#150: Current Deep Sky Projects

First a short note about summer observing.  It was a very warm and humid summer, with most of the perfectly clear and dry nights centred around the full moon (of course).  I have not done a whole lot this summer, but I don't worry too much as I have already completed much of the summer sky work.  I often spend nights reviewing objects, often using the Uranometria close up charts to explore deeply.  I look forward to autumn skies, with nights that begin earlier.  I currently drive 50 minutes each way to an isolated site near some windmills, and in summer usually return with the front of the car filled with dead moths and flies.  Not so bad in the fall, but it can get very cold here at 42 degrees N Latitude.  I have a pretty clear south sky with a flat horizon, and I have had great success with low objects lately.  Now on to our regularly scheduled topic.

 

As the seasons change and Earth's orbit takes in different aspects of the night sky, astronomers are gifted with a revolving and never ending stream of deep sky objects to observe.  I usually observe by constellation, and it can take several years to complete a major project.  It took me seven seasons of spring observing to finish my work in Leo, for example.  However, having only one constellation per seasons is not enough, since as the night wears on the stars shift, and what was prominent at 9 pm is usually not so well suited at midnight.  So another prepared constellation can keep the observing program moving ahead.

 

Currently these are the constellations I am working on.  I have sheets prepared with object lists and stats, leaving room for written notes and for sketches.  Each page usually holds from 7-12 objects.  Sometimes a page can be completed easily in a few hours, but if the objects are faint galaxies, for instance, it could take several nights.  Objects I include on my lists include double stars, variables, important single stars, as well as all NGC and IC objects reachable with a 12" scope.  I also include objects from many other catalogues, as readers of this blog will have noted.  Leo had such a vast number of NGC objects that I was forced to mostly stick to that list, and even then it took years to see them all.

 

Early Summer Projects:  Ophiuchus and Hercules.  In Ophiuchus I am doing the whole deal, but since I have already done Hercules, I am concentrating on an intense double star list this time, gleaned from the incredible double star site Stelle Dopia, where astronomers can customize their own double star list.

 

Late Summer List:  Capricorn, Microscopium, and Aquarius.

 

Early Autumn List:  Aquarius and Cetus.  Cetus has already been a years' long project.

 

Late Autumn and Early Winter List:  Cetus and Triangulum.  Triangulum has just been added.

 

Winter and Early Spring List:  Triangulum and Camelopardolis.  Both are newly added, after my completion of Canis Major.  Puppis studies have also begun.  Sextans, Pyxis, Crater and Corvus are also prepared, when I have good skies south to the horizon.

 

Spring List:  Coma Berenices.  I am in for the long haul.

And so round and round it goes.  Next time I will provide a list of constellations that I have already thoroughly examined.  Notes for many of these can already be found elsewhere on this blog.

Mapman Mike

 

 

#149: Total Solar Eclipse 2024

It was a very successful trip to Ohio to view totality.  We were able to experience 3' 40" of totality, an experience never to be forgotten. We braved horrendous traffic both ways, not getting home until 11:20 pm.  We left home at 9:15 am that morning.  We aimed for a small town (Tiffin), but on arrival it seemed to be nothing but a circus event, with preachers bellowing, people getting married, loud music blasting from a live band, and general overcrowding.  So we returned north 10 miles to Wolf Creek Park, and found our paradise location for this important day.  First some facts.  The park was a medium sized picnic grounds, with a large open grassy area.  We had a large picnic shelter for shade, but set up our Edmund Astroscan scope (4 1/4" mirror) in the open.  We have a solar filter that fits over it at the front.  Our latitude was 41 17' N, and the longitude was 83 10' west.  We used three eyepieces giving 16x, 18x, and 25x.

Our observing site at Wolf Creek Park, Ohio.  Deb checks out sunspots.  Our grey VW Golf in behind Deb.  The scope is an old but trusty Astroscan from Edmund Scientific.

 

Another view of the scope and our viewing area.  We brought a picnic lunch and snacks.

 

We were joined by some young viewing enthusiasts.  Hayden (white jacket) had travelled from North Carolina to view the eclipse.  He is a photographer and physics student at UNCG, mostly interested in astrophysics.

