Deep Sky NGC #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 latitude 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 

Deep Sky NGC #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

Deep Sky NGC #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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#143: Leo Deep Sky Part 4: Unranometria Chart #92, Left Side

I am observing with a 12" Dob.  There are an awful of NGC galaxies on Chart 92, left side.  Bear with me as I pass on my observations of them.  This page includes M 105 and its pair of attendant galaxies, as well as the justly famous Leo Triplet.  I will begin at the bottom of the page with NGC 3441, which virtually sits on the ecliptic.  From there I will zig-zag north on the right half of the (left) page.  The observations are mostly from 2013-2017.

 

eg 3441:  0'.7 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.6; SB 12.1:  The galaxy is easy to spot at 136x.  It is very oval, and close to a mag. 14 star.  It is brighter and full-size at 187x.  Views are still good at 250x.

eg 3462:  1'.7 x 1'.2:  Vis. 12.2; SB 12.8: Noted at 60x, the galaxy appears small and faint.  At 100x it is now oval, with a bright centre.  At 136x the galaxy is quite bright, and pretty large using a.v.  A faint star is S.  At 187x and 250x the galaxy is quite small but bright using direct vision.  using a.v., however, enlarges the object considerably, to a mid-size oval with a very bright centre.  the centre itself is pretty large, with a fainter outer envelope.

eg 3462.  

 

eg 3427:  1'.1 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.2; SB 12.4:  Observed at 136x, 187x, and 250x.  At 136x it is small, faint, and oval.  It is brighter at 187x, but only the central oval is seen well.  250x shows an extended object, pretty bright, using a.v.

eg 3427. 

 

eg 3417:  0'.7 0'.4:  Vis. 14.6; SB 13.1:  At 250x this is a very small oval patch  SP eg 3425 and a small stellar asterism. 

eg 3425:  1' x 1':  Vis. 13.1; SB 13:  Viewed at 136x and 187x, the galaxy has a bright stellar centre.  It appears small, bright, and fuzzy.  At 250x it is round and distinct.  It lies north and between two distinct stars, part of a small asterism.

eg 3439:  0'.6 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.3; SB 12.6:  Elusive, tiny, and ghostly at 187x and 250x.  The galaxy makes a triangle with two faint stars, with the galaxy P the north/south stars.

eg 3428:  1'.5 x 0'.7:  Vis. and SB 13.1:  (Note--most catalogues equate 3428 and 3429 as the same object. However, Uranometria does show two galaxies.  I have only seen 28).  Observed at 136x and 187x, I noticed a bright central area with fainter envelope elongation.  The two very bright stars nearby (mag. 7.5 and 8) made initial viewing difficult.  At 250x the galaxy is petty large and very elongated.

eg 3428 is at centre.  3429 is the tiny haze preceding it, N of the last bright star.  

I have only observed 28. 

 

UGC 6062:  1'.4 x 0'.7:  Vis. 12.8; SB 12.6:  Viewed at 136x, 187x, and 250x, the galaxy is pretty bright and oval.  I estimated its size (I had no field info at the time, but just took a random chance at finding it) at 1'.2 x o'.9.  A bit off!  A much better object than either eg 3476 and 3477, both just NP.

eg 3476:  0'.8 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.2:  A pair with eg 3477, below.  Both galaxies can be seen at 136x, and remain in the field at higher power, too.  A faint star is near them.  76 is pretty faint but not a difficult object to locate.  It can be seen best using a.v.

eg 3477:  0'.9 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.8; SB 13.2:  A pair with 3476, above.  77 is more oval than 76, and has a brighter centre.  Both can be seen even at 187x and 250x.

eg 3476 is at centre; 3477 is SF. 

 

eg 3490:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.8; SB 12.4:  These little galaxies are a favourite with me; I love hunting them down.  This one was located at 187x, using hand drawn chart.  It is a tricky object!  Though a bit easier to view at 200x, it still requires a.v. and good experience.  It is NP a very faint star.  It becomes much easier to see at 250x, though it is still not an easy object.  It is small, round, faint, and hazy.

eg 3466:  1' x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.6; SB 12.9:  A pair with 3467, below.  Both galaxies were located at 100x, and seen well at 136x.  66 is elongated, and has a brighter centre.  67 is round, also with a bright middle.  A nice pair at 187x.

eg 3467:  0'.8 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.4; SB 12.9:  See 3466, above.  Fun to see with a 12" and good transparency.

eg 3466 is at centre.  3467 is towards the left (F) edge. 

