When is the best time to observe HIP 45661?

HIP 45661 is best observed from January through March, with peak visibility during February when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is HIP 45661 located in the sky?

HIP 45661 lies in the constellation Lynx at right ascension 09h 18m and declination +35° 22′.

What telescope do I need to split HIP 45661?

Splitting HIP 45661 requires an aperture of roughly 100 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 2.0″ at magnitudes near 5.8. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

HIP 45661 — Double Star in Lynx

Observable Double Star Good (56/100)

Sep: 2.0", Companion: mag 6.7

Magnitude 5.8^m DoubleStar Lynx (Lyn) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 5.75

Spectral Type A8V

Distance 652 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 09h 18m 26.0s

Dec +35° 21' 51.0"

Constellation Lynx (Lyn)

HR 3686

HIP 45661

HD 80024

SAO 61387

Double Cat 7286

SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 5.8 mag Companion 6.7 mag Separation 2.0″

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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

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Best season Jan – Mar (peak: Feb)

5Multiple Star System

Separation 2.0″

Companion Mag 6.7

Position Angle 50°

Discoverer STF1333

Separation over time

Measured 1827 → 2021 (194 y)

Separation drift 1.5" → 2.0" (+0.50")

Rate +0.0026" / y

PA drift 40° → 50° (+10°, +0.052°/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.