Skies were mainly sunny with high wispy clouds.  It became a bit hazier during totality.  The temperature at the start was 71 F.  It dropped to 63 F during totality.  There were three sunspot groups today.  We labelled a large double one "AA".  A smaller though still large one was called "B", while a smaller group of four tiny spots we called "C".  Eclipse start time was 13:56:30  Totality began at 15:11:16, and lasted for 3' 40".  Sunspot group "AA" was eclipsed at 14:38:43, taking 1' 50" to completely vanish.  A big group!  We did not stay long after totality was complete.

The experience of viewing a total eclipse was completely mind-boggling.  The plentiful birdsong from the woods ceased suddenly, the afternoon breeze vanished, darkness was nearly total, and  very sudden.  For 3' 40" we witnessed the bright corona shooting out in all directions from behind the moon, as well as a very large solar flare in the south end.  Special glasses are not needed during totality, and would only show darkness.  We saw a twilight sky on the southeast and northwest horizons.  Light bark on tall poplar trees stood out as if luminous under black light.  We could discern light and shadow on the ground right up to the final seconds.  Then, suddenly, darkness arrived, the most mysterious kind of dim twilight one could ever imagine.  The 'diamond ring' was visible in the telescope just before totality, lasting perhaps 1-2 seconds, accompanied by two 'beads' of light.  Others saw the ring with their special glasses.  Then came the spellbinding sight of the very active solar corona, accompanied by a sizable and bright flare at the south end.  There was darkness, stillness, and a  general quiet that became almost overwhelming.  All of this was seen and experienced with all normal senses.  The telescope showed nothing until the sun reemerged.  Venus and Jupiter shone brightly through the thin hazy clouds, Venus ahead of the sun and Jupiter behind it.  But even though we were near the centre, and enjoyed a fairly long eclipse time, it was over far too quickly.  It seemed as if one minute had passed, instead of almost four.

We were accompanied at our site by three young friends, who remained with us during most of the event, including totality.  They were happy to use the Astroscan, and we were happy that one of them, Hayden, was a photographer and physics student.  All of the shots of the sun on this page were taken by Hayden Atchison.  Through the telescope eyepiece he used his iPhone; for totality shots he used his main camera.  I took the daylight ground shots.

There is no doubt that the eclipse was also a hugely spiritual experience.  We have had many such experiences in our lifetime, but this one was greatly intensified because of its brevity.  Imagine taking the time to listen to all of the Mahler symphonies.  Now condense that experience down to 3 minutes and 40 seconds.  Imagine carefully studying all of the paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and condensing all those special moments of revelation and delight into 3' 40".  Our climb to the summit of Wheeler Peak in New Mexico took an entire day, but still energizes our spirits years later.  Again, condense that emotional, physical, and spiritual event into 3' 40".  Then you might have something of the effect (and affect) of viewing a total eclipse in the woodlands of Ohio.  It also gave us a tiny sense of just what the Sun actually is--a vast nuclear furnace of a scale that goes well beyond our comprehension.

This event happens to be my 999th logged astronomical event!  I began by studying the moon with binoculars in November 1968, and am still an active amateur astronomer.  It is also the last entry in my 13th volume of detailed notes recording my observations of the past 56 years.  A lucky volume, indeed.

Here are a few of Hayden's photos.

 

Shot through the eyepiece with an iPhone. The two largest sunspot groups show up well here.

 

The 'B' sunspot group is about to be eclipsed.

Approaching totality.  The sun's horns were actually very sharply focused in the telescope.

 

Many people saw a 99% eclipse only, including Toronto.  Even when only 1% of the sun is exposed, it throws the same amount of light as 400 full moons!  We could see shadows right up until totality.  While a 99% eclipse is very impressive in its own way, it is more than 99% less than viewing a total one.

 

A beautiful shot of totality by Hayden!  A jet trail comes between the eclipse and Venus.  The solar flare can be seen at the south end.  It was very prominent visually.

 

Totality 2024.  All images of the sun, above, were taken by Hayden Atchison, a physics student at UNCG.

 

If you were in the path of totality this year and managed to see the eclipse, drop me a line with your impressions.  I would love to hear about them.

