Agol, Interesting objects in Perseus.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the observation of Algol, an eclipsing binary star system located in the constellation Perseus. Participants share their experiences, questions, and resources related to observing the dimming and brightening of Algol, which occurs approximately every three days. The conversation touches on the historical significance of Algol's brightness changes as noted by ancient Greeks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express interest in observing the blinking of Algol, noting it as a personal goal.
  • There is a description of Algol as an eclipsing binary star system where one star is significantly dimmer, causing noticeable changes in brightness every three days.
  • One participant mentions the duration of the dimming and brightening process, which takes about an hour each, suggesting it is manageable for backyard astronomers.
  • Questions arise regarding the availability of time charts or resources to determine when to observe Algol's brightness changes.
  • Links to external resources are shared, including a calculator for observing Algol and a suggestion of a time that may be favorable for observation.
  • There is a note that the discussion about Algol may be off-topic, leading to the suggestion of creating a new thread for it.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the interest in observing Algol and the nature of its brightness changes, but there is no consensus on the availability of specific resources or time charts for observation.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention difficulties in accessing specific resources due to disorganization, and there is uncertainty regarding the availability of online charts or tables for observing Algol.

Integral
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Great pointers Dave, that will be easy to find. Perseus is not that hard to see. It is one of the circumpolar constellations, so is pretty much always in the sky, northern hemisphere of course.

Has anyone observed a blink of Algol? That is one of those things that I have always wanted to see, but have just never planned a time for it.

For those not familiar with it, Algol is an eclipsing binary star system, One of the pair of stars is much dimmer. Every 3 days (approximately) the dimmer star passes in front causing the star to appear noticeably dimmer for short period. The ancient Greeks observed this change in brightness and saw it as the blinking eye in the decapitated of head Medusa.
 
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Integral said:
Has anyone observed a blink of Algol? That is one of those things that I have always wanted to see, but have just never planned a time for it.

For those not familiar with it, Algol is an eclipsing binary star system, One of the pair of stars is much dimmer. Every 3 days (approximately) the dimmer star passes in front causing the star to appear noticeably dimmer for short period. The ancient Greeks observed this change in brightness and saw it as the blinking eye in the decapitated of head Medusa.
I did not know that.
 
I should have linked http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/algol.html" in my previous post.
 
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Wow. I was wondering how long the transition took. It takes a mere hour to dim and another hour to brighten again. That's within the attention span of a backyard astronomer.

Do you know if there is a time chart that tells when to look?
 
DaveC426913 said:
Wow. I was wondering how long the transition took. It takes a mere hour to dim and another hour to brighten again. That's within the attention span of a backyard astronomer.

Do you know if there is a time chart that tells when to look?

I believe that there is a table in the Astromony Field Book, which due to a recent round of disorganization, I cannot lay my hands on my copy. There should be something online. I have made a quick Google search, but not spent anytime at it. I will keep looking.
 
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/variablestars/3304096.html?page=1&c=y" a caclulator. There is one one on the 22Nov that looks like a good time for me.


These Algol post are sort of Off topic. I am going to split them into a new thread.
 
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