#113 Hercules NGC Project Part 7: Uranometria Chart A-3

Uranometria close-up Chart A-3 contains portions of regular Charts 35 and 51.  The close up chart will be divided into three segments for the purpose of my reporting:  Abell 2197, Abell 2199, and those galaxies outside the Abell circles.

ABELL 2197 

eg 6138:  0'.9 x 0'.2:  Vis. 14.7; SB 12.7:  Very difficult to see, it was elusive and only glimpsed on occasion with averted vision.  The faint, oval slash was seen at 187x, 200x, and 250x.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6145:  0'.8 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.2; SB 12.8:  Spread over 2 nights in late Spring 2014.  46 is easy
eg 6146:  1'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12.5; SB 12.8:  to view at 100x, preceding a faint star.  It was oval and
eg 6147:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 15.1; SB 13:     bright even up to 200x.  Many bright stars are in the field, as well as6145. Spotted at 125x and viewed up to 200x, it was best at 150x.  Averted vision shows a pretty big object.  Due to deteriorating conditions on the first night, I was unable to locate 6147.  However, the next observable night was much better, and it was spotted at 187x.  It was small, though sometimes flaring into 6145 and almost seeming as one object.  It is extremely faint and pretty difficult to see.  Wait for the best conditions.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6160:  1'.8 x 1'.5:  Vis. 13.2; SB 14.3:  Once the moon had set I began to pick off galaxies left and right.  This was seen at 100x, but it was much better at 150x, showing a stellar core.  At 187x it was getting faint, but it was large.  200x proved too faint.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

UGC 10407:  0'.7 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.7; SB 12.7:  Both galaxies are in the north of Abell 2197. 
UGC 10415:  0'.9 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.3:  Though brighter than some of the recent NGC objects, they are not bright.  407 is much easier to view.  Both are round.  415 appears not only fainter, but smaller.  However, it did show a brighter middle.  Best views of the pair together were with averted vision at 150x.

eg 6173:  1'.9 x 1'.4:  Vis. 12.1; SB 13.2:  It appears very large and bright at 150x.  It can best be seen at 187x, once the mag. 7 double star was out of the field of view.  This is the brightest galaxy in Abell 2197, and 2nd brightest on Chart A-3.  It was slightly oval and had a notable and large bright middle.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6174:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.5; SB 12.5:  This one is tricky.  However, since it lies just north of 6173, ti proved doable.  it wa tiny, almost stellar, and faint.  It was seen at 187x and 200x.

eg 6175:  1'.3 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.6:  Located at 100x, though best at 187x.  It was elongated.  It is south preceding the 7 mag. star near 6173, which lies just north of this galaxy.  All of the galaxies in Abell 2197 (except the first one) were located by star-hopping from 6146.  That one has served as home base for my explorations.  75 has a bright middle.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6180:  0'.9 x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.1; SB 13.5:  I was pleasantly surpised when this galaxy was located without much fuss, though it took 150x to confirm it.  It was seen well at 187x, displaying a bright middle.  

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6184:  0'.8 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14; SB 12.9:  Sighted at 187x, it was very elongated towards long and thin.  Seen best with averted vision. 

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

ABELL 2199  

UGC 10381: 1'.2 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.4:  Located in the preceding end of Abell 2199, the galaxy was observed at 150x and 187x.  It was large, very elongated, but faint and indistinct.  It lies just within the Abell cluster.

eg 6158:  0'.9 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.7; AB 13.1:  Not exactly a beacon of light, but compared to some of the tiny companions to eg 6166 (see below), it wasn't too bad.  It lies in the same 100x field of view as 6166, and in a larger scope no doubt all 6 galaxies could be glimpsed at once.  This one is oval and pretty dim, but at 187x it showed a brighter middle.  Best seen with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6166:  1'.9 x 1'.4:  Vis. 11.8; SB 12.8:  There are six NGC galaxies at the center of Abell 2199. These six are very close.  66 was spotted easily at 60x.  It was pretty bright, pretty large, and noticeably oval.  100x and 150x showed it well.  2 cxompanion galaxies were seen at 150x.  However, at 187x, 200x, and 250x all 4 faint companions were spotted in the same field.  Recommended!
eg 6166A:  0'.4 x 0'.2:  Vis. 14.4; SB 11.5:  Not that difficult to spot, and very close to the main galaxy.
eg 6166B:  0'.4 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.9; SB 12.4:  This one was tricky to see, and took some time.  It was a very transparent sky tonight (July 23rd/14).
eg 6166C:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.3; SB 11.3:  Not difficult to see at higher power using averted vision.
eg 6166D:  0'.5 x 0.5:  Vis. 14.8; SB 12.4:  Not difficult, and seen at 150x.  Make certain you take some type of diagram to help identify these small galaxies.  I usually use my own hand-drawn one, using Deep Sky Objects Browser.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

