The Hercules NGC project commenced June 21st, 2015. That summer I managed to observe in Hercules 13 times for at least part, if not all, of my night observing time. I continued working there during the summer of 2016 with 14 sessions, and concluded this year (2017) with 5 sessions. So, 32 sessions later, I have logged all of the NGC objects in Hercules. There are over 200 of them, and they are mostly galaxies. It goes without saying that many of those are faint.
I use Uranometria 2000 Deep Sky Atlas, All Sky Edition, which devotes 11 charts to Hercules (I don't count Chart 88, as it duplicates Chart 87 and Chart A-9). The charts are: 107, 87, A-9, 69, 68, 67, 51, 50, 49, 35, and 34. If you use the charts you will know why they are listed in that order. This entry will focus on 2 of the charts, though mostly #87. Reporting all of the NGCs will take some time, so please be patient--they are coming as fast as I can manage.
CHART 107
Only 1 NGC object in Hercules is on this chart, and it was the first object I observed on my adventure.
eg 6230: 0'.9 x 0'.8: Vis. 14.4; SB 14.1: Spotted at 120x and again at 150x. It was round, not too small, and surprisingly not too difficult. It either had a stellar core or a faint star involved. One of the faintest objects yet seen!
http://www.ngcicproject.org
eg I. 1205: 0'.5 x 0'.5: Vis. 13.7; SB 12.1: Located very near an 8.5 mag. star, the galaxy was oval, bright, and easy to observe at 100x, 150x, and 187x. It is located immediately following the bright star.
eg I. 1206: 1'.2 x 0'.8: Vis. 13.6; SB 13.4: The galaxy appeared round, faint, and ghostly. It was seen at 100x, 125x, and 150x. It was quite small, even at 200x.
pn I. 4593: 42": Vis. 10.7; Cent. * Mag. 11.2: I had higher hopes for this object, which turned into a larger star, somewhat fuzzy. Up to 250x was used, and though very bright, it did not approach its stated size. This object has also been seen back in the day with my Edmund 8".
eg 6074: 0'.4 x 0'.4: Vis. 14.4; SB 12.3: Easily seen at 150x and 200x, despite lying between 2 fairly close bright stars. It was small, round, very faint, and best using averted vision.
eg 6078: 0'.5 x 0'.5: Vis. 15.2; SB 13.8: Seen nicely at 125x, it was round and a pretty good size. It is possibly enhanced somewhat by eg M+2-41-18, on its S edge, though I could not distinguish it.
eg 6083: 0'.9 x 0'.5: Vis. 14.6; SB 13.6: Hercules galaxies are certainly not opening with a visual bang! It's been a bit of a struggle, not to mention disappointment. This one was seen at 150x and 200x, though it was "best" at 250x. It is very faint, elongated, and was the most challenging of the Hercules galaxies observed during the first night.
eg 6106: 2'.5 x 1'.4: Vis. 12.2; SB 13.5: I finally scored a decent hit, the first object of my second night in Hercules! Located at 60x, it was quite small, oval, and faint. It was much larger at 100x, and not nearly as faint. At 150x it displayed a brighter middle section with a fainter envelope surrounding it. A very faint star is involved or just beyond the haze. The galaxy is now pretty large. 200x still gives a good view of this impressive object.
eg UGC 10337: 1'.2 x 0'.4: Vis. 14; SB 13.1: Lying south preceding 6106, and just north of a mag. 8 star, I thought I would check this one out, too. I tried it for fun at random, with no specs with me. I spotted a faint, small oval patch at 150x and 200x. It is just S of a faint star. No doubt only the brighter center was seen.
eg 6132: 1'.5 x 0'.5: Vis. 13.6; SB 13.2: This one is very faint and small. It was spotted at 125x, where I saw it as oval. It was only seen positively with averted vision, and was near my threshold of visibility. It was a good observing night, too.
eg I. 1209: 1'.1 x 0'.8: Vis. 13.3: SB 13.1: An 8.7 mag. star lies very close, making this one a challenge. The sighting was confirmed at 200x and 250x. It was very small, and glimpsed between the bright star and a much dimmer one.
eg 6113: 1' x 0'.6: Vis. 14.1; SB 13.4: Located using a hand-drawn pinpoint map (I use Deep Sky Objects Browser if I can't find an object the old fashioned way). It resembled a faint, flaring star at 100x. It was observed to slightly better advantage at 125x, 150x, and 187x, and it was now oval and pretty bright using averted vision. It was viewed at 200x, but it was fading at this range.
eg 6219: 0'.7 x 0'.7: Vis. 14.2; SB 13.3: Though small and faint, it was seen at 136x, though better at 187x. A stellar core shows at 250x.
eg 6224: 1' x 1': Vis. 13.5; SB 13.3: A pair with 6225. My lower western skies were not so good at this point, and the humidity was building (90%!). It was small and round at 187x, and seen best with averted vision.
eg 6225: 1' x 0'.7: Vis. 13.8; SB 13.2: A pair with 6224. It was seen at 250x, very faint and very oval, almost elongated to a slash. This may be due to a possible star involved or alongside.