 

eg 3433:  3'.5 x 3'.3:  Vis. 11.6; SB 14:  Located a bit P a mag. 9.5 star. the galaxy was noted at 100x.  Better at 136x, it was also seen at 187x.  It is very large, oval, and has a very slightly brighter centre.  I tried to relocate it later, after chasing my wind-blown dew cap, but was unsuccessful.

eg 3433. 

 

eg 3444:  1' x 0'.2:  Vis. 14.7; SB 12.8:  Glimpsed at 187x, I saw a very small, faint slash, perhaps 0'. 5 x 0'.1?  Except for a brisk wind, the sky was exceptionally transparent.  Good luck to you if you try this!

eg 3444. 

 

eg 3438:  0.8 x 0.8:  Vis. 13.4; SB 12.8:  Located at 100x, using a detailed hand drawn map, the galaxy is quite small and hazy.  AT 136x it is small, but the centre is bright.  A mag 14 star is just SF.  At 187x the envelope around the bright middle is much fainter. 

eg 3438. 

 

I. 664:  1'.3 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13.1:  A pair with eg 3492, below.  Both galaxies are located within Abell Galaxy Cluster 1142.  Both objects can be seen at 100x and 136x.  92 is a bit brighter and easier to see.  664 seems smaller, but is not difficult to view.  At 187x the oval shape in both becomes more apparent.  They both now show stellar cores, surrounded by bright centres with fainter, extended envelopes.  An easy pair to see, near a fairly bright star.

eg 3492:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.2; SB 12.9:  A pair with I. 664.  See above.

eg 3492 at centre.  I. 664 is NP. 

 

eg 3506:  1'.2 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12.5; SB 12.6:  Located at 60x.  It is bright and round at 100x and 136x.  At 187x it becomes even brighter, and now clearly shows a stellar core.  At 250x it is pretty big, but becoming dimmer.  The fainter envelope surrounding the bright centre shows well here.

eg 3506.  

 

eg 3491:  0'.9 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.2; SB 12.9:  Located at 100x, it seems very bright at 136x and 187x.  It is round and quite easy to view.  The galaxy precedes two very bright stars.  A very faint star (mag. 15?) is following.  The galaxy is pretty small, and does show a stellar core. 

eg 3379, Messier 105:  5'.4 x 4'.8:  Vis. 9.3; SB 12.8:  Part of another very fine Leo Triplet!  All three galaxies can be seen at 60x, and even at 200x they still fit in the field of view.  Thus they are much closer together than the actual triplet, making these perhaps more fun to view.  M 105 is round, big, and easily the brightest of the 3 Messier galaxies (M 96, M 96).  The other two are close enough to easily sweep to at low power, making this one of the most exciting areas in Leo.  At 200x and 250x M 105 is still very, very bright, showing a large core area, a large somewhat less bright area surrounding it, and plenty of fainter envelope around all.  In order of brightness among the three close Messier objects, it is M 105, M 96, and M 95.

eg 3384:  5'.5 x 2'.5:  Vis. 9.9; SB 12.6:  3384 is nearly as bright as M 105, and it is curious that it was never assigned a Messier number.  The core is much smaller than M 105, and its envelope fainter.  At 200x and 250x the core is very bright, and the surrounding envelope is wide, fat, and oval.  A highlight of Leo observing.

eg 3389:  2' x 1'.3:  Vis. 11.9; SB 13.2:  Though much fainter than its two companions, this is also a beauty in a 12" scope.  Even at low powers it is very elongated, and well positioned preceding 3 bright stars in a rough line.  The galaxy is long and lovely at 136x, best with a.v.  200x shows it very long, wide in the centre, and though it is pretty bright, its glow is ghostly.  To me it gave the impression of a nearly cloaked space ship!  I will undoubtedly return to this area again and again, as I do with the original Triplet.  Leo turns out to be an amazing journey with a large Dob!

M 105 centre; eg 3384 at upper left, and eg 3389 at centre left.  

M 95 and M 96 are also an easy star hop away, towards the right side. 

 

eg 3412:  3'.6 x 2':  Vis. 10.5; SB 12.6:  This big, bright galaxy is close enough to the M 105 group to consider making it a sixth member on wide sweeping nights.  Large and bright at 84x, 136x only improves things, also showing a 14.2 mag. star on the galaxy's N edge.  Another fainter star is SP.  This big galaxy is nearly as bright at eg 3384.  It is smaller, but has a very bright core.  At 187x and 200x the envelope is faint, but large and oval.  It can now be seen to extend right to the 14 mag. star N.

eg 3412. 