 

NB:  66A= MCG-050

         66B=MCG-076

         66C=MCG-048

         66D=MCG-056

Other Galaxies On Chart A-3

UGC 10349:  1'.4 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13:  Viewed at 125x and 150x, this is an impressive, very elongated slash with averted vision.  Later seen at 100x, in a triangle with 2 faint stars.

eg 6129:  0'.8 x 0'.8:  Vis. 14; SB 13.5:  I needed a hand-drawn sketch of the area, as this galaxy is out there on  its own.  It was spotted at 150x and 187x.  It wa faint, but not terribly so.  It was round and actually pretty large.  It is shown at the bottom of Chart A-3, and is in Corona Borealis.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6131:  1' x 1':  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.1:  A very, very faint object, due to its close proximity to a mag. 9 star.  A mag. 14 (?) star lay very close, just preceding.  Also in Corona Borealis.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6141:  0'.3 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.9; SB 12.1:  This object would be much harder to locate were it not for the Uranometria close-up chart.  It was tiny, round and faint, but seen distinctly at 187x, 200x, and 250x.  Huzzah!

http://www.ngcicproject.org

UGC 10367: 1'.4 x 1'.2:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.7:  Best seen with 100x and 125x, this one is big, very faint, and only slightly oval.  it is the brightest of 5 UGC galaxies I chose to observe on Chart A-3.

oc DoDz 5:  27':  And now for something completely different!  This large, loose group of bright stars lies just south of Abell 2199.  About 15 stars were counted at 43x and 60x.  Following is a similar size group with about 20 stars, all much fainter than the main cluster.

eg I. 4610:  0'.6 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.8; SB 12.5:  The galaxy is very faint and ghostly at 150x and 200x.  It is round, and only seen with averted vision.

More Hercules updates coming soon!  Clear skies!
Mapman Mike

#112 Hercules NGC Project Part 6: Uranometria Chart A-9

The 26 closeup charts in the all-sky edition of Uranometria are my favourite thing about this atlas.  I only wish there were 25 more!  Chart A-9 is called "Hercules Galaxy Cluster, A 2151."  It contains portions of regular Charts 69, 88, and 87.  In addition to Abell 2151, three other Abell galaxy clusters are included, as well as a number of other nearby galaxies.  I managed to find all of the NGCs and ICs on this chart, and several UGCs and MCGs.  So here we go....

ABELL 2151

eg 6040:  1'.4 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.6:  6040 is very elongated, even at 136x, and fairly bright

eg 6040B: 0'.8 x 0'.8: Vis. 14; SB 13.4:   with averted vision.  40B is round, and not too small.  It sits very close to 40, south, and both are close to the 6041 pair.  Even at high power (200x) I can see 5 galaxies!  All are seen best with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6041A:  1'.2 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.5:  41A is bright and easy at 187x, appearing elongated to

eg 6041B:  0'.3 x 0'.3:  Vis. 15.6; SB 12.9:     the south.  At 200x and 250x, 41B is glimpsed just south.  It has a stellar core, and a tiny bit of space between it and the main galaxy.  41A is pretty large and bright; 41B is tiny and round, showing mostly its bright core.

eg 6042:  0'.8 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.2:  The 5th of 5 galaxies seen tonight (June 23rd, 2016) in a very tight area.  All 5 are located south following a 6.5 mag. star.  42 is quite small and faint, as viewed at 136x and 187x.  It was somewhat easier to see at 200x and 250x, though still very small.

eg 6044:  0.6 x 0.6:  Vis. 14.3; SB 13:  100x gives a possible sighting of a suspicious object.  125x clearly shows a small, faint, round galaxy.  150x and 187x show it considerably better, looking like a ghostly planetary nebula.  200x shows a bright center, but overall it is fading in this range.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6043A: 0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.3; SB 12.7:  43A was not difficult with averted vision at 150x.  6045

eg 6045:   1'.3 x 0'.3:  Vis. 13.9; SB 12.8:   was challenging and difficult to see steadily.  6047 was

eg 6047:   0'.8 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.1:    tricky due to a 12 mag. star close to it.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6050:   0'.8 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.1:  This was oval, quite faint, but not that small.  It was seen also at 200x and 250x.  The object is actually a pair of intersecting galaxies seen face-on, though it appears as one object to the eye.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6054:  0'.7 x 0'.4:  Vis. 15.2; SB 13.7:  82 was the least difficult, seen pretty well at 187x, 200x,
eg I. 1182: 1' x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.3:   and 250x.  It was large, bright with averted vision, and
eg I. 1184: 0'.8 x 0'.4: Vis. 14.2; SB 12.9:  oval.  It was further from the 12 mag. star which all 3 galaxies are near.  54 was located by finding 6050, then letting the much smaller and fainter galaxy pass by in the field.  84 came past the field almost immediately following 54, with the 12 mag. star barely south and in between them.  54 was seen at 250x with averted vision, close to the star; 84 is small and tricky, a tiny oval ghost shape at 250x with averted vision.

