[Lvas] FW: Virgo Diamond

[roger ivester]

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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