo (Pav)

HR 7959

HIP 102962

HD 198160

SAO 254883

SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 6.3 mag Companion 6.6 mag Separation 2.4″

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

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

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

4Visibility

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Best season Jun – Aug (peak: Jul)

5Multiple Star System

Separation 2.4″

Companion Mag 6.6

Position Angle 78°

Star Colors A: White B: Yellow-white

Discoverer RMK 26

Notes

Binary with HR 7960. Mag. and colors for combined light, 5.67V, +0.16(B-V), +0.07(U-B).

Separation over time

Measured 1835 → 2020 (185 y)

Separation drift 3.2" → 2.4" (-0.80")

Rate -0.0043" / y

PA drift 101° → 78° (-23°, -0.124°/y)

Slow change over generations — observable in lifetime comparisons.

Measured from the WDS observational archive. No orbital solution has been derived — most likely the period is too long to fit an orbit to the available measurement arc.