Reassessment of WDS 21430+6606: Infrared Sources Misidentified as Stellar Companions

Reassessment of WDS 21430+6606: Infrared Sources Misidentified as Stellar Companions This study presents a complete re‑evaluation of the Washington Double Star entry WDS 21430+6606, located in the NGC 7129 star‑forming region. Using published infrared imaging, Gaia DR3/EDR3 astrometry, SIMBAD/Vizier field queries, and the full USNO/WDS measurement record (1992–2015), all listed components are shown to correspond to embedded young stellar objects, infrared sources, or extended emission. No direct binary astrometry exists in the WDS log, and none of the components have Gaia counterparts within 10″ of the primary star LkHα 234. The entry is therefore best interpreted as a catalogue artefact arising from infrared detections in a crowded star‑forming environment rather than a physical multiple system.