Izar
Izar (Epsilon Boo, 36 Boo, Struve 1877) is a very nice
pair of stars that are easily split in just about any telescope. Burnham
describes Izar as "one of the most beautiful of the double stars" and describes
the colors as "yellow-orange" and "bluish." To my eye the brighter star
shines in a goldenrod color, making a fine contrast with the violet of
the fainter component.
The magnitude 2.4 primary star is a giant of spectral
type of K0. The secondary component is a 4.8 magnitude A2 main sequence
star that lies 2.9" away. These stars form a physical system, although
they are so far apart that orbital motion has net yet been apparent. The
distance to this system is about 250 light years, making the actual separation
of the stars over 200 AU, or 200 times the distance between the earth and
sun.
The view in a 6" telescope at 270x. North is down
and East is right.
Millennium Star Atlas Vol II Chart 648
Sky Atlas 2000 Chart 7
Uranometria 2000 Vol I Chart 153
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