[Lvas] FW: FW: Virgo Diamond

Fri Apr 3 10:32:13 PDT 2009

Jim, 

Here is all the information you should need. I have to use my manual circles to find it.

Like I told Fred, do not expect the trapezium. The VD is faint and tiny.  

Thanks for your help...Roger

From: drivester at hotmail.com

To: lvas at lvlug.org
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:24:09 +0000
Subject: Re: [Lvas] FW: Virgo Diamond

Re: Virgo Diamond

Checked S&T for the article on the Virgo diamond. May 1993 issue, page 110. I had given you originally RA: 12h 33m   Dec: -0.7

2000 coordinates from S&T magazine RA: 12h 32m .8 seconds   Dec: -0.39' 

I have attached a sketch that I made on 14-April-1993. I was using my 10-inch f/4.5 reflector with a 12mm University Optics Konig eyepiece and the employ of a 2x short apo Celestron barlow. 

The magnification of the sketch was 190X with a FOV within the circle of 0.32° and 19 arc minutes. 

Remember, the diamond has a perimeter of only (or near) 1 arc minute...very small.  

There was a photograph and only four visible stars can be seen. The article mentioned that there was five components...possibly one is a very close double. 

I noted only four stars and did mentioned in my notes that there appeared to be some nebulosity involved. It would be great if you could confirm or deny this with your larger 16-inch reflector.

Good luck.... Roger Ivester 

From: drivester at hotmail.com
To: lvas at lvlug.org
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:42:54 +0000
Subject: Re: [Lvas] FW: Virgo Diamond

Fred,

That is the coordinates from S&T, or what I had written down. I could have transposed the coordinates incorrectly for my notes.

When it quits raining I will go to my S&T archives and get the original information. I don't want to back one of my clean car's out of the garage. I have to get in the attic above this car to get to my books. The weather is terrible and there may be some severe storms this evening.

I had to use my manual setting circles to find it. I have a sketch and will sent to you. 

Hopefully I can e-mail you back within an hour or so with the original S&T article. This object is really small and dim...remember the entire measurements are less than 1 minute of arc. 

Fred, I really want you to see it, and do a rough sketch.

If you are so fortunate to find it, you will "probably" be one of only ten or less people in the world "today" to  have ever seen it.  

Roger 

From: rayworth1969 at hotmail.com
To: lvas at lvlug.org
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:43:25 -0500
Subject: Re: [Lvas] FW: Virgo Diamond

Roger,

I looked on my Megastar and it shows a bright 10th mag star with a couple of 14th and 15th mag stars around it and you really have to use your imagination to see a diamond shape. Could your coordinates be off a tad?

Fred

From: drivester at hotmail.com
To: lvas at lvlug.org
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:16:48 +0000
Subject: [Lvas] FW: Virgo Diamond

A most interesting object to observe. It is a very tiny asterism that I observed on April 14th 1993 with my 10-inch reflector. 

My notes: A faint group of 4-stars that create a diamond shape. Two of the stars are much brighter. It appears to have some nebulosity. Magnification 200x. I could not see but four of of the five stars as reported in the S&T article. I will observe again at next session. A most interesting asterism.

Direct source: Sky and Telescope May 1993;  Page 110

The Virgo Diamond in the December 1, 1991 Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Noah Brosch (Tel Aviv University, Israel) discusses his investigation of a newly discovered asterism in Virgo. Five stars all appearing brighter than 13th magnitude, comprise a diamond shaped area with sides only 42 arc seconds long. The probability is small that five stars with similar brightness could be so closely aligned by chance, and Brosch suggest that that the stars of the diamond are physically associated.

The diamond is located at     RA: 12h 33m   Dec: -0.7  

As I never got back to observing this group would someone be willing to look at this faint and small asterism. Will someone look for the 5th star, and could you confirm if I was seeing nebulosity around this group?

Remember the entire asterism is contained within 1 arc minute. Do not expect to locate it with less than 150-200x.

1 arc minute and 13th magnitude stars. One component star is obviously fainter than this as I could only see four.

I feel that a 10-inch is the minimum aperture for the study of this asterism...but is obviously too small as I could not see all of the component stars. I would be most interested in finding out how this object is presented in a larger scope. 

I will examine it again at my next observing session .... unfortunately that will not be this weekend.

Thank you for your any help that you may be able to provide...Roger Ivester 

    I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.      Abraham Lincoln

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