Mapman Mike 

#148: NGC List Update

 It has been a long time since I actually counted my personally observed and logged NGC list.  When I acquired the 12" scope back in 2013 I decided to try and view as many of the list available to my location (42 N Lat.).  It turns out that more than half of the 7800+ objects are viewable from where I am.  Obviously I will not get through more than 4000 of them.  Will I?  To reach a reasonably dark sky I now have to drive 38 miles from home.  So nearly 80 miles round trip.  Readers can imagine how happy I am when I get out there only to find that the forecast doesn't pan out, and it is cloudy.  It happens, and is all part of the game.  Try to outwit the sky conditions, and predict when I might get some work done.  I consider 10 objects, including double stars, to be a minimally decent enough night, or 5 deep sky objects.  I always aspire to 20 or more, which makes the drive worthwhile.  Nearly two hours of driving to get in 3 hours of observing.  Though often I could stay longer, my eyes usually tire after 3 hours.

This February 2024 has been the warmest in my astronomy career.  I managed to get out four times and do some great deep sky and double star work.  When that last session was complete I finally tallied my object list.  I do not maintain a count of the hundreds and hundreds of double stars I have seen, but I do of deep sky objects.  Here is my life total to date:

NGC objects:  2779 (!!!).

IC objects:  416.

Objects from other catalogues:  817.

Total deep sky list:  4012.

 

All objects are indexed, and I can find any object in my notes quickly and easily.  The ones I have seen are also underlined in red in my Uranometria atlas.

And a major milestone is rapidly approaching.  To date I have logged 989 observing sessions!  With luck and clear skies, I will reach my 1000th observation session sometime this spring!  I plan on baking a cake for that occasion.  What will I do on my 1000th observation?  Carry on with the great work.

Mapman Mike

#147: Leo Deep Sky Part 8: Unranometria Chart #74, Left Side

 We are now examining the more northern reaches of Leo and its NGC objects.  Observations date from 2015-2016, using a 12" Dob.  Images are from Nasa.gov.

eg 2862:  2'.5 x 0'.3:  Vis.12.9; SB 13:  This galaxy was seen at 100x and viewed well as high as 200x.  It is an impressive and thin needle, with a stellar core.  A.v. shows a long, very thin slash, and it is quite bright.  187x and 200x were best, due to an 8.6 mag. star just S.  Recommended for thin galaxy fans!

eg 2862. 

 

eg 2893:  1.'1 x 1':  Vis./SB 13.2:  This galaxy took awhile to track down.  Once the correct nearby bright star was finally located, it showed up easily at 125x.  It sits SP a mag. 9.5 star, only 3' away.  The galaxy is round, pretty bright, and has a stellar core.  Good views were had up to 200x.

eg 2885:  1' x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.9; SB 12.4:  This faint galaxy was spotted at 125x and viewed up to 200x with a.v.  It appears round, so I was likely only seeing the central area. 

eg 2885 is at centre.  

 

eg 2896:  0'.9 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.5:  Picked off at 100x.  Viewed also at 125x and 150x, it was round, not small, and not difficult to view.  It resembles a faint, ghostly planetary nebula.

eg 2903:  12'.6 x 6':  Vis 9; SB 13.6:  Easily observed t 60x, it looks like a mini-Andromeda!  Superb views were had in all ranges up to 250x.  There is a very faint star F, and another one just S of the core, and yet another N of it.  The core area is very bright and stellar, surrounded by a slightly less bright region, then another layer, still bright but less so.  Finally the hazy envelope extensions on either end can be seen.  The galaxy is a very long, wide oval, all of it pretty bright in the 12" scope.  One of Leo's gems!

eg 2903. 

 

eg 2916:  2'.6 x 1'.9:  Vis. 12; SB 13.5:  Two decent galaxies in a row!  This one is pretty large, though only 1/4 the size of 2903.  It was pretty bright, including a middle area much brighter than the surrounding envelope.  Flaring resolution makes it difficult to see the true shape.  It does make a good comparison object with nearby 2903.  It is easy to sweep back and forth between them.

eg 2916.   

 

eg 2927:  1'.3 x 1':  Vis. 12.9; SB 13:  Viewed at 100x and 136x, it was oval, not hard to find,and pretty big.  No significant stars are nearby.  Though it had a bright centre, views were still best with a.v. 

eg 2929:  1'.2 x 0'.3:  Vis. 13.8; SB 12.5.  A triplet with eg 2930 and 2931 (see below).  29 was located at 136x, where it appears very elongated, and showing a bright centre.  At 187x and 200x all 3 galaxies are seen, stacked N to S.  30 is quite small, with 31 appearing notably larger and better with a.v.  Visually this is not a remarkable trio in a 12", though it's always fun to see 3 galaxies at a time.

eg 2930:  0'.7 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.2; SB 12.7:  A trio with 2929 and 2931.  See above.

eg 2931:  0'. 8 x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.2:  A trio with 2929 and 2930.  See above.

