The Hercules NGC project kept me busy for three summers, but finally ended in 2017. Later in the year I also completed the Pegasus observing program, which will entail another massive blog effort to report everything seen on that NGC list. My autumn observing program now solely consists of the NGC objects in Cetus, and double stars in Cassiopeia. I am preparing Orion objects for winter observing, and hope to continue with Leo in the early spring, and Bootes in the late spring. I am using an Orion 12" push-to Dob.
Hercules: Uranometria Chart # 51
eg 6161: 0'.7 x 0'.3: Vis. 14.7; Surf. Br. 12.9: 62 shows up at 136x, being oval and pretty bright.
eg 6162: 0'.9 x 0'.7: Vis. 13.6: Surf. Br. 13: up at 136x and 187x. It is very elongated, located
eg 6163: 0'.8 x 0'.5: Vis. 14.4; Surf. Br. 13.2: south of 62, and further from it than 63. 63 is seen at 187x,appearing like a smaller, fainter version of 62, and immediately following (but separate). It's like an after image. Star 26, mag. 6.5, makes finding 61 tricky, as it is closest to that star.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6161.jpg
eg 6177: 1'.7 x 1'.2: Vis. 13.6; SB 14.2: 77 was seen at 136x. It was very large, oval, pretty
eg 7179: 0'.4 x 0'.4: Vis. 15.5; SB 13.4: bright, and immediately preceding a bright star. Viewed at 187x, 200x, and 250x, a stellar core is noted, plus 2 stars in the envelope, all in a line through the centre of the elongations. A bright star north hampers views of 79, which appears stellar even at high power.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6179.jpg
eg 6185: 1'.2 x 0'.9: Vis/SB 13.4: Spotted at 100x, it resembled a faint, fuzzy stellar companion to a bright star, north. At 136x it is big and pretty bright. At 187x and 250x it is pretty big, very oval, and the middle is much brighter. It reaches nearly to the bright star, north.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6185.jpg
eg 6194: 1' x 0'.8: Vis. 13.8; SB 13.4: Spotted at 100x, it is tiny, round and bright. At 136x it is larger, with a very bright centre. At 187x and 250x the galaxy shows a stellar core. It is slightly oval, remarkably bright, but not too large.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6194.jpg
eg 6196: 2' x 1'.2: Vis. 12.9; SB 13.7: My second triple group of the evening! 96 was seen at
eg 6197: 1'.3 x 0'.5: Vis. 14.6; SB 14: 100x, and on up to 200x. It is very bright, oval, and
eg I. 4614: 0'.8 x 0'.6: Vis. 14.3; SB 13.4: considerably smaller than its given size. 97 was spotted at 136x, and also viewed at 187x and 200x. It is just north of a bright star, but only its oval centre could be seen. The extensions were too faint. The IC galaxy was very faint, appearing round at 187x and 200x. These galaxies are all just south preceding Messier 13.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6196.jpg
I. 4614 is in the north.
gc 6205/Messier 13: 20'; Vis. 5.8; Br. * mag. 11.9: Though viewed many times previously, this was the official observation with the 12" Dob. At 60x the globular cluster is already resolving all across its huge, bright surface. The cluster is framed by 2 bright stars, with the north one coloured a rich yellow, and the fainter, south one white. M 13, the 2 stars, and nearby bright galaxy 6207 (see below) all fit into the field of view! At 100x the outer areas resolve into lines and curls of stars, giving the impression of rotation. There are 2 notable extensions towards the white star, south, and another one towards eg 6207, north. At 136x the massive core is breaking up, with many stars resolving at the very centre. 187x gives a superb view, nearly filling the eyepiece with stars. The centre is dense and complex. At 200x and 250x there are now dark spaces in the very core. A "Z" line of resolved stars is at the very enter. At 272x and 375x the dark lanes throughout the cluster are as interesting as the resolved stars. A truly amazing and wonderful object!!
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6196.jpg
Can you spot eg 6207 north following??
eg 6207: 3' x 1'.3" Vis. 11.6; SB 13: Undoubtedly the showpiece galaxy in Hercules. It can be seen at 60x along with M 13 in the same field. Though bright and large, it still appears rather insignificant next to the globular cluster. 100x shows significant elongation and a stellar core. At 136x a few very faint stars can be seen just south. The galaxy is seen steadier now, and larger and longer. At 187x and 200x more galaxy shows preceding the core area than following it. At 250x and 272x a very faint star follows the core, with another just north following it. The preceding area of elongation appears clumpy.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6207.jpg
eg 6195: 1'.5 x 1': Vis. 13; SB 13.4: Spotted at 136x, the galaxy is very conspicuous between 2 faint stars. At 187x it shows a bright centre, with fainter parts flaring oval towards the framing stars. At 250x it is still pretty bright and pretty large.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6195.jpg
eg 6212: 0'.7 x 0'.4: Vis. 14.2; SB 12.6: Glimpsed at 187x, then again at 200x and 250x. It was small, faint, oval, with a stellar core. Best seen at 250x with averted vision. It sits south of a conspicuous triangle of stars. I used a hand-drawn detailed map to locate and identify the galaxy, based on Deep Sky Objects Browser.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6212.jpg
Mapman Mike
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