When is the best time to observe HIP 14417?

HIP 14417 is best observed from October through December, with peak visibility during November when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is HIP 14417 located in the sky?

HIP 14417 lies in the constellation Cepheus at right ascension 03h 06m and declination +79° 25′.

What telescope do I need to split HIP 14417?

Splitting HIP 14417 requires an aperture of roughly 100 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 4.6″ at magnitudes near 5.5. The companion is about 3.7 magnitudes fainter, so glare from the primary — not separation — sets the minimum aperture. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

HIP 14417 — Double Star in Cepheus

Magnitude 5.5^m DoubleStar Cepheus (Cep) Visible 1 Exoplanet

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 5.49

Spectral Type M1III+F7IV giant

Star Color Red (B-V 1.57)

Distance 408 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 03h 06m 07.8s

Dec +79° 25' 07.0"

Constellation Cepheus (Cep)

HR 881

HIP 14417

HD 18438

SAO 4810

Double Cat 2294

SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 5.5 mag Companion 9.2 mag Separation 4.6″

Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	Hard+	Hard+	Hard+
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Medium+	Medium+	Medium+
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

Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.

Best season Oct – Dec (peak: Nov)

5Multiple Star System

Separation 4.6″

Companion Mag 9.2

Position Angle 232°

Star Colors A: Red

Discoverer STF 320

Notes

Binary. Companion F7IV.

Separation over time

Measured 1831 → 2020 (189 y)

Separation drift 4.4" → 4.6" (+0.20")

Rate +0.0011" / y

PA drift 227° → 232° (+5°, +0.026°/y)

Essentially fixed on human timescales — the same view your grandchildren will see.

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.