Centre to top:  eg 2929, 2930, and 2931. 

 

eg 2988:  0'.8 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.6; SB 12.9:  A pair with 2991, below.  91 was easy to see at 136x, and shows a stellar core.  In this range it appeared oval and hazy.  At 187x, 200x, and 250x an elongated extension could be glimpsed with a.v., preceding the main galaxy.  The extension was very faint, though 91 remains bright.  This extension is 2988.

eg 2991:  1'.4 x 1'.1:  Vis.12.6; SB 13:  A pair with 2988, above.

eg 2991 is at centre; 2988 is nearly attached, just P.  

eg 2994 is at upper left. 

 

eg 2994:  1'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13.2:  Observed easily at 100x, 136x and 187x,the galaxy appears round and evenly bright.  Located between two pairs of stars F, it was best viewed using a.v.  Afterwards it could be seen even at 60x.  1991 and 1988 are SP.  See photo, above.

eg 3026:  2'.7 x 0'.8:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.6:  I had hopes for this one; alas, mostly unfulfilled.  The galaxy was small, really faint, and though it was pretty large, it was not close to being 2'.7.  

eg 3026 is disappointing in a 12".  The specs indicated something better. 

 

eg 3032:  1'.7 x 1'.3:  Vis. 12.5' SB 13.2:  Located at 100x, it looks like a bright, fuzzy star.  It is located midway between 2 brighter stars, slightly F a line between them.  At 200x the galaxy shows a stellar core, being right and slightly oval overall.

eg 3032.  

 

eg 3068:  1'.1 x 0'.9:  Vis. 14.3; SB14.2:  I managed to find this one without aid of a diagram!  The conditions were splendid.  The galaxy was small, round, and at threshold with a.v. at 136x.  At 187x and 200x it was still visible.  Good luck with this one!

eg 3068.  

 

eg 3088A:  0'.5 x 0'.3:  Vis. 13.8;  SB 11.6:  A pair with 3088B.  See below.  Though an interacting pair of galaxies, only one ghostly object can be discerned.  No doubt I saw both, or part of both.  Perhaps a 16" can tell them apart.  It was a threshold object at 136x, 187x, 200x, 250x, and 375x.  There is a stellar core, but quite dim.  It is small and extremely faint.

eg 3088B:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 15.4; SB 12:  A pair with 3088A, above and below.

eg 3088A is the brighter galaxy at centre; 3088B is elongated and SF.

They look like one object in my 12" mirror. 

 

eg 3098:  1'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis.?SB 12:  Located at 60x.  At 100x it appeared to be involved with a bright star, and was quite elongated though pretty small.  At 136x, 187x, and 200x there were 2 stars, or perhaps just one sitting near a bright stellar core. Overall it is a bright galaxy, and very elongated, though not large. 

eg 3098. 

 

Onward to Chart 73...

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#146: Leo Deep Sky Part 7: Unranometria Chart #111, Right Side

 Only a small portion of Leo is on this chart.  In fact, only 4 galaxies will be discussed in this entry.  I use a 12" Dobsonian scope from Orion.  Observations here were carried out in 2018.

eg 3685:  0'.6 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.1; SB 12.3:  A pinpoint map is required to locate this tiny faint oval smudge, conveniently located preceding 2 mag. 14 stars.  It was seen only with a.v., and then only intermittently, at 375x.  A real challenge for a 12" scope, but doable on a fine night.

eg 3685 is at centre. 

 

eg 3716:  0'.7 x 0'.6:  Vis.  13.5; SB 12.5:  Yet another hand drawn sketch helped me find this out of the way galaxy, which was seen at 84x, sitting between two brighter stars.  The galaxy is located mid-way between the stars, and just off-line (preceding).  At 136x it is faint, small, but quite easy to identify.  At 187x there are fairly good views using a.v.  The galaxy now appears slightly oval.  At 250x it is still small and somewhat ghostly in appearance, but distinct from the background sky. 

eg 3716. 

 

eg 3719:  1'.8 x 1'.3:  Vis. 13; SB 13.8:  A pair with eg 3720, below.  Both galaxies were seen at 84x.  At 136x they were cleaner, brighter, and larger.  19 is much larger and fainter, making 20 easier to see.  At 187x 20 pops right out at the viewer, while 19 takes a bit longer to come forth.  The latter is now big and oval.  At 250x both galaxies are sowing bright cores, but 19 is beginning to fade.  Still, they make a fun pair in a 12" mirror.

eg 3720:  1' x 0'.9:  Vis. 13; SB 12.7:  A pair with 3719.  See above.