eg 6055:  1' x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13:  55 was seen well at 125x.  It was oval, and though not 
eg 6057:  0'.6 x 0'.5: Vis. 14.7; SB 13.4:   terribly bright, it wasn't that hard to spot.  57 was first seen at 150x, immediately following 55.  187x and 200x show the smaller one as round.  It was very small, and best with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6056:  0'.9 x  0'.5:  Vis. 13.9; SB 12.9:  Confirmed at 125x, it was seen best with averted vision as an elongated slash.  It was noticeably brighter at 150x, especially the center.  187x gave the best view, showing a fairly large slash.  It was fading at 200x, except for the center.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 1178:  1'.2 x 1'.1:  Vis.  14; SB 14.1:  Viewed at 136x and 187x.  It was pretty faint, between two stars, and near avery faint star.

ABELL 2147 and 2152 

There are no NGC objects in these clusters, though 47 has an IC.  I managed to find 3 objects in 47, and 2 in 52. 

ABELL 2147
 eg I. 1165:  0'.8 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.1:  Viewed at 136x and 187x, and not too bad at 250x.  It is very oval, not snall, but pretty faint.  It lies within a checkmark star pattern.  These stars are all very faint.  the galaxy, along with the following 2 stars, are withing Abell 2147.

eg UGC 10143:  2' x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13.9:  Observed well at 136x, 187x, and 250x, this galaxy is a nice big oval with a star involved.  It lies not far from another faint star.  It is pretty large and pretty bright, and was definitely the best of the evening.  How did the NGC and IC surveys miss it?

eg C108-81:  0'.8 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.1; SB 12.7:  Viewed at 187x and 250x, it is very faint and very small.  It is slightly oval, and has 2 faint stars following.  Use averted vision.

ABELL 2152
eg M+3-41-83:  0'.8 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.4:  Spotted at 136x, it is a bit easier to view than 41-95, below.  It is still pretty faint.  187x shows it as pretty large compared to 41-95.  It begins to fade at 200x.

eg M+3-41-95:  0'.8 x 0'.8:  Vis. 14.3; SB 13.8:  Spotted at 136x, but it is elusive.  It is involved with or is very near to a faint star, sometimes giving it an ovalish appearance.  187x and 200x give satisfactory views, though it is small and faint.  It is near a mag. 12 (?) star.  One other galaxy lies within Abell 2152 on the Uranometria chart, but I did not attempt it at this time.

The Rest of the Galaxies 

These galaxies are lie outside the Abell circles on Chart A-9.  I will list them in order of R.A. 

eg I. 1151:  2'.5 x 0'.8:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.6:  Positioned on the far preceding edge of Chart A-9, this galaxy lies within Serpens Caput.  It was large, elongated, and pretty faint, but decent views were had at 125x and 150x.  Worth a stopover. 

eg I. 1155:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 14.3; SB 13.6:  It lies just preceding Abell 2147, and sits just within Serpens Caput.  It was spotted at 136x, north preceding a 7.9 mag. star.  The galaxy appears oval at 187x, and is best seen with averted vision.  It is pretty faint, but not too small.

eg NGC 6028:   1'.3 x 1'.2:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.8:  6028 was observed well at 150x and 187x.  It was
eg M+3-41-33:  0'.9 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.3:  faint, though brighter and larger than the M+3 galaxy.  M+3 seemed easier when at lower powers, but at 150x and 187x it appeared smaller and not as bright as 6028.  Both sit amongst a nice star field.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

The M+ galaxy is out of the field, north of the bright star.

eg 6030:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  Vis. 12.8; SB 12.5:  The sighting was confirmed at 100x, where it appeared pretty bright, large, and oval.  Views were very good at 150x and 187x.  Though the galaxy began to fade at 200x, a stellar core was now noted, surrounded by brighter haze and then an outer, fainter envelope.  This is one of the better galaxies on Chart A-9.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg M+3-41-47:  0'.7 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.8; SB 12.7:  Spotted at 100x, it resembled a tiny planetary nebula.  More size was evident at 187x, where it became oval.

eg 6034:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.5: SB 13.4:  Confirmed at 125x, the galaxy lay close to a 13 mag. (?) star.  It was seen best with averted vision, even at 200x.  It was oval at high power.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

