145 CMa (aka HJ 3945)

BLUE GOLD PAIR - CANIS MAJOR

(ra: 07:17.1 / dec -23:20)

October 2012, -  Camping La Porteña, Areco, Buenos Aires - Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Star Pair / Double Star

VISUAL BRIGHTNESS: HJ 3945 4.83 & HIP 35213 6.02

STAR SEPARATION: 26 arc seconds

DISTANCE: HJ 3945 6272 light years & HIP 258 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

SCOPE: ORION OPTICS UK 6" f5 Newtonian

CAMERA: QSI 583 WS

GUIDING: LodeStar in Synta 70/400 refractor / PHD Guiding

FILTERS: Baader LRGB Set

SKY CONDITIONS: Rural Skies.

EXPOSURES: LRGB (4,3,3,3) for a total exposure time of 12 minutes

PROCESSING: Images Plus / Photoshop CS2

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

145 Cma is known as the Winter Albireo, however enthusiasts from the southern hemisphere call them the Southern Albireo. This beautiful pair is well visible on urban skies even with small telescopes. The primary is yellowish-orange and the companion is a pale bluish white.  As increasing magnification the colours began to fade compare to the Albireo in Cygnus. This stars are not related and can be seen only as a pair because the perspective towards the Earth. 

To find 145 Cma and its companion you have to look for NGC 2362 Mg 3.8 or Tau CMa Mg 4.4. Once there go to the north in a straight line a bit more than one and a half degree.

We were running out time and looking for a easy photographic target. Our friend Luis Argerich proposed this nice pearl and also provide the data to locate it. Thanks Luis !!