3719 is the larger galaxy near centre, followed by 3720. 

 

This completes the lower and middle charts of Leo on Uranometria.  Next we turn north, beginning on Chart 74....

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

#145: Leo Deep Sky Part 6: Unranometria Chart #112, Left Side

 Charts 111 and 112 are effectively the only low Leo charts, as nothing I observed appears on Chart 132 and 131 that does not appear here.

 

eg 3434:  2'.1 x 1'.9:  Vis. 12.8; SB 12.4:  Viewed initially at 60x and 120x, the galaxy was round and had a bright centre.  At 136x a very faint star is immediately N.  A mag. 8.5 star is always in view.  272x shows a stellar core, then a larger bright central area, and finally the fainter surrounding envelope.

eg 3434.  

 

eg 3495: 3'.8 x 1':  Vis. 11.8; SB 13.6:  Located at 60x.  At 100x and up to 136x, views of this remarkable object are hampered a very bright star, 58, and mag. 5.5.  The galaxy is very elongated with a bright oval centre.  At 187x and 250x, with star 58 out of view, I saw a very fine edge-on galaxy, especially with a.v.  Nice!

eg 3495. 

 

eg 3509:  2'.1 x 1':  Vis. 12.7; SB 13.4:  The galaxy is visible at 100x, but is not large.  136x shows it as oval, using a.v.  187x gives the best view.  The oval is now pretty large, with a wide middle.  A very faint star is F (?).  At 200x the galaxy begins to fade.  In photos this is a highly irregular galaxy, and I wouldn't mind another look with my upgraded eyepieces.

eg 3509. 

 

eg 3521:  11'.2 x 5'.5:  Vis. 9; SB 13.3:  Shockingly bright at 60x, it is also very large.  I enjoyed excellent views up to 250x.  The galaxy appears as a very elongated oval, with a stellar core.  There is a large, very bright middle, and then a bright envelope, gradually fading to the edges.  This is one of the brightest galaxies in Leo, viewable in virtually all apertures.  Worth many return visits. 

eg 3521. 

 

eg 3535:  1'.7 x 0'.8:  Vis.  13.5; SB 13.7:  Observed at 136x and 187x, this very faint oval was viewed best with a.v.  A faint star is following.

eg 3535. 

 

eg 3567:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.3; SB 12.76:  Observed at 187x, the galaxy is bright but quite small.  It was located within a triangle of 3 brighter stars, almost centre.

eg 3580:  0'.9 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14; SB 12.9:  Located at 136x, using a hand-drawn detailed map.  It was oval, bright, and small.  At 187x and 250x it is quite bright.  A mag. 12 (?) star is following.  The galaxy is cigar shaped, and an easy object to see, but it is small. 

 

eg 3580. 

 

eg 3601:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.8; SB 12.1:  Located at 136x, it looked like a fuzzy star.  It was bright and actually a pretty good size at 187x and 250x.  It proved to be an easy object for a 12" scope on a fine night.

eg 3611:  2' x 1'.6:  Vis. 12.2; SB 13.3:  Located at 60x and viewed up to 250x.  At low to mid power it appeared round and very bright.  At 250x it was now oval, and quite large with a.v.  It shows a bright stellar core, a very bright middle section, and a fainter envelope.

eg 3611. 

 

eg 3630:  2'.1 x 0'.9:  Vis. 12; SB 12.6:  Located at 100x , it appears as if a bright star overlays the galaxy.  At 136s the centre is very, very bright, and still seems as if it is actually a star (it isn't!). 187x gives decent views of a nice object,especially when occasional glimpses of its full length are obtained using a.v.  250x also provides a fine view.

eg 3630.  

 

eg 3633:  1'.1 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.5; SB 12.5:  At 100x a pretty small suspicious oval patch was seen.  At 136x the galaxy is now obvious, though small and pretty faint.  the object was decent at view at 187x when a.v. was used.  It is very elongated.  Good views were also obtained using 250x and a.v.

eg 3633. 

