optical double star

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optical double star

n
(Astronomy) two stars that appear close together when viewed through a telescope but are not physically associated and are often separated by a great distance. Compare binary star
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
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References in periodicals archive
Another fetching optical double star sits north of Delta in the guise of 35 Cassiopeiae.
The Frosty Sky
Double star director Dave Blane indicate that Alpha Capricorni is an optical double star with components alpha1 Cap and alpha2 Cap having magnitudes 4.3 and 3.6 respectively.
Celestial Home of Stars
Crossing constellation boundaries eastward takes us to the tail of Aquila, the Eagle, where we find the pretty optical double star 15 Aquilae.
The eagle and the shield: a rich patch of Milky Way adorns these constellations
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