UGC 10195: 1'.5 x 0'.4: Vis. 14; SB 14.7:  At an average mag. of 14.35, this is one of the fainter objects ever picked off the Aragorn Observatory!  Itwas elongated at 150x and 200x, ghostly and flaring with averted vision.

eg 6061:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13.2:  The galaxy is oval, faint, and cradled by 3 faint stars south.  Though less than impressive, it was observed at 100x, 125x, 150x, and 187x.  Just north is R Hercules.  On my visit (July 15th/15) the variable star was a ruddy colour, and approx. mag. 11.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

UGC 10204: 1' x 0'.6: Vis. 13; SB 12.3:  If this galaxy wasn't so close to a 7.9 mag. star it would be a rather good object, and likely on the NGC list.  Even so it is a pretty bright galaxy.  Spotted at 100x, it appeared better at 136x.  It is oval and has a bright stellar core.  At 187x and 200x the galaxy is still very bright, and very oval.

eg 6073:  1.3 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.3:  Spotted at 100x and 136x, it was oval and pretty faint.  Situated between a 10.5 mag. and an 11.5 mag. star, it is closer to the brighter one.  At 187x and 200x it appears very oval.  It now shows a brighter middle and possibly a stellar core.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg M+3-41-141: 0'.9 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.4; SB 13.2: Spotted at 136x (!) and 187x, it was very oval, pretty faint, and not too small.  the center is noticeably brighter.  It is preceding a mag. 11.5 star.

Mapman Mike

 

#111 Hercules NGC Project Part 5: Uranometria Chart 67

Chart 67 takes us up the border with Lyra, Vulpecula, and Aquila.  The Hercules area is rich in galaxies and double stars.  I include a few IC and UGC objects if they are near any NGC I am seeking, and if their stats indicate it being worth a peek.

eg 6547:  1'.5 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.6; SB 12.9:  At 100x I noticed a suspicious haze, like a slash.  150x confirmed it, with a star possibly involved.  Though 187x gives a good view, a nearby star interferes with the galaxy sight.  At 200x and 250x the galaxy is still pretty bright and very elongated.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6548:  3' x 2'.8:  Vis. 11.7; SB 13.9:  48 turned out to be the night's showpiece, visible at 100x.
eg 6549:  1'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13:  It was large, with a stellar core and 2 levels of surrounding haze.  It appeared round.  It was viewed well as high as 250x, where it remained quite bright.  49 was confirmed at 125x but only the center was seen.  It was difficult to see the slash, even at 200x.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6555:  2' x 1'.5:  Vis. 12.4; SB 13.4:  Spotted at 60x and 100x, but it is pretty faint.  It is pretty large, however.  136x shows the oval shape well with averted vision.  At 187x it is faint, but still pretty impressive with averted vision.  It is fading at 272x, though still large.  It has a stellar core.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6571:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.4; SB 12.5:  It took several sweeps to finally locate this small, faint galaxy.  It was eventually spotted at 200x.  It was round and ghostly with averted vision.  250x also showed it.  After this it seemed to show well even at 187x, and finally, I could just barely make it out at 150x.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6576:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.8; SB 11.6:  77 was seen at 150x.  Though pretty small, it was bright,
eg 6577:  1'.5 x 1'.3:  Vis. 12.3; SB 13.5:  especially the center.  It sits very near to a faint star, following.  200x, 250x, and 300x show a stellar core.  76 was seen with averted vision at 150x.  It appeared stellar when using direct vision, but averted vision showed nebula on occasion.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6579:   0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.8; SB 11.6:  This was the third of 4 galaxy pairs seen in one night's eg 6580:  1'.3 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.2:  session.  80 was confirmed at 150x, being hazy, elongated, and very near a bright star, north.  It becomes a double galaxy at 187x and higher.  79 is a bit further south from the nearby star.  Both have stellar cores.  Fun!

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6581:  0'.6 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.9; SB 12.9:  Of the three galaxies, UGC 11156 was the easiest to spot.
eg U 11156:  1' x 1':  Vis. and SB 13.3:         It was noted at 150x, and also observed at 187x and
eg U 11155:  1' x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.6:    200x.  It is pretty large and round.  UGC  11155 is much fainter, though somewhat similar, perhaps a bit oval.  It was viewed at 150x and 187x with averted vision.  6581 is a bit of a mystery.  Uranometria is the only altals to plot it where it is, using the above specs.  Others place it about 20' north, between UGC 11050 and an 8 mag. star to the north following.  I did see this version, which was faint but with a brighter center.  AT 187x and 200x it was oval.  The first 6581 seems to be round, about 0'.4 x 0'.4, and brighter than the north one.  The north one is referred to as I. 1280.  Uranometria is the only place that makes these 2 separate objects.  Other sites duplicate them, not mentioning the south one.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6586:  0'.9 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.7; SB 12.7:  Spotted at 125x, near a 'bright' star.  150x shows a small but pretty bright cigar shape.  It was seen well at 187x and 200x, though it was best with averted vision, epsecially due to the nearby star.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6587:  1'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.2.  Spotted at 100x, it was round with a bright stellar core.  150x showed a fuzzy object, similar to a small comet.  At 200x it was still bright, and near a 'bright' star, north.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6593:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 14.3; SB 13.7:  I was able to confirm sightings at 187x, 200x, and 250x.  It was oval, faint, and in a line with two very faint stars, north.  Finding this galaxy without aid was confirmation of exceptional transparency tonight (August 12th/15).  

