INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION COMMISSION 26 (DOUBLE STARS)
INFORMATION CIRCULAR No. 168 (JUNE 2009)
NEW ORBITS
ADS Name P (yr) T e W(2000) 2009 Author
RA 2000 DEC n (deg) a (") i (deg) w (deg) Last ob. 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- KUI 103 29.5 2006.48 0.600 283.6 347.6 0.407 GILI
21000+4004 12.2034 0.691 36.3 329.6 2008.664 7.0 0.479
- RST 33 215.5 1951.21 0.901 154.7 300.4 1.110 DOCOBO
01259-4754 1.6704 1.154 112.5 71.8 2001.8648 300.1 1.113 & LING
- I 65 16.77 2009.20 0.444 122.9 352.3 0.103 DOCOBO
06573-3530 21.4669 0.207 33.8 246.9 2006.1936 60.4 0.109 & LING
7744 STT 216 314.93 1941.24 0.544 53.3 234.6 2.136 SCARDIA
10227+1521 1.1431 1.840 144.6 42.1 2009.330 234.0 2.153 et al. (*)
- COU 100 78.21 2009.42 0.815 25.5 193.6 0.061 DOCOBO &
14459+2344 4.6030 0.420 102.7 255.0 2007.487 49.2 0.043 TAMAZIAN
13961 SEE 512 82.18 1996.66 0.031 125.8 137.2 0.184 DOCOBO &
20325-1637 4.3806 0.290 99.5 252.2 2007.509 135.6 0.200 TAMAZIAN
15971 STF2909 486.70 1982.73 0.343 133.2 172.8 2.113 SCARDIA
22288-0001 0.7397 3.380 141.7 273.0 2008.734 171.4 2.135 et al. (*)
16648 HU 497BC 180.6 2032.45 0.313 62.4 74.9 0.230 LING
23175+1652 1.9934 0.292 117.1 54.2 2005.8655 73.5 0.231
(*) SCARDIA, PRIEUR, PANSECCHI & ARGYLE
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NEW DOUBLE STAR
Discovered by: R. Gili with Interferometry and Lucky imaging at the 76 cm refractor at
Nice Observatory. (This star is Bb component of COU 555 AB)
STAR Mgn Coord. 2000 Epoch theta rho nights
GII 2Bb 13.4 - 13.8 0255390 + 302803 2008.066 155.1 0.454 Interferometry
2008.066 154.7 0.43 Lucky imaging
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ANNOUNCEMENT
NEW INSTRUMENTATION FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF BINARY STARS AT THE R. M. ALLER OBSERVATORY
*) The EMCCD speckle camera
The PhotonMAX EMCCD based speckle camera optimizes very high quantum efficiency along with
extremely low read noise. It delivers a very high signal-to-noise ratio through the
camera's back-illuminated EMCCD with > 90% quantum efficiency and an on-chip
multiplication gain. This effectively reduces read noise to well below 1 e- rms. As a
result, the PhotonMAX achieves single photon sensitivity, and single photoelectron events
are recorded with a signal-to-noise ratio of about 50.
**) The mid-resolution spectrograph ALTAIR
This mid-resolution spectrograph in combination with the FLI PL09000 3055x3055 pix CCD
detector is designed for detailed studies of stellar spectra with moderate spectral
resolution. It can be attached to telescopes of up to 1.5 m aperture. Its 600 grooves/mm
grating provides lineal dispersion of 102A/mm and resolution power of R=1000 in the
spectral range of 3800-7500A. The 0.6x15mm slit provides high quality spectra for medium
brightness stars of 8-12 mag with our Observatory's 0.62m telescope. These spectra can
also be used to measure stellar radial velocities with an accuracy of up to 3-4 km/sec
which, in some cases, is enough to suspect the presence of a third body in binary systems.
Jose-Angel Docobo
Director
R. M. Aller Observatory
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NOTE
Dr. Paul Couteau, Honorary Astronomer of the Observatoire de la C^ote d'Azur (Nice site)
and past President of the IAU Commission 26 (1967- 1970), was named as Knight of the
French Legion of Honor. This is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802
and is the highest decoration in France.
The distinction was handed over to Dr. Couteau by Jean-Claude Pecker, member of the French
Science Academy. The ceremony was held at the Nice Observatory on June 11, 2009.
The Editors
******************************************************************************************
The deadline for contributions to Information Circular No. 169 is:
October 15th 2009
J. A. Docobo (joseangel.docobo@usc.es)
J. F. Ling (josefinaf.ling@usc.es)
Tel: +34 981592747
Fax: +34 981597054
Observatorio Astronomico "R. M. Aller"
P. O. Box 197
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
SPAIN
http://www.usc.es/astro
ISSN: 1024-7769