 

eg 3640:  4' x 3'.2:  Vis. 10.4; SB 13.2:  A pair with 3641.  Located at 85x, 40 is very large, very bright, and slightly oval.  I stopped down to 8" of aperture and enjoyed a fine view as well.  At 12" and 85x 3641 was glimpsed.  At 136x the galaxy becomes very very large, showing a big and bright centre, and a fainter but still pretty bright envelope.  3641 could be seen in this range using 8", but it was considerably smaller than viewed at 12".  At 187x and 12", 41 shows a brighter centre with fainter outer haze.  It is round, and there is notable separation from 3640.  At 250x and 375x both galaxies remain bright.  I noted a possible variation in brightness in some areas of 40's outer envelope.  A real showpiece!

eg 3641:  0'.9 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.2; SB 13.  A pair with 3640.  See above.

eg 3640 (centre) and 3641, south of it. 

 

eg 3643:  1'.2 x 0'.8:  Vis. 14; SB 13.9:  At 187x this galaxy is small and faint, but quite oval.  There is a faint star SF.  Views are slightly better at 250x.

eg 3644:  1'.5 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.6:  I had a lot of difficulty finding this galaxy.  I finally glimpsed it like a small shadow just N of a faint star, itself N of other stars of note.  Seen at 187x, 200x, and 250x with a.v. only.  It is very small, oval, very faint, and even the dim star S of it dampens its appearance.  It was a painful way to end an otherwise productive and fun night of observing.

eg 3645:  0'.6 x 0'.6:  Vis.  14.3; SB 13.5:  There is some controversy here, with many sources claiming that this is the same object as eg 3630.  Unranometria instead plots this extremely faint, small, round object as the one and only.  Viewed with a.v. at 200x and 250x, it forms the apex of a triangle with two stars F, one N and one F.

3645 is at centre.  Note the triangle with two stars, one N and one F. 

 

eg 3647:  0'.3 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.6; SB 12.1:  The sighting of this tiny faint galaxy at 200x and 250x completes a group of 7 that include 3630, 3640, 3641, 3643, 3644, and 3645!  This night I was able to review the other six quite easily, though 43, 44, and 45 are also very tricky.  47 is small, faint, hazy, and F a somewhat brighter star.  This star may, in fact, be another galaxy.

eg 3664:  2'.1 x 1'.9:  Vis. 12.8; SB 14:  A pair with 3666A.  64 is faint and elusive at 84x, but somewhat better at 136x.  It is very elongated at this power.  It then seems to become more round at 187x and 250x.  While not difficult to see, it is quite faint.  It is pretty large, with one area being brighter (the oval shape at 136x?).  3664A was first confirmed at 375x, being very faint and possibly round, but "broken" on one side.

eg 3664A:  1'.1 x 1':  Vis. 14.3; SB 14.2:  A pair with eg 3664.  See above.

eg 3664 is at centre, with 64A S.  C39-173 is in the 

lower right corner, not observed. 

 

eg 3662:  1'.3 x 0'.8:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13:  Located at 84x.  At 136x a stellar core is noted, and the galaxy becomes elongated.  It seems pretty small, but it is fairly bright.  At 187x and 250x I had good views.  It is now a good size, with a very bright centre.  A faint star is S.

eg 3679: 1' x 0'.8:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.3:  Located at 187x, this one required a hand-drawn pinpoint map to locate.  With this tool it is not a difficult object to see.  A faint star is N.  At 250x things are considerably better.  It seems quite oval, and though ghostly it can be seen well.

eg 3679. 

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#144: Leo Deep Sky Part 5: Unranometria Chart #91, Right Side

Leo shares Chart 91 with Virgo and Coma Berenices.  Coma observations are in progress again this Spring.  I have yet to undertake Virgo.  For now here is more Leo.  These observations were made with a 12" Dobsonian telescope between 2013-19.  This page completes the mid-section of the constellation.  Lower and upper areas will soon appear here as well.  Photos are from NASA.gov.

 

eg 3691:  1'.3 x 1':  Vis. 11.8; SB 11.9:  This object looks good on paper, but isn't very interesting to actually see.  For one thing it's pretty small.  Only about half the stated size is seen.  Located at 136x, it is small, round, and somewhat bright.  At 187x it is actually quite dim (?), and best seen with a.v.  It is larger, though.

eg 3692:  3'.2 x 0'.7:  Vis. 12.1; SB 12.9:  Located at 84x as a small slash.  At 136x it is pretty bright, though not very long.  187x and 250x give good views.  I allowed the object to pass across the field of view.  It resembles a silent flying saucer!  A faint star is NF.

eg 3692.  