 

eg 3419:  1'.2 x 1'.1:  Vis/SB 12.5:  A pair with eg 3419a, below.  The main galaxy is bright and oval at 100x.  136x shows a bright core with a fainter surrounding envelope.  Up to 250x shows it well, with an elongated core caused by a foreground star in there being involved.

eg 3419a:  1'.8 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.1; SB 13.3:  This galaxy sits just N of 3419, and is pretty tricky to view.  187x, 200x, and 250x shows a stellar core, faint, and an occasional faint slash with a.v.  Good luck with this one!

eg 3419 in centre, with 3419a to the north. 

 

eg 3391:  1' x 0'.5:  Vis. 13; SB 12.1:  Located at 100x, at 136x it was a nice oval haze, with the middle showing as slightly brighter.  Seen well between two faint stars, I was able to view it up to 200x.

eg 3489:  3'.5 x 2':  Vis. 10.3; SB 12.3:  Easy to see at 60x, this is one very bright object!  Views are great up to 272x.  The galaxy is large and has a very bright central globe surrounded by a large oval haze, much less bright.  It is quite a stunning sight in a 12" mirror!  A faint star (14?) is P.

eg 3489. 

    

eg 3485:  2'.3 x 2':  Vis. 11.8; SB 13.3:  Located at 100cx, the galaxy is pretty faint and pretty large.  Views are better at 136x, now showing a bright middle.  Views are best at 187x with a.v., where 3485 is now pretty bright.  At 250x it begins to fade.  Afterwards I could see it at 60x.

eg 3485.  

 

eg 3399:  0'.8 x 0'.8:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.3:  A pair with 3405, are both small and pretty faint.  05, the fainter one, is actually an interacting pair of round galaxies, though the eyepiece impression is of an oval single galaxy.  99 was spotted at 136x, very near a bright star, helping to hide it,  it lies within a group of four stars.  At 187x both galaxies are seen, with 05 following very closely.  It is very small, very faint, and a bit oval,  They both have stellar cores.  Views are good at 200x.

eg 3405:  0'.8 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.4; SB 12.7:  A pair with 3399.  See above.

eg 3399 is centre, with 3405 to the left.  05 is actually a close pair of galaxies. 

 

eg 3347:  3'. 7 x 2'.1:  Vis. 12.5; SB 14.6:  A pair with 3447A, both galaxies are faint and oval at 187x, 200x, and 250x, using a.v.  Both lie close to a mag. 9.9 star, making these objects a challenge.  three very faint stars form an arrowhead pointing to the galaxies.  The pair lie between this pattern and the 9.9 mag. star, though very close to the star.  Both galaxies lies on the border of galaxy cluster Abell 1126.  47 is oval.

eg 3447A:  1'.5 x 0'.8:  Vis./SB 12.5 (?-- more like 14):  A pair with 3447.  See above.

eg 3447, centre.  3447A just NF. 

 

eg 3454:  2'.1 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.1:  A pair with 3455.  55 was seen at 100x.  It was quite large, oval, and S of a mag. 11 star.  54 was seen at 136x, N of the mag. 11 star.  It was a narrow slash.  At 187x 54 was pretty nice, but it fades at 200s and 250x.  55 is much bigger and brighter, and is still good to view at 250x.  A fine pair!

eg 3455:  2'.6 x 2':  Vis. 12; SB 13.7:  A pair with 3454.  See above.

eg 3455 is at centre.  3454 is N. 

 

eg 3443:  2'.8 x 1'.4:  Vis. 13.1; SB 14.4:  This one took three attempts to locate, but I got it quickly the third night with a hand drawn detail map.  It was seen at 136x, though it is very elusive.  It was best at 187x, where it was oval with a stellar core and very faint envelope.  It sits between two stars, the P one brighter.  Uranometria notes say "Small, weak nucleus in faint, uniform envelope."  

eg 3443.  A very tricky object to find! 

 

eg 3457:  0'.9 x 0'.9:  Vis. 12.7; SB 12.3:  Located at 100x and 136x, it appears stellar with some envelope around it.  I was round and bright.  At 187x it is still bright, and the round envelope is bigger.  It is not unlike viewing a planetary nebula.  At 200x it remains bright, especially the central core.

eg 3473:  1'.2 x 1':  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.6:  A pair with 3474.  Both galaxies can be seen at 187x.  74 is much easier to see, being small and round.  it is faint, though, and best seen with a.v.  3473 is round, larger, and comes up to a 12.8 mag. star just N.  Lying between two faint stars, it ismuch harder to see. 

eg 3474:  0'.8 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.2:  A pair with 3473.  See above.

eg 3473 is at centre.  3474 is SF.  

