Iota Normae — Double Star in Norma

HIP 78662; Iota1 Normae

Magnitude 4.6^m DoubleStar Norma (Nor) Visible

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1Physical Properties

Magnitude 4.63

Spectral Type A7IV subgiant

Star Color Yellow-white (B-V 0.24)

Distance 142 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 16h 03m 31.9s

Dec -57° 46' 31.0"

Constellation Norma (Nor)

HR 5961

HIP 78662

HD 143474

SAO 243279

Bayer Iota1

SIMBAD Wikipedia

3How easy to split?

Primary 4.6 mag Companion 5.8 mag Separation 0.4″

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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.	V. hard	V. hard	V. hard
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	V. hard+	V. hard+	V. 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 500 mm reflector.

4Visibility

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Best season Apr – Jun (peak: May)

5Multiple Star System Triple

Components 3 (triple)

Component IDs AB

Separation 0.4″

Companion Mag 5.8

Position Angle 310°

Star Colors A: Yellow-white B: Yellow-white

Discoverer SEE 258

Notes

AB 5.3 A5V, 5.5 A6V, 26.93y, a = 0.366". C, 7.5v at 11". Combined mag., colors.

Separation over time

Period: 26.8 y Eccentricity: 0.515 Now: 0.44", PA 287° + 0.05" 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: 4.6 · B: 5.8 · Sep: 0.4″ · PA: 310° · N up, E right

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

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6

Size Comparison

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7

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8

Spectral Classification

9

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

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10

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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14Stellar Notes

Group/Cluster

Hyades moving group.

Dynamical

0.026".

15

Light Travel Time Machine

16

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 10.7 1.1° Norma

Pulsating variable, period 9.8d

Variable Star mag 6.49 2.0° Norma

Compact globular cluster

Globular Cluster mag 9.6 8.2° Norma

Easy double, sep 71.7″

Double Star mag 3.41 9.3° Lupus

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