 

eg 3705:  4'.9 x 2':  Vis. 11.1; SB 13.4:  Located easily at 84x, the galaxy is much larger and brighter than its neighbour 3692.  136x shows it as a fine object.  It is very elongated, has a very bright middle, and is large.  Good views at 187x, 200x, 250x, and 272x show a very bright core with a wide layer of envelope surrounding it.  It resembles a mini-Andromeda galaxy. 

eg 3705.  

eg 3731:  1' x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.7:  Located at 136x, I noticed a tiny hazy patch M of a faint star.  187x and 250x reveal a stellar core, then a pretty bright central area, but still small.  It was round.

eg 3773:  1'.2 x 1':  Vis. 12; SB 12.1:  Suspected at 100x, at 136x the galaxy is small and very bright.  The stellar core makes any surrounding envelope too difficult to see.  There is some ovalness at 187x, and the core is very bright.  Elongation is more evident at 250x; it is still very bright.

eg 3767:  1' x 0'.9:  Vis./SB 13.5:  This galaxy is very small at 126x.  187x shows a stellar core with a small envelope.  250x shows a bright core with the envelope seen best with a.v.

eg 3764:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis 14.7; SB 14:  A pair with eg 3768, below.  68 was located at 100x, being small, oval, and bright.  At 136x through 250x it maintains a very bright stellar core, making the much fainter envelope a challenge.  It is about 1/2 of the published size in my scope.  3764 was seen at 136x, just NP 68.  It is much smaller and much fainter.  250x shows a distinct stellar core with a.v.

eg 3768:  1'.6 x 0'.9:  Vis. 12.4; SB 12.7:  See 3764, above.

eg 3764 is at centre.  3768 is SF. 

 

eg 3790:  1'.1 x 0'.3:  Vis. 13.9; SB 12.6:  Located at 136x, the galaxy appears very small, very elongated, and P a mag. 8 star.  At 187x and 250x it is still small, but views are somewhat improved.  See photo below.

eg 3801:  2'.5 x 1'.6:  Vis. 12; SB 13.4:  A triplet with eg 3802 and 3803.  01 is the best of 5 galaxies in the immediate vicinity.  Viewed at 84x through 250x, it remained bright, very large, and oval.  It was easy to see at all magnifications.  02 lies just N, also easily seen at 136x.  It is oval, pretty large and bright, and P a faint star.  03 was viewed at 187x and 250x.  It is small, round, and N of 02, just off-line P 01 and 02.  This makes a nice triplet for a 12" scope!

eg 3802:  1'.1 x 0'.3:  Vis. 13.3; SB 12:  Part of a triplet.  See above.

eg 3803:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.6:  Part of a triplet.  See above.

eg 3801 in centre.  N of it is 3802, and N of it is 3803.  eg 3806 is in upper left.  eg 3790 is right centre. 

 

eg 3806:  2'.2 x 1'.8:  Vis. 13.8; SB 14.9:  The most difficult of 5 close galaxies, this very elusive beast is located N of a mag. 9.5 star.  A much fainter star is S of the galaxy, and the object is just off-line (slightly F) with the two stars.  I saw it only with a.v. at 187x and 250x, and only the brighter central area.  However, on a final sweep of the area I was able to glimpse all 5 galaxies at 136x, including this one!  See above photo.

eg 3799:  0'.7 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.9; SB 12.4:  A pair with eg 3800.  Both galaxies were seen at 100x.  3800 is very bright and very elongated.  A pair of dim stars is S and SF.  Both galaxies are easy to see with a.v., with 99 appearing oval.  Views are good up to 250x.  In detailed photos the galaxies are interacting, but in the eyepiece there is a tiny bit of dark sky in between them.

eg 3800:  2' x 0'.6:  V/SB 12.7:  A pair with eg 3799.  See above, and photo below.

Interacting pair eg 3799, centre, and eg 3800, NF. 

