When is the best time to observe HIP 79173?

HIP 79173 is best observed from April through June, with peak visibility during May when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is HIP 79173 located in the sky?

HIP 79173 lies in the constellation Scorpius at right ascension 16h 10m and declination -32° 39′.

What telescope do I need to split HIP 79173?

Splitting HIP 79173 requires an aperture of roughly 80 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 7.6″ at magnitudes near 6.2. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

HIP 79173 — Double Star in Scorpius

Magnitude 6.2^m DoubleStar Scorpius (Sco) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 6.19

Spectral Type K0-2III

Star Color Orange (B-V 0.79)

2Position & Identifiers

RA 16h 09m 31.7s

Dec -32° 38' 59.0"

Constellation Scorpius (Sco)

HR 6006

HIP 79173

HD 144928

SAO 207397

SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 6.2 mag Companion 7.2 mag Separation 7.6″

Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	Easy	Easy	Easy
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

Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.

Best season Apr – Jun (peak: May)

5Multiple Star System C: optical

Separation 7.6″

Companion Mag 7.2

Position Angle 84°

Star Colors A: Orange B: Orange

Discoverer BSO 11

Notes

Components K0.5IIIab and F4III.

Separation over time

Measured 1837 → 2018 (181 y)

Separation drift 15.0" → 7.6" (-7.40")

Rate -0.0409" / y

PA drift 86° → 84° (-2°, -0.011°/y)

Apparent motion is significant on a human timescale — worth revisiting in a decade.

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.