This note provides observing lists related to colorful double stars:
The 2011 update versions include cross-references to SAO and or GCVS id numbers for use with GOTO slewing telescopes in urban light polluted environments.
The first list of colorful doubles is for northern observing points and stars between 90 and -38 declination extracted and combined to remove duplicates. Some notable single colorful carbon stars are included. Sources for this compiled list include:
The first list is intended as a general observing list of colorful double stars for north hemisphere observers. To aid in location, the list is enhanced alternative name information for some primary catalogues, positional data, and with characteristic data from CDS Simbad not present in the source catalogues. There is significant overlap between all the source catalogues.
The second list cross-references Duval's colorful double star list published in the 2011 RASC Observer's Handbook to SAO and or GCVS id numbers for use with GOTO slewing telescopes in urban light polluted environments.
The third list contains 169 multiple stars that pass within 30 degrees of the zenith for observing points at 41 N latitude that are described as having a color constrast in Sissy Haas' "Double Stars for Small Telescopes" (Sky Pub. 2007). This second list is intended to be used by mid and north United States observers who desire to focus on the colorful double star observing and astrophotography. In general, the cited stars will pass through the zenithal hole of a 41 North latitude observer throughout the year. On any one clear observing night, there should be at least one double with color contrast that passes through the 41N observer's zenith. Enchanced cross-referencing should enable quick location using a GOTO telescope.
The target names in Hass's book have been decoded, where Haas references a binary star name by a difficult to obtain catalogue references. The name in a more accessible and/or GOTO telescope catalogue was used. Typically, the Henry Draper catalogue id or the Bayer or Flamsteed name of primary star is substituted as a useable GOTO catalogue id. Installation of Struve's catalogue in your planetarium program is highly recommended to maintain a fluid observing workflow. Purchase of Hass' book is also highly recommend. It provides her original star reference and a more detailed helpful description of each cited star.
This list was developed by manually inspecting constellations that pass through the 41 N latitude zenithal hole and extracting binary systems described with color contrasts in Hass' "Double Stars" in those constellations. The extracted list was complied in Astroplanner and where appropriate alternative GOTO identification names were located using Astroplanner, Cartes du Ciel and CDS Simbad. This spreadsheet is an Astroplanner to Excel export.