I am into my 4th season of observing all of the NGC in Leo, along with a few IC and UGC galaxies. ALL of the agreed upon NGC objects in Leo are galaxies. Several stars were given designation by error back in the day. Anyone who observes all 360+ will certainly become expert at observing galaxies. With one more lunar dark sky session remaining for this year's studies, I should be about 40% of the way through Leo by this time next month. This has already been a very successful season, with 61 new NGC galaxies logged. The first year was not nearly so successful. I was observing from a less than ideal dark sky site, so I really had my work cut out for me. In addition, my left observing eye was developing a cataract. Compare that with the last two seasons, where my left eye is now as good as new, and the much darker site near Comber, Ontario helps immensely. I am slowly going back over some of the earliest sightings, as reported here.
How to talk about so many galaxies?--that was my problem, and one of the reasons I kept putting off the reports. I have decided to use Uranometria 2000, All Sky Edition, as the basis for my reporting. Over the remaining months of spring, and likely well into summer, I will try and update readers with all objects seen to date. I will also include several double stars, to help break up the monotony of so many faint galaxies. It is time to begin with observations from Spring 2013.
If you want to be serious and find these galaxies for yourself, the first step should be learning how to star hop between Leo 3, 2, 6 and 5. These four stars are your guide to the ten galaxies on this side of Chart 93. Happy hunting!
If you want to be serious and find these galaxies for yourself, the first step should be learning how to star hop between Leo 3, 2, 6 and 5. These four stars are your guide to the ten galaxies on this side of Chart 93. Happy hunting!
LEO NGC--Uranometria Chart 93, Right Side
eg 2894: 1.'9 x 1"; Vis. 12.4; SB 12.9: The first galaxy of my long journey, it was seen from my backyard suburban skies. It was not visible at 60x, but averted vision showed it at 120x, elongated. Very faint stars were resolving, as if a faint cluster lay over top. However, the galaxy itself was seen well and steadily at 150x. Lying south of a mag. 8.5 star, 2894 lies very close to a much fainter star. Worth repeating from a darker sky.
www.ngcicproject.org
dble * Leo 3: 6-10/25": Split at 60x. Gold and bluish at 120x.
dble * Leo 6: 6-9/37": Yellow and violet. A fine double at 60x.
Var. * DF: 6.8--7/70 days: A pale orange star, in a curved line with 3 others. Nice field.
eg 2911: 4'.3 x 3'.2: Vis. 11.5; SB 14.1: Seen from my 2nd best site (Malden, Ontario), I saw a large but faint nebula at 60x. It was oval with averted vision, and evenly bright, Up to 150x was used, but 100x and 120x gave the most satisfactory views. It sits midway between two fainter stars, one of them a double with a fainter companion.
www.ngcicproject.org
eg 2914: 0'.9 x 0'.6: Vis. 13.3; SB 12.5: Seen at 60x, this one makes a triangle with two fainter stars. It is very slightly oval, and quite small. It can be seen with 2911 in the same field up to 150x. See above. 2912 is a star.
eg 2872: 2'.1 x 1'.9: Vis. 11.9; SB 13.4: 72 and 74 are pretty nice in the 12". Seen as one larger
eg 2873: 0'.7 x 0'.3: Vis. 15.4; SB 13.6: nebula at 60x and 100x, two cores are noted at 136x and
eg 2874: 2'.5 x 0'.9: Vis 12.6; SB 12.9: higher. At 150x a tiny, narrow strip of black sky separates them. 74 is considerably fainter and very elongated, so much so that once or twice I though I was seeing a 3rd galaxy to the south. It took a few tries to located 73, just north of the pair. On a recent return to this little triplet I spotted it quickly and easily from Comber, my darkest site, at 187x. It is a challenge, but not too bad. It appears as a tiny, elongated haze. Overall I highly recommend these three galaxies, all of which fit into a high power field.
www.ngcicproject.org
2871 and 2875 are stars.
eg 2882: 1'.5 x 0'.5: Vis. & SB mag. 12.6: This one took many nights to locate, but on April 5th, 2013 I finally found it. The ultra faint slash was seen at 100x, 120x, and 150x, but it was too faint for 200x. The extensions are fainter than the middle. I use hand drawn detail maps from Deep Sky Objects Browser for difficult galaxies. I would like to try this one again from my darker sky site.
eg 2906: 1'.4 x 0'.5: Vis. 12.5; SB 12.6: Spotted at 120x, it was oval. It was a bit better to see at 150x, larger now. I could see it without averted vision at 200x. The edges are fainter than the middle.
eg 2919: 1'.6 x 0'.5: Vis. 12.9; SB 12.5: Like several others nearby, this one was more difficult than its statistics suggest. It took several times before I found it. Glimpsed on previous occasions, I could not confirm the sighting till tonight (May 2nd, 2013). Tonight it was seen a few times at 120x and 150x. Averted vision had to be used, and a threshold star could be seen just following the galaxy.
eg 2913: 1'.1 x 0'.7: Vis. 13.4; SB 13: Another difficult target for my somewhat suburban sky at the time. It was spotted despite beginning to fade into the west, even more light polluted thanks to the southern suburbs of Detroit across the river from me. It was very faint, seen only as a ghostly oval with averted vision at 120x and 150x.
dble star Stf 1353: 9.9-10/3.2": Minute at 60x. Both white and nearly even at 150x. It is the only double star in the box. Look between 15 and 16 degrees north, and 9 hrs 27' R.A. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, but an easy star hop from Leo 7.
dble star Leo 7: 7.9-9.1/45": White and pale blue at 60x and 120x. Also split with the 4" Astroscan.
dble star 6 Leo: 5.2-9.3/37": A fine double at 60x. Yellow and violet.
dble star Stf 1360: 9-8.9/14": Midway between Leo 5 and Leo 6, preceding them. Both white at 100x. There is a distant mag. 13 as well.
Clear skies.
Mapman Mike
www.ngcicproject.org
eg 2906: 1'.4 x 0'.5: Vis. 12.5; SB 12.6: Spotted at 120x, it was oval. It was a bit better to see at 150x, larger now. I could see it without averted vision at 200x. The edges are fainter than the middle.
www.ngcicproject.org
eg 2919: 1'.6 x 0'.5: Vis. 12.9; SB 12.5: Like several others nearby, this one was more difficult than its statistics suggest. It took several times before I found it. Glimpsed on previous occasions, I could not confirm the sighting till tonight (May 2nd, 2013). Tonight it was seen a few times at 120x and 150x. Averted vision had to be used, and a threshold star could be seen just following the galaxy.
www.ngcicproject.org
eg 2913: 1'.1 x 0'.7: Vis. 13.4; SB 13: Another difficult target for my somewhat suburban sky at the time. It was spotted despite beginning to fade into the west, even more light polluted thanks to the southern suburbs of Detroit across the river from me. It was very faint, seen only as a ghostly oval with averted vision at 120x and 150x.
www.ngcicproject.org
dble star Stf 1353: 9.9-10/3.2": Minute at 60x. Both white and nearly even at 150x. It is the only double star in the box. Look between 15 and 16 degrees north, and 9 hrs 27' R.A. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, but an easy star hop from Leo 7.
dble star Leo 7: 7.9-9.1/45": White and pale blue at 60x and 120x. Also split with the 4" Astroscan.
dble star 6 Leo: 5.2-9.3/37": A fine double at 60x. Yellow and violet.
dble star Stf 1360: 9-8.9/14": Midway between Leo 5 and Leo 6, preceding them. Both white at 100x. There is a distant mag. 13 as well.
Clear skies.
Mapman Mike
No comments:
Post a Comment