This is a direct continuation of blog #93 from April 2016. Note that egs 3130, 3134, 3153, and 3154 are all discussed in the earlier blog, as they overlap on Chart 93. Also note that I mainly viewed NGC objects (galaxies, in this case), with a very few IC objects as well. In later observing projects I would include many galaxies outside the NGC/IC lists. I may return someday to check out the UGCs etc, but for now this is what I saw in Leo.
Beginning in the south, near the border of Sextans, there are two galaxies to report.
eg 3186: 0'.7 x 0'.7: Vis. 15.1; SB 14.2: As difficult to locate as it was, it would have been much harder without nearby I. 602. At 187x and 200x, a very tiny haze wtih faint stellar core was noted. At 250x a 2nd stellar object was noted N of the main one, but with no haze. Some catalogues list these as eg 3186-1 and 3186-2. NOTE: Several catalogues list 2186 as non-existent; others use PGC 30058 as the missing object.
eg I. 602: 0'.8 x 0'.5: Vis. 13.2; SB 12.1: Nearly attached to a mag. 13 star S, the galaxy was observed at 100x, 136x, and 187x. It appeared as round with a bright centre.
Three galaxies lie in the SE corner of the page.
eg 3349: 0'.5 x 0'.5: Vis. 14.5; SB 12.8: This tiny object was seen well at 187x 200x, and even 250x. It is seen full size with averted vision, but looks somewhat oval. It is preceding its partner closely (see below).
eg 3356: 1'.7 x 0'.8: Vis. 13.3; SB 13.5: Big brother to tiny 3349, it was located at 136x, N of a mag. 10.7 star. It is large and oval. Elongation shows up better at 187x and 200x. 3349 is immediately following.
All images from NASA, hosted here.
http://www.astrosurf.com/benoit/p33.html
eg 3362: 1'.4 x 1'.1: Vis. 12.8; SB 13.1: Located at 100x, it is already quite large and oval, but not bright. 136x shows the middle part to be brighter. At 187x the galaxy is now pretty bright using a.v., and very obviously oval.
Moving north along the right side we come to eg 3217, at +11 degrees. After this we will continue north.
eg 3217: 0'.5 x 0'.3: Vis. 14.5; SB 12.3: I used a hand drawn map to locate this. I use telescopius.com for these kinds of maps. I can star hop from much fainter stars than are shown on Uranometria. From a mag. 9 star shown on the atlas I followed a line of 3 11 mag. stars to the galaxy, which was seen as a very faint and very small oval of haze (towards the star line\). A 14 mag. star is just SP. Only on a perfect night!
eg 3220: 2'.3 x 1'.1: Vis. 12.8; SB 13.7: A bright slash was seen just N of a pretty notable star. The galaxy showed a bright core at 136x, 187x, and 250x. Overall it was pretty small, but averted vision gave occasionally glimpses of a larger object. At 100x it can appear as nearly stellar companion to the close star.
UGC 5646: 2'.3 x 0'.7: Vis. 12.8; SB 13.2: Like many UGC objects, the stats don't seem to be that accurate for visual observers. It is a very faint galaxy seen at 136x and 187x. It was oval and seen best with averted vision. I had hoped for better.
eg 3253: 1'.2 x 1'.1: Vis. 13.6; SB 13.7: This galaxy is a fair size, and round, It is faint at 136x and 187x. Best view was at 200x with averted vision, but it is still a ghostly sight.
eg I. 607: 1'.3 x 0'.9: Vis. and SB 13.2: Located with a hand drawn map, the galaxy is fairly bright but quite small. It had a brighter core, nearly stellar. Best view was at 187x using averted vision, where it appears slightly oval.
eg 3239: 5' x 3'.3: Vis. 11.3; SB 14.2: A beautiful sight is quite spoiled by a mag. 10 star right overtop the galaxy, and dead centre. All I saw was a bit of haze, mostly N and F. I took a second look here the next night. I noted two bright spots, one N and the other NF the star. These spots can seem at first to be companion stars. The envelope is hazy surrounding the star, but mostly noted towards the NF side.
Now we move east across the top of the map, and then finish the right half of the chart by diving south.
eg 3370: 2'.6 x 1'.5: Vis. 11.6; SB 12.9: Located at 60x and 100x, the galaxy was oval, pretty bright, and quite large. At 136x the size becomes more impressive, as does the brightness and shape. At 187x and 200x it is impressively large, bright, very elongated, and has a bright middle. A nice catch in a 12"!
eg 3346: 2'.9 x 2'.5: Vis. 11.7; SB 13.7: Easy to find at 60x and 100x. It is large though pretty faint, located just NF a pair of notable stars. At 136x it is large, slightly oval, and has a slightly brighter middle. AT 187x using a.v. vies are good. It is large but still faint. At 200x the galaxy is fading.
eg 3377A: 2'.2 x 2'.2: Vis. 13.6; SB 15.1: I spent a long time making certain I did see this very challenging object. I had glimpses of it using a.v. at 83x, 100x, and 136x. It was round, not small (1'8?), but extremely faint. It possibly had a faint stellar core. It was "best" at 100x. A.v. only.
