Look at the middle star of the Big Dipper’s handle. Binoculars separate bright Mizar from fainter Alcor, a pair some observers can distinguish without optical aid. The apparent pair contains more stars than ordinary binoculars can resolve.
It beats M13 for a clearer first success, but the Coathanger offers a richer pattern. Use it to practise focusing: compare the two points with the nearby sky rather than expecting every star in a multiple system to separate.
Sources: NASA.
Image: Chuck Ayoub · CC0. Resized and JPEG compressed; original license retained.