eg 6599:  1'.3 x 1'.2:  Vis. 12.6; SB 13:  First seen at 125x, it is situated in a small star group.  2 faint stars and 1 very faint star lie near it.  It was also viewed at 150x, 187x, 200x, and 250x.  Even so it remained round, small, but pretty bright.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6602:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.1:  Following a line from a south preceding mag. 9 star thru eg 6599 and extending it the same distance north following, I was able to locate this galaxy at 150x.  It is faint, slightly oval, and has a faint star preceding it.  Views are still decent at 187x and 200x, though best with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6616:  1'.4 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.5:  Confirmed at 187x, it resembled a fuzzy, dim star.  It was seen better at 200x, and was even quite oval at 250x.  The galaxy lies very near a bright star, south preceding.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

UGC 11197:  1'.1 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.4:  Lying a degree south of eg 6616 and a bit following, it was spotted at 100x.  It is seem best with averted vision because of an 8.5 mag. star south preceding.  The galaxy is round, with a pretty bright middle and a gainter outer envelope.  Good views were had at 187x.

eg 6619:  1'.2 x 1'.1:  Vis.  13; SB 13.3:  This galaxy, along with 6623, were the brightest ones of the night (Aug. 12th/15).  Randy G. observed with me.  Both galaxies can be seen at moderate powers.  19 was easily spooted at 100x, making a rough triangle with 2 close stars of near equal mag.  The galaxy appeared round, with a very bright core.  A 14 mag. star is conspicous at 200x, and another even closer to the envelope.  250x gave decent views.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6623:  1'.3 x 1'.2:  Vis. 13; SB 13.5:  A near twin to nearby 6619!  They can be viewed together at 100x, 125x, and 150x.  It shows a stellar core.  Very good views were had up to 250x, where several faint stars were observed near the outer envelope (one of these may have been the MCG galaxy!).

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6628:  1'.9 x 1'.3:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.8:  Spotted at 100x, it was elongated.  It sits immediately preceding a mag. 9 star.  Weird, but that is all I said about it.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6632:  3' x 1'.4:  Vis. 12.1; SB 13.5:  A remarkable object, and observed from 60x through 250x.  At 60x and 100x, views were best with averted vision.  It was large, dim, and oval.  At 150x it was difficult to block glare from a nearby 5.5 mag. star, south.  At 187x, 200x, and 250x it was decent, and nearly involved with a faint star, preceding.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6641:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.4; SB 12.7:  Spotted at 100x and confirmed at 150x, ti was oval.  187x gives a pretty good view.  The galaxy is pretty large, but sits near a relatively bright star.  It was fading at 200x, but quite oval.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6658:  1'.7 x 0'.4:  Vis. 12.9; SB 12.4:  Glimpsed with averted vision at 100x, the galaxy was a long, thin, very faint slash.  This is not an object that compares well to its listed mag.  It was seen at 150x and 187x, and was okay to view at 200x with averted vision.  It appears to be involved with a faint star, or perhaps had a bright core, or both.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6661:  1'.7 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12.1; SB 12.6:  Noted at 100x, it was very bright. 150x showed the oval shape.  It sits in a pretty bright starfield, making initial discovery a bit tricky.  At 187x it is large and medium bright.  Though fading at 200x, it shows a stellar core.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6669:  0'.9 x 0'.9:  Vis. 15.1; SB 14.7:  One of those mystery objects.  The image below identifies a tight and very faint asterism, which could be what Herschel actually saw.  However, at the location on Uranometria is a faint galaxy.  See the Deep Sky Objects Browser for what I saw.  A round haze, involved with a faint star, is nearly impossible to see, even if the exact location is known.  Seen with averted vision at 200x and 250x.  It is the 4th star in a faint line curving south (not the 5th star, which looks hazy but is actually a close triple star).  I sincerely doubt that Herschel saw the galaxy--the close triple seems more likely.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6674:  4' x 2'2:  Vis. 12.2; SB 14.4:  Not even visible to me on the last evening, tonight it was quite apparent and lovely!  Spotted at 60x, it was faint, ghostly, and large.  100x shows it as a nice object, though in this range it is a challenge to view it with the 8" stop in place.  A faint star is preceding.  The galaxy is very elongated, with a brighter central area, though the outer elongated envelope is clearly visible.  187x and 200x show 3 stars possibly involved.  It fades overall at 200x, but the central oval is still bright.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6680:  0'.7 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.6; SB 13.1:  Spotted at 150x, and also viewed at 200x and 250x.  A small, elongated hazy smudge was noted immediately south of a 10.5 mag. (?) star.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6697:  1'.2 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12.7; SB 12.9:  Spotted easily at 100x, it was round.  150x reveals a very bright core.  187x and 200x appear to show a star imbedded in the following end.  At 200x and 250x the galaxy is still bright and a good object for a 12" scope.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