eg 3777: 5' x 3': Vis. 10.4; SB 13.3: View at all magnifications, from 60x through 250x, it has a very bright middle. The surrounding envelope is subdued by the central glare. That envelope was only seen at 187x and higher. The galaxy is wide, large, and oval. The centre is bright in all ranges, and is quite large itself.
eg 3377 in centre; 3377A is NP.
eg 3367: 2'.5 x 2'.2: Vis. 11.5; SB 13.2: Easily located at 60x and 100x, the envelope resolution was flaring in all directions. Teh galaxy is large and bright. At 136x a pretty decent object for observation is presented. It is round, or perhaps slightly oval. Viewed at 187x and 200x, it is bright, round, pretty evenly lit, and pretty large.
eg 3300: 1'.9 x 1'.3: Vis. 12.1; SB 12.7: Located amidst a bright star field at 60x and 100x, the galaxy is large, bright, and very elongated. It is very bright at 136x, especially the centre, which is quite expansive. Also viewed at 187x, 200x, and 250x where it appeared very large, very bright in the middle, with a smaller stellar core. It was a nice way to finish up an observing night, as well as being the final entry in Vol. 8 of my notes (I am now in Vol 13!).
eg 3338: 5'.9 x 3'.6: Vis. 11.1; SB 14.2: At 60x this galaxy was big, bright, and very elongated. It immediately follows a mag. 9 star. At lower powers the envelope aimed towards this star cannot be seen. As a result, it looks like the bright centre if the head of a comet, and the tail is the faint envelope following. The object was also viewed at 136x, 187x, 200x, and 250x. The preceding envelope is now seen, despite the bright star. The envelope seems to extend to the star. A few very faint stars (mag. 14-15?) surround the galaxy, including a few just N. There is a very tiny stellar core.
UGC 5832: 1'.3 x 1'.1: Vis. 12.8; SB 13.1: The galaxy is not difficult at 136x. It is best seen at 187x, where it remains faint but pretty big and somewhat oval. A faint star is following. A mag. 11 star is just N.
eg 3299: 2'.2 x 1'.7: Vis. 12.7; SB 14: Located at 100x! It is not far NP from eg 3306. It is very large, oval, and quite faint. At 136x it appears brighter in the middle, with noticeable fainter areas outside it. This faint outer area is large. Though fading at 187x it is still large. Later it could be seen at 60x!
eg 3306: 1'.3 x 0'.5: Vis. 13.4; SB 12.8: At 136x the galaxy appears as a wide, very oval haze, very near to a
bright star SP. It is pretty bright at 187x, appearing fuller still at
250s using a.v. Eg 3299 lies close by, NP.
eg 3351 (Messier 95): 7'.4 x 5': Vis. 9.7; SB 13.5: The first of three Messier objects that lie close enough together, this area makes for some very fine observing with larger telescopes. At 60x and 100x. M 95 appears like a massive, unresolved globular cluster. It's easy to see why Messier might have wanted to eliminate this as a possible bright comet. At 136x it is big, oval, shows an intensely bright middle, and a very large barred core area. At 187x, 200x, and 250x the core is blazing. The position angle makes a rough V-shape with a pair of stars preceding. Overall, it is very large, has a big, bright middle, and a lot of faint, outer haze shows at higher power. I have seriously upgraded my eyepieces since 2016, and I must return to these Messier objects this year for a second look. When I do, I will add to these descriptions. This galaxy is suitable for virtuyally all size telescopes.
eg 3368 (Messier 96): 7'.6 x 5'.2: Vis. 9.3; SB 13.1: At 60x and 100x, the galaxy is seen to be notably brighter than M 95. It also appears to be more obviously oval. At 136x it features a nearly blinding middle section, itself very oval. It is very, very large. Also viewed at 187x, 200x, and 150x. Even here it has an incredibly bright and large middle section, surrounded by a very broad and oval hazy envelope. Like M 95, it can appear very comet-like. The position angle is similar to M 95. I tried for detail within the galaxy and extensions, but being late at night my eyes were very tired. I do need a return visit in 2024 (these observations are from 2016).
NOTE: I discuss M 105 and its two satellite galaxies in the next blog entry, Chart 92 left.
UGC 5897: 2'.6 x 0'.9: Vis. 12.7; SB 13.5: Often overlooked by Messier fanatics, this galaxy is located immediately south of a faint star. It is pretty small and oval at 136x. It is a bit more extended at 187x, though quite faint. Not that difficult to find.
eg 3279: 2'.9 x 0'.3: It was located at 100x, a long, very faint, very thing slash, a classic edge on galaxy. It lies just S of a mag. 10.5 star, and slashes between 2 much fainter stars. At 136x and 187x it is very, very thin and quite long. As I star hopped here I came across a beautiful wide double star, yellow and lavender at 60x. Looking it up later, it is Bigourdon 1: 7.4-9.7/60". Watch for it NF!
eg 3332: 1'.4 x 1'.4: Vis. 12.3; SB 12.9: Located at 100x and 136x, it was very small and faint. It lies just S of a mag. 13 star. Views improved a lot at 187x and 200x. It is round, not very large (less than 1"), and shows a stellar core.
My adventures in Leo will continue in the next blog entry.
Mapman Mike
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