 

eg 3487:  0'.9 x 0'.4:  Vis.13.9; SB 12.6:  Located at 136x and also observed at 187x, though it was seen only using a.v.  The galaxy is very elongated, very faint, and ghostly.  It appears to sit in a barren section of the sky.

eg 3501:  3'.9 x 0'.5:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.4:  The central area of this needle galaxy was seen (barely) at 60x and 100x.  Even at 136x and 187x, this is a very faint edge-on, seen best with a.v.  It is very long and thin.  A bright star NP is in the field of view, mag. 9.

eg 3501 is a good catch for a 12" Dob.  In upper left is eg 3507, 

which will be discussed on Chart 73. 

 

This completes the objects seen between 10h48m and 11h04 , or the four first squares on the left hand page.  Now we will visit the remaining 6 squares on Chart 92 left.

eg 3559:  1'.3 x 0'.9:  Vis./SB 12.8:  Observed at 100x, 136x, and 187x,the galaxy is pretty large, but very faint and diffuse, quite evenly lit.  It does not seem to be 12.8 mag., but considerably fainter (13.8?).

eg 3524:  1'.6 x 0'.5:  Vis. 12.8; SB 12.4:  Located at 100x.  At 136x it is bright, very elongated, and pretty large.  250x gives a pretty decent view.  It is still bright.

eg 3524.  

eg 3547:  2' x 0'.9:  Vis. 12.8; SB 13.2:  Located t 100x.  At 136x it was large, oval, and bright.  At 187x it remains bright and pretty large.  250x also gave a good view.  There is now a very faint star F.  

eg 3547. 

 

eg 3526:  1'.9 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.2; SB 12.7:  Located at 136x, this is as classic edge-on galaxy, among my favourite things to discover.  A mag. 13 star precedes its nose.  It is very elongated at 187x, with star immediately P.  The galaxy is long, thin,and not that bright.  At 250x it is now a ghostly sight.  However, it is large, especially the central oval area.

eg 3526.  

 

NOTE:  eg 3567 and eg 3601 will be discussed on Chart 112. 

 

eg 3624:  0'.9 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13:  This one was a big challenge on a previous hazy night, but under much better skies the next time it was quickly located.  It was seen at 187x, and though pretty faint, its elongation was evident. 

eg 3666:  4' x 1':  Vis 12; SB 13.5:  Located at 84x.  The galaxy is very bright and very elongated.  At 136x it is harder to see because because of the glare of a nearby 5.5 mag. star.  At 187x and 250x, with the offending star removed from the field of view, I enjoyed good views of a very large, very elongated galaxy.  It shows a stellar core.  There is a large, oval and quite bright envelope.  Occasional glimpses were had of very faint tips, or extensions.  A very faint star lies N.

eg 3666. 

 

eg 3623--Messier 65: 9'.8 x 2'.9:  Vis. 9.2; SB 12.7:  One of many showpiece galaxies in Leo, it is also one of the Leo Triplets.  It is very large and very elongated, and rewards long views by getting larger as the eye adapts.  I saw a dark lane on the F edge, passing the bright core.  This is one of those objects that seems fine at all magnifications, and with almost any size telescope.  It is also one I return to year after year.

eg 3623, M 65. 

 

eg 3627--Messier 66:  9'.1 x 4'.1:  Vis. 8.9; SB 12.7:  Somewhat brighter than M 65, the galaxy also has a squatter shape.  Like its neighbour it is seen well at virtually all magnifications, but I prefer it at 200x.  As it moves across the field of view so quickly, however, it is best sketched at 120x.  The core is star-like, and decidedly N or the centre.  The central bright dome is wider than M 65.  It surrounds the core for some distance.  Next comes the fainter extensions, best seen using a.v.  M 65 and M 66have been my two most frequently viewed objects in Leo so far.  I will continue to view them each Spring.

eg 3627, Messier 66. 

