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HIP 118281 — Double Star in Andromeda

Magnitude 6.6m DoubleStar Andromeda (And) Visible
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1Physical Properties

Magnitude 6.58
Spectral Type G0V
Star Color Yellow (B-V 0.55)
Distance 64 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 23h 59m 29.2s
Dec +33° 43' 28.0"
Constellation Andromeda (And)
HR 9074
HIP 118281
HD 224635
SAO 73656
Double Cat 17149
SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 6.6 mag Companion 6.7 mag Separation 2.6″
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Telescope Bortle 3 Bortle 4 Bortle 5
80mm refr. Hard+ Hard+ Hard+
150mm Newt. Easy Easy Easy
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 Aug – Oct (peak: Sep)

5Multiple Star System Triple C: optical

Components 3 (triple)
Component IDs AB
Separation 2.6″
Companion Mag 6.7
Position Angle 344°
Star Colors A: Yellow B: Yellow
Discoverer STF3050
AB 6.5 G0V, 6.7 G0V, 355y, a = 3.125". C 12.9V at 82". Blended mag. for HR 9074/5, 5.81V; colors for combined light.

Separation over time

Period: 573.0 y Eccentricity: 0.152 Now: 2.6", PA 346° + 0.09" in 5 years
0.00" 0.83" 1.7" 2.5" 3.3" 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2.6"

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

Eyepiece View

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80x Dawes: 1.9″ TFOV: 0.6°
Realistic = true angular size
N E 344°

A: 6.6 · B: 6.7 · Sep: 2.6″ · PA: 344° · N up, E right

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

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Size Comparison

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Spectral Classification

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Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

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

11

Blackbody Spectrum

12

Stellar Absorption Spectrum

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

13

Stellar Fusion

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14

Light Travel Time Machine

15

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.

NGC 68
Hard+
Elliptical galaxy
Galaxy mag 13.0 5.4° Andromeda
Pi And
Easy
Colorful double, sep 36.2″
Double Star mag 4.36 7.8° Andromeda
Show on Map

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