UGC 11346:  1' x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.2:  Lying south preceding 6697, this galaxy i very small and very faint, seen at 200x with averted vision, where it barely shows.  It was slightly improved at 250x, where it finally appeared to be oval and a bit larger.

Mapman Mike

#110 Hercules NGC Project Part 4: Uranometria Chart 68

This is a busy chart, so I will do it in 2 sections, both seen below.

Chart 68, Right Side 

eg 6201:  0'.3 x 0'.2:  Vis. 14.6; SB 11.4:  Using a hand-drawn detailed star chart (I use Deep Sky
eg 6203:  0'.6 x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.4; SB 13.1:  Objects Browser, an excellent on-line resource), I eventually found the correct area to search.  Both galaxies can be glimpsed at 187x.  6903 is larger and easier to see, though it appears stellar at times.  6201 is stellar at 187x.  250x, 272x, and 378x give good glimpses of 6903, using averted vision.  In this range even 6201 improves somewhat.  It is very small with averted vision.  Both galaxies are close to pn 6210.  A 16" would be a much better search tool.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

pn 6210:  21"; Vis. mag. 8.8; Cent. * mag. 12.6:  Spotted at 60x, it is an incredibly bright object,and fun to observe.  A filter is not needed.  The central star is not easy to distinguish because of the overall brightness.  I was able to observe the nebula up to 500x, one of the very times I use this high a magnification.  It appears oval and pretty large at 375x and 500x.  There seems to be fainter edges.  The object is almost football-shaped.  It was seen well back in the old 8" days, and no doubt can be viewed with a 6".

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6228:  0'.9 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14; SB 13.3:  I needed another diagram for this faint object.  Observed at 136x (barely), it is a very faint cigar at 187x and 250x.  It is pretty small.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6233:  1'.4 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.5:  Suspected at 100x, the galaxy sighting was confirmed at 136x.  At 187x a brighter center is noted, with fainter haze surrounding.  At 250x it is ghostly, large, and very oval.  It now shows a stellar core.  A 9.5 mag. star is just south following, making location fairly easy.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6243:  1'.1 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.1; SB 13.1:  Observed at 136x, 187x, and 250x.  I saw a pretty large but very faint very elongated oval.  The middle area is much brighter.  Seen best with averted vision.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 4630:  0'.8 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.6; SB 12.5:  This one seemed within reach.  It was suspected at 136x and confrimed at 187x.  It has a stellar core, is very small, and very faint.  At 250x it formed a dim cigar shape.  At 272x a bright core is visible, with a much fainter surrounding envelope.  Averted vision shows it best.  Tricky to see at first.

eg 6267:  1'.3 x 1':  Vis. 13.1; SB 13.3:  Spotted at 100x, as the sky kept getting better and better tonight (July 26th/16).  At 136x the galaxy is pretty large, oval, and showing a bright center.  It is easy to spot in this range.  At 187x and 200x it is large and pretty faint.  It appears evenly lit.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6276:  0'.4 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.6; SB 12.2:  78 was seen at 100x, being small but very bright.  Up to
eg 6278:  2' x 1'.2:  Vis. 12.4; SB 13.2:  272x shows a very bright center, oval.  The extensions are not obvious; it just seems large and oval.  The galaxy appears significantly smaller than its given dimensions.  76 was spotted at 136x.  It is not difficult to identify, but too small to notice anything much.

eg I. 1236:  1' x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13.2:  Glimpsed at 100x, it is a bit easier to identify at 136x.  Seen well at 187x, it is slightly oval and pretty big.  It sits between 2 faint stars, though not directly between.  The galaxy fades at 250x, with a bright star nearby masking it (mag.7.7).

Next, a group of 8 galaxies, all located in the same half degree field.  Look between +27 and +28 degrees, and between 16 hours 56 minutes R.A. and 17 hours.

eg 6261:  1'.4 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14; SB 13.4:  Spotted at 136x.  It becomes a faint but decent slash at 187x.  Views are still good at 250x.  The galaxy is pretty wide and fairly long.  