 

eg 3828:  0'.8 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.8; SB 13.7:  Using a hand-drawn detailed map,this tiny and faint galaxy was finally observed at 136x, NP a faint star.  At 187x and 250x it appears oval.  It is pretty small, faint, but shows a faint stellar core.

eg 3853:  1'.7 x 1':  Vis. 12.4; SB 13:  Located at 100x, the galaxy was also viewed well at 136x and 187x.  It is very elongated, very bright, and shows a stellar core.  It is easy to find, and certainly worth a look.

eg 3933:  1'.1 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.6; SB 12:  A pair with 3934, below.  33 is very faint at 187x, though it is pretty large and oval.  34 can be seen well at 136x and 187x.  It is round, pretty bright, and a pair of stars is N.

eg 3934:  1'.1 x 1':  V/SB 13.6:  A pair with 3933, above.  See photo below.

eg 3934 is in centre.  3933 is NF. 

 

eg 3996:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.5; SB 12.8:  located at 100x, there are 2 faint stars F and SF the galaxy.  At 136x and 187x the galaxy is pretty faint, and not that small.  It seems to be very oval. 

eg 3872:  1'.9 x 1'.2:  Vis. 11.7; SB 12.6:  Located at 100x, it was easy to find, bright, and oval.  At 136x the galaxy is very attractive, making a triangle with 2 bright stars as the base.  Views are good up to 250x.

eg 3872. 

 

UGC 6758:  1'.8 x 1'.7:  Vis. 12.8; SB 13.9:  Easy to find not far F eg 3872.  It seems oval at 187x, and is near a mag. 13 star.  It is much fainter than 3872, by at least a magnitude.

eg 3908:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 15; SB 13.9:  Viewed at 187x and 250x, and located using a pinpoint map.  The galaxy appears stellar and very faint.  Some round envelope might have been seen, but not confirmed.  It is the only object in that location.  A ridiculous inclusion to the NGC.  It lies within Abell 1390.

eg 3968:  2'.7 x 1'.9:  Vis. 11.8; SB 13.4:  A pair with eg 3973.  Located at 100x, there is a bright star just F.  3 fainter stars are N.  The galaxy has a pretty bright centre, showing a stellar core and considerable surrounding haze, itself very faint and best seen with a.v. at 187x and 250x.  3973 was not seen the first night.

eg 3973:  0'.6 x 0'.3:  Vis. 15; SB 13:  A pair with 3968, above.  It is difficult to see due to its proximity to a mag. 9.8 star.  It sits just 0'.7 N of it.  It is very small at 200x, and only glimpses of it are seen with a.v.  The stellar core shows well at 272x.

eg 3968 is at centre.  3973 is NF, above a mag. 9.8 star. 

 

eg 3810:  4'.3 x 3':  Vis. 10.8; SB 13.4:  Located easily at 60x, the galaxy is already large and bright.  It appears round up to 100x, but at 136x it begins to resolve as oval with a.v.  At 187x and 250x the galaxy is very bright and very large.  No real detail can be discerned; the object seems evenly lit.  A faint but notable triangle of stars is S. 

eg 3810. 

 

eg 3817:  1' x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.1:  Part of a quintet of galaxies, two of which are in Virgo and not discussed here.  eg 3819 and 3820 are in Leo.  The two Virgo galaxies (eg 3822 and 3825) are bright and are the first to show up, helping me identify the Leo members.  The Leo ones are hampered by a mag. 11 star just N of 3817.  That galaxy appears oval at 100x and 136x.  It is smaller and a bit fainter than the 2 Virgo ones,which are just SF.  3819 follows the mag. 11 star, and is N of 3822 in Virgo.  The galaxy is easy to see, and half the size of 3817 at 187x.  3820 is the most difficult one to see, lying a bit N of 3819.  At 187x it is ghostly with a.v., and shows a faint stellar core.

eg 3819:  0'.6 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.8; SB 12.6:  See 3817, above.

eg 3820:  o'.5 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.5; SB 12.7:  See 3817, above.

3819 is at centre.  3820 is N, while 3817 is P, beneath a mag. 11 star.  Two bright Virgo galaxies are also close by, 3822 and 3825. 

 

eg 3839:  1' x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.5; SB 12.6:  This galaxy is pretty small, showing a bright centre and a stellar core.  It was observed at 187x and 250x, SF 2 faint stars, and N of a brighter one.

eg 3869:  1'.9 x 0'.5:  Vis. 12.8; SB 12.5:  Located at 100x, the galaxy is very bright, very elongated, and pretty large.  136x, 187x, and 250x give good views with a.v.  The galaxy follows a bright star, with 2 fainter ones NF.  It remains bright and easy to see at high power.  Another "flying saucer" galaxy!

eg 3869. 

 

Leo reports will continue in the next blog.

 

Mapman Mike