eg I. 4621: 0'.9 x 0'.7: Vis. 13.8; SB 13.1: Located at 136x, hiding between 2 faint stars, one of which is 11.7 mag. The galaxy is small and ghostly, best with averted vision. It's slightly better at 187x. 250x shows it as being oval, and its full size (pretty small) can be seen.
eg 6347: 1'.2 x 0'.7: Vis. 13.7; SB 13.2: The sighting of this tricky object was finally confirmed at 187x. It is very faint, round, and small. It lies just a bit south of a very faint star group, and north preceding 2 much brighter stars. At 250x it is merely a faint, fuzzy patch, possibly somewhat oval with averted vision.
oc DoDz 7: 6'; 6 stars: The only "cluster" on the chart. It was easy to locate at 60x, where 5 bright stars show up in a concentrated area. At 100x and 136x, many more stars appear in an area more than twice as large (15'?), perhaps 20 stars. The main group is likely a bright asterism, but the nearby area is quite rich.
Mapman Mike
eg 6230: 0'.9 x 0'.8: Vis. 14.4; SB 14.1: Spotted at 120x and again at 150x. It was round, not too small, and surprisingly not too difficult. It either had a stellar core or a faint star involved. One of the faintest objects yet seen!
CHART 87
eg 6081: 1'.8 x 0'.6: Vis. 13.1; SB 13: Spotted at 100x and observed up to 250x. It was very elongated, with a bright middle. It was large with averted vision. This is a nice elliptical galaxy. It immediately follows a very faint stellar pair.
http://www.ngcicproject.org
eg I. 1205: 0'.5 x 0'.5: Vis. 13.7; SB 12.1: Located very near an 8.5 mag. star, the galaxy was oval, bright, and easy to observe at 100x, 150x, and 187x. It is located immediately following the bright star.
eg I. 1206: 1'.2 x 0'.8: Vis. 13.6; SB 13.4: The galaxy appeared round, faint, and ghostly. It was seen at 100x, 125x, and 150x. It was quite small, even at 200x.
pn I. 4593: 42": Vis. 10.7; Cent. * Mag. 11.2: I had higher hopes for this object, which turned into a larger star, somewhat fuzzy. Up to 250x was used, and though very bright, it did not approach its stated size. This object has also been seen back in the day with my Edmund 8".
eg 6074: 0'.4 x 0'.4: Vis. 14.4; SB 12.3: Easily seen at 150x and 200x, despite lying between 2 fairly close bright stars. It was small, round, very faint, and best using averted vision.
http://www.ngcicproject.org
http://www.ngcicproject.org
http://www.ngcicproject.org
http://www.ngcicproject.org
eg UGC 10337: 1'.2 x 0'.4: Vis. 14; SB 13.1: Lying south preceding 6106, and just north of a mag. 8 star, I thought I would check this one out, too. I tried it for fun at random, with no specs with me. I spotted a faint, small oval patch at 150x and 200x. It is just S of a faint star. No doubt only the brighter center was seen.
eg 6132: 1'.5 x 0'.5: Vis. 13.6; SB 13.2: This one is very faint and small. It was spotted at 125x, where I saw it as oval. It was only seen positively with averted vision, and was near my threshold of visibility. It was a good observing night, too.
http://www.ngcicproject.org
eg I. 1209: 1'.1 x 0'.8: Vis. 13.3: SB 13.1: An 8.7 mag. star lies very close, making this one a challenge. The sighting was confirmed at 200x and 250x. It was very small, and glimpsed between the bright star and a much dimmer one.
eg 6113: 1' x 0'.6: Vis. 14.1; SB 13.4: Located using a hand-drawn pinpoint map (I use Deep Sky Objects Browser if I can't find an object the old fashioned way). It resembled a faint, flaring star at 100x. It was observed to slightly better advantage at 125x, 150x, and 187x, and it was now oval and pretty bright using averted vision. It was viewed at 200x, but it was fading at this range.
http://www.ngcicproject.org
http://www.ngcicproject.org
eg 6224: 1' x 1': Vis. 13.5; SB 13.3: A pair with 6225. My lower western skies were not so good at this point, and the humidity was building (90%!). It was small and round at 187x, and seen best with averted vision.
http://www.ngcicproject.org
eg 6225: 1' x 0'.7: Vis. 13.8; SB 13.2: A pair with 6224. It was seen at 250x, very faint and very oval, almost elongated to a slash. This may be due to a possible star involved or alongside.
http://www.ngcicproject.org
eg 6347: 1'.2 x 0'.7: Vis. 13.7; SB 13.2: The sighting of this tricky object was finally confirmed at 187x. It is very faint, round, and small. It lies just a bit south of a very faint star group, and north preceding 2 much brighter stars. At 250x it is merely a faint, fuzzy patch, possibly somewhat oval with averted vision.
http://www.ngcicproject.org
oc DoDz 7: 6'; 6 stars: The only "cluster" on the chart. It was easy to locate at 60x, where 5 bright stars show up in a concentrated area. At 100x and 136x, many more stars appear in an area more than twice as large (15'?), perhaps 20 stars. The main group is likely a bright asterism, but the nearby area is quite rich.
Mapman Mike
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