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6263:  0'.0 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.4: Spotted at 100x, north of a faint star, and between it and a 9.3 mag. star.  The galaxy is very close to the fainter star.  Good views can be had at 136x and 187x, best with averted vision.  There is a bright stellar core.  The object is fading at 250x.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6264:  0'.7 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.5; SB 13.2:  65 can be spotted at 136x, preceding 6269 (below).  It is
eg 6265:  0'.9 x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.4:  pretty large, very oval, and pretty bright with averted vision.  Good views were had at 187x and 250x.  6264 is much smaller and much fainter, sighted at 187x, 200x, and 250x.  It can be found north following a faint star, and only with averted vision.  It is very small and very faint.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6269:  2' x 1'.6:  Vis. 12.2; SB 13.5:  This big, fairly bright galaxy sits at the heart of a cluster of 8 NGC galaxies.  Most are very faint.  69 was spotted at 60x.  At 100x it showed a big oval shape, pretty bright, especially the center.  136x shows a stellar core.  187x shows at least 2 very faint stars south, and another north.  200x and 250x give good views, especially of the large, central area, brighter than the outskirts.  The best object of this tight group of 8 galaxies.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6270:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.3; SB 11.9:  Don't believe the hype!  This is the most difficult of the group!  Think at least 2 mag. fainter than given.  It is very, very small and very, very faint, a threshold object at 187x, 200x, and 250x.

  http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6271:   0'.6 x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.1; SB 12.8:  
eg 6272:   0'.5 x 0'.2:  Vis.  14.5; SB 11.9:  Both of these galaxies were easier than 6270.  71 was not difficult using averted vision.  72 is very small and very faint.  It can be glimpsed using 187x and averted vision.  72 is not for the faint of heart.  Both are seen at 250x.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

                                                                                                                                           

eg 6308:  1'.2 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.4; SB 13.5:  Observed at 136x and 187x, preceding a field of faint stars.  The galaxy is large, pretty bright, and round.  It is very close to the pair 6314/15, which are just south following.

  http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6314:  1'.4 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13; SB 12.8:  14 is pretty large, bright, and elongated.  It was spotted at
eg 6315:  0'.8 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.2; SB 12.3:  136x.  It just precedes a double star, a close pair and pretty faint.  6215 is small and faint, located between 6214 and a bright star.  187x shows both objects well.

  http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6321:  1'.1 x 1':  Vis.  and SB 13.4:  Spotted at 136x, it is small, round, and faint.  At 187x it is best with averted vision, being close to 2 stars.  It is round and faint.  Views are best at 200x.  It fades at 250x.  A bit tricky to locate.

NOTE:  For eg 6274, 6274A, 6282, 6330, 6364, 6486, 6487, UGC  11017, see blog entry for Chart 50 (forthcoming).

Chart 68, Left Side

eg I. 1256:  1'.6 x 1':  Vis. 13.2; SB 13.7:  Located at 136x, the galaxy is large, oval, and faint.  Best view is at 187x, as it is fading at 250x.  It is pretty large, though, and lies in a bright star field.

eg 6371:  0'.8 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.3; SB 12.6:  6372 was spotted at 100x, and the much smaller and
eg 6372:  1'.7 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.4:  fainter 6371 at 136x.  72 is bright, oval, and quite easy to see, especially with averted vision.  71 was seen best at 187x, and only with averted vision.  It is small, oval, and very faint.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6408:  1'.6 x 1'.4:  Vis. 12.7; SB 13.4:  Spotted at 100x, it was pretty large, round, and very faint.  150x shows it moderately better, with a brighter center now seen.  187x gives the optimum view, showing it to be big and round, but not very bright.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6417:  1'.4 x 1'.2:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13.5:  Suspected at 100x ,the galaxy is located easily at 136x, despite its proximity to a mag. 7 star.  It is round, reasonably bright, and relatively close to the star.  It becomes more ghostly at 187x, and quite large, especially if the offending star is kept out of the field.  It appears to be evenly lit.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6427:  1'.6 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.1:  Spotted at 136x, it was round, bright, and showing a stellar core.  At 187x a few faint stars are seen very near.  Views are still good at 250x, though I am only seeing the central globe.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6429:  1'.9 x 0'.6:  Vis. and SB 13.1:  Spotted easily at 136x, it is bright and very oval.  At 187x a very faint star lies in or close to the haze.  250x gives a good view.  272x shows a bright stellar core, and good views overall.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6430:  1'.7 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.2:  Uranometria does not list the NGC number, instead calling this UGC 10966.  Other sources informed me that this is, indeed, eg 6430.  Spotted at 187x, it was very elliptical and very faint.  It is located just north of a bright star (mag. 9.5) and south of a faint asterism.  My telescope computer calls 6430 an asterism.  Interesting stuff!