 

eg 3628:  13'.1 x 3'.1:  Vis. 9.6; SB 13.5:  The third member of the famous Leo Triplet, along with M 65 and M 66.  It is faint but enormous at 60x, it is possibly the largest galaxy I have seen outside of M 31.  It is amazing to see in a dark sky at around 100x, 120x, and 150x.  A.v. shows an evenly dim nebula that seems to go on and on.  Dimmer than the 2 nearby Messier objects, it rewards the viewer nearly as much.  The dark lane is not difficult to see.  The galaxy dims considerably at 200x.  All three objects fit into my field of view at 43x and 60x.

 eg 3628, the 3rd member of the Leo Triplet. 

 

eg 3593:  5'.2 x 1'.9:  Vis. 11; SB 13.4:  Located P the Triplet, this has also become a favourite fof mine when visiting the area.  It can be seen well from 60x-200x.  Large, oval, and quite bright, it marks the 4th corner of a rectangle with three bright stars.  The galaxy has a large and bright central area.  It is also a fine object in an 8" scope.

eg 3593 precedes the Triplet, and is worth seeking. 

 

eg 3596:  4' x 3'.8:  Vis. 10.9; SB 13.7:  Yet another fine galaxy close to the Triplet, this one is NP.  Though easily seen on a good night, it is much fainter than 3593, above.  It appears as a dim and very large circle, or possibly very slight oval.  I can see no hint of arms or even a brighter centre.  Easy to access from the Triplet and 3593.  I now call this area the Quintet!

eg 3596.  

 

eg 3592:  1'.8 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.8:  A threshold slash, not small, was seen at 120x and 150x.  A.v. was the only way to see this object.  Seen from my suburban back deck in 2013! 

eg 3598:  1'.8 x 1'.3:  Vis. 12.3; SB 13.3:  This small oval galaxy was not difficult to locate from my deck, but at first I thought I was looking at two faint stars.  A faint star sits on the galaxy's N edge.  The object was seen at 100x, 120x, 150x, and 200x, even without using a.v.  I was surprised by the small size of the galaxy, given its dimensions.

eg 3598.  

 

eg 3602:  1' x 0'.3:  Vis. 15; SB 13.5:  I looked long and hard many times for this galaxy in the past.  Tonight it was finally glimpsed, elusive and faint as it is.  No elongation was apparent, just the central core glimpsed at 125x and 150x.  This is the dimmest of 7 closely groped galaxies in this area.  Good luck with this one!

eg 3602.
 

eg 3659:  2'.3 x 1'.3:  Vis. 12.2 x 12.9:  Located easily at 100x.  At 136x it is very elongated, with a wide middle.  It seems to glow softly and evenly.  Views are good at 187x with a.v.  It is pretty large, but not terribly bright.

eg 3655:  1'.5 x 1':  Vis. 11.7; SB 11.9:  Even at 60x and 100x the galaxy is very, very bright and pretty large!  At 136x a faint star is NF.  The galaxy is very elongated.  At 187x it shows a very large central area.  The surrounding envelope is still bright at 250x.

eg 3681:  2' x 2':  Vis. 11.2; SB 12.5:  One of 4 galaxies 4 degrees N of the Triplet, and about 8' F.  Located at 83x, it lies NF 81 Leonis, a star of mag. 5.5.  The galaxy is bright, round, and pretty large.  At 136x it seems to be the brightest of the big three in this immediate area.  It shows a bright middle, pretty large, with a fainter envelope.  At 187x it is large, round, and bright, and its full size can be experienced with a.v. 

eg 3681 in centre.  At upper left is 3684. 

 

eg 3684:   3'.1 x 2'.1:  Vis. 11.4; SB 13.3:  In a diagonal line with 3681 and 3686, all 3 are fun to sweep between at low and high powers!  They all all quite close together.  this one is an easy object to view well at 136x, located S of a pretty bright star.  At 187x it is a very good object, especially with a.v.  It is 2nd brightest of the three.  It is very oval, and shows more brightness in the larger central area.  It certainly is a large object!

eg 3684 in centre.  3681 in bottom right corner. 

 

eg 3686:  3'.2 x 2'.5:  Vis. 11.2; SB 13.4:  This is the largest of the three galaxies discussed in this last section.  Located at 83x, it is pretty amazing at 136x.  It is also a bit fainter than the other two nearby galaxies, but it is my favourite.  Very good views were had at 187x, especially with a.v.  It is oval, very large, and shows a stellar core.  While all three galaxies are recommended for a 12" scope, this one is the showpiece of the crowd.

eg 3686. 

 

Leo Uranometria notes will be continued next time.

 

Mapman Mike