HIP 42455 — Double Star in Pyxis

Magnitude 6.1^m DoubleStar Pyxis (Pyx) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 6.13

Spectral Type F1IV subgiant

Star Color Yellow-white (B-V 0.42)

Distance 136 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 08h 39m 22.1s

Dec -36° 36' 25.0"

Constellation Pyxis (Pyx)

HR 3434

HIP 42455

HD 73900

SAO 199473

3How easy to split?

Primary 6.1 mag Companion 7.9 mag Separation 1.0″

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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.	Hard	Hard	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 230 mm reflector.

4Visibility

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Best season Dec – Feb (peak: Jan)

5Multiple Star System

Separation 1.0″

Companion Mag 7.9

Position Angle 241°

Star Colors A: Yellow-white B: Yellow

Discoverer I 314

Notes

6.5 F3IV, 7.6 F6V, 66.5y, a = 0.527". Combined mag., color.

Separation over time

Period: 65.8 y Eccentricity: 0.824 Now: 0.98", 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: 6.1 · B: 7.9 · Sep: 1.0″ · PA: 241° · N up, E right

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

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Size Comparison

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Compare Stars

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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

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Blackbody Spectrum

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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

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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.

Open Cluster mag 11.2 1.8° Pyxis

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 10.59 3.0° Pyxis

Eclipsing binary, period 1.3d

Double Star mag 6.53 3.6° Puppis

Easy double, sep 66.8″

Double Star mag 5.08 5.1° Puppis

Colorful double, sep 26.5″

Double Star mag 5.52 8.5° Puppis

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