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6442:  1'.9 x 1'.5:  Vis. 12.6; SB 13.7:  Spotted at 100x, it appeared oval in shape.  At 150x it is pretty bright, though not very large.  187x and 200x occasionally show it as a much bigger object.  It can be found just preceding a tiny, faint triangle of stars.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6452:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.4; SB 12.7:  Glimpsed at 150x and 187x, it is elusive, small, dim, and round.  It is just preceding a faint group of 3 stars.  At times the galaxy appears stellar.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6458:  1'.3 x 0'.9:  Vis. and SB 13.4:  Both galaxies can be seen at 100x.  At 150x 58 seems a bit
eg 6460:  1'.9 x 1'.1:  Vis.  13.1; SB 13.8:   brighter, and though appearing pretty large, 60 is still showing well.  It is now quite elongated, with a slightly brighter middle.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6467:  2'.6 x 1'.7:  Vis. 12.6; SB 14.1:  Spotted at 100x, it was large, oval , and very faint.  At 150x the full extent of the galaxy is trying to come through, causing flaring in all directions with averted vision.  Seen best at 187x, the galaxy is involved with several very faint foreground stars.  A possible stellar core was noted.  It sits between two relatively bright stars, the south one being double.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6482:  2' x 1'.7:  Vis. 11.4; SB 12.8:  At 60x and 100x, the galaxy looks like a very bright planetary nebula.  150x shows some very faint haze with averted vision, but the center is extremely bright.  187x, 200x, and 250x show a large, round, very faint haze surrounding an almost blindingly bright central core.  A bright galaxy but otherwise unexciting.

eg 6484:  1'.9 x 1'.9:  Vis. 12.3; SB 13.6:  Spotted at 100x and observed well at 136x.  It is very large, round, and pretty bright.  Good views were had at 187x, 250x, and 272x.  It is very large, round, pretty bright, and has a stellar core.  Also seen back in the day with the Edmund 8".

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 1269:  1'.7 x 1'.3:  Vis.  12.8; SB 13.5:  Located at 100x, it was large and oval, and sitting within a bright triangle of stars, approx. mag. 11.5.  Though faint overall at higher powers, the central area stays pretty bright up to 200x.

eg 6490:  1.'1 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.3:  This turned out to be a lovely pair of galaxies, and I
eg 6495:  2'.1 x 1'.8:  Vis. 12.2; SB 13.5:  spent considerable time here.  The pair are separated by the base line of a faint triangle of stars, with the north preceding one being double.  Both galaxies were seen at 100x, but it was at 150x that the size difference really comes through.  95 appears to be a tiny bit brighter overall than 90, but not by much.  They remain in the same field of view at 187x and 200x.  Recommended with a 12".

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6500:  2.'2 x 1'.6:  Vis. 12.2; SB 13.4:  Despite a 7.4 magnitude star in the field, both galaxies
eg 6501:  2' x 1'.8:  Vis. 12; SB 13.3:   were seen at 100x, where they already appear to be very bright and quite large.  150x shows them as remarkably similar in appearance, and still really bright.  At 187x and 200x things remain very bright, and stellar cores are noted.  6500 now appears oval.  200x and 250x show both objects well, and they make another fine pair, worth seeking out with a 12".  I applied 300x, but it did not improve things over 250x.  Now, if it weren't for that 7.4 mag. star...

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6513:  1'.2 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.1:  At first I could not find it.  I looked long and hard, before finally giving up.  I came back later in the night, then realized I had been looking at the wrong two guide stars.  As soon as I found the correct spot, there it was.  The galaxy was pretty big and bright at 136x.  It was very good to view at 187x, but fading somewhat at 250x.  At high power it is very oval, and still fair to view with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6518:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 13.9; SB 11.8:  This was an easy one!  It was located at 136x.  It lies south of a fairly bright star, and reminded me of a medium-sized planetary nebula.  At 187x views were good, with the galaxy being bright and very round.  At 250x a stellar core is noted, with a possible faint star on the preceding lip of the envelope.  The galaxy remains bright with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6527:  1'.4 x 1':  Vis. 13.4; SB 13.6:  Located at 100x, south of a mag. 11 or mag. 12 star, just following a tiny, dim mini-cluster of stars.  150x shows a bright center.  Though pretty faint at 187x and 200x, the oval shape is noted, along with a brighter middle.

http://www.ngcicproject.org 

I am now five days away from the next two-week observing period.  I should have time to get Chart 67 up before then.  the rest will have to wait until the August session is completed.  By then, I should also be able to report on the deep sky objects of Scutum.  Until then, clear skies!

Mapman Mike