#44 Monthly Summary #2: March/April 2014

With six partial or full sessions, and 18.5 hours of observing I enjoyed my largest number of new NGC sightings to date for a single month.  Parts of 4 constellations were studied, and as all but one of them are new areas for me to explore, there was only one review object, a previously seen one (see Bootes).  Four of the sessions were from my light-polluted back deck, but two of them were very long, excellent dark sky sessions, at five hours each.  I was able to observe galactic nebula and galaxies not visible from home, or even from my decent nearby location south of my hometown.  While not surprised by the galaxy improvements from dark sky sights, I was amazed at how easy the galactic nebula were located from such skies, objects that had proved impossible before now.  Being mostly reflection nebula, my filters were of little to no help from home.  However, from dark skies the objects popped right into view, without any filter!  By constellation, then, here is what I have been up to at the eyepiece:

LEPUS

Despite being in an unfavourable low southwest sky, I was able to observe two of the many galaxies that lie hidden in this little constellation.

eg 1888:  Seen well at 100x, with a bright core.  -11 degrees.

eg 2076:  An elongated threshold smudge at 100-150x.  -16 degrees.

MONOCEROS
I've had good luck with clusters from my back deck, but went after some faint nebula once I set up at a dark sky location.
gn 2149:  Impossible from my deck at home, easily seen from a dark sky site.  Amidst a bright star field.  Once mistaken for a galaxy (Shapely).
gn 2183:  Both easily seen from a dark sky site, lying side by side.  Involved with several faint stars.
gn 2185:  (see 2183, above).
gn 2245:  Wedge-shaped nebula involved with a 10.8 mag. star, seen well from the back deck.
gn 2247:  Due to the brightest of the 8.5 mag. star, the nebula is only seen faintly at higher power.
oc 2259:  Small and faint, with about 10 stars resolved at 250x.
oc 2264:  The Christmas Tree Cluster was observed from the back deck and a dark sky site (no comparison!).  Wonderful in a 6" mirror!  Not to be missed.
oc 2302:  A tight group led by three brighter stars.  16 stars at 200x.
oc 2306:  South following 2302.  Very large.  About thirty faint stars surrounding two bright ones.
oc 2309:  North following 2306.  100x resolves the brightest members from my deck, forming a loose circle.  The dense center resolves at 200-250x, where 25 stars were counted in a small area.
gn 2316:  Mixture of reflection and emission wavelengths.  Clearly seen without a filter, and observed well at 60-200x.  Triangle of faint stars immediately south.
oc 2323 (M50):  The finest cluster in Monoceros, though that is not saying anything against the many other fine clusters in the constellation.  The cluster is a wonder to observe at 60x in the 12", with a chain of bright stars outlining a triangular smile shape, with lines of stars passing perpendicular through it near the center.  Very rich cluster and fine for all apertures.  Heaven in a 12"!
oc2335:  30 stars counted at 200x, in three groups.  Orange star is dominant.  Central group is the most dense.
oc 2338:  3 degrees north following M50.  A 4-star asterism make up a rough parallelogram, with cluster stars in two clumps in and around it.  Medium rich and not a bad object.
oc 2343:  The finest of three clusters in the immediate area (see also Cr. 465 and 466).  Fine double star, primary orange, dominates.  Decent cluster at 125x.
oc 2368:  Not a bad cluster in a 12".  Led by a bright star which turns out to be a double. 20 stars at 200x, all faint except the main one (mag. 11?).  Triangular, or wedge-shaped.
eg 2377:  One of only a pair of NGC galaxies in Monoceros, and impossible to see without a dark sky.  Difficult enough due to involvement with a star or stars.  Very small and oval.
eg 2494:  The other faint galaxy in Monoceros, and a threshold object.  Round at 100-200x.

gn I. 446:  Faint haze seen near a faint star, and impossible to observe without a dark sky.
gn I. 2169:  Involved with oc Cr. 95.  The reflection nebula was helped a bit by the sky glow filter, and seen better on the preceding part of the cluster, scattered between and amongst the stars.
gn I. 2177:  Massive nebula involved with oc Cr. 465 and 466.  Glimpsed as clumps of smokiness with the filter.  Seen best south of Struve 1019, as well as amidst the two clusters.  Struve 1019 is an exqisite close pair (7-11/6.5").


oc Bi 7:  Noticed at 100x (in a poor sky), the very faint stars were contained within a semi-circle of less faint stars.  Resolves nicely at 200x.  Rich background area.
oc Bi 8:  An elongated group of 15 very faint stars resolved at 200x.
oc Bo 3:  Located at 100x, I counted 12 faint stars along with 4 brighter ones, the latter in a line.
oc Cr. 95:  15 brighter stars easily counted at 60x, and there are fainter ones at 100x.  Involved with gn I. 2169.
oc Cr. 465:  Semi-circle of 12-15 faint stars notes, involved with I. 2177.
oc Cr. 466:  Very small, very faint grop observed at 200x.  It was linear, and had 8 stars in a poor sky.  Involved with I. 2177.
oc Cz. 30:  Just south of S, a variable star.  It's glare hampers the view of about 12 faint stars.
oc Haf 3:  1 degree south of Bo 3, and making a triangle with oc 2338.  The haze resolves at 200x.  The cluster is contained within a bowl-shape of 4 brighter stars.

LEO
I enjoyed two nights of dark sky observing in Leo, and I pulled in galaxy after galaxy with the 12".
eg 2939:  A pair with 2940, and the star of the show.  Large, very faint, very elongated and has a
eg 2940: bright middle.  Averted vision expands the dimensions.  Seen well at 125-200x.  2940 was much smaller, round, and very faint.  Both galaxies appear at 125x with a triangle of 3 stars, and 2940 appears very close to a tiny double star.
eg 2941:  This is a busy area for faint NGC galaxies, and ignored by almost every major book. 
eg 2943:  2943 is nice and bright and seen easily at 60x.  Large and oval at 200x.  2941 was like a tiny, very faint ghost image of 2943, immediately preceding it.
eg 2946:  Not as faint as 2941, this one immediately follows 2943.  All three will pass by in a matter of seconds at 200x.
eg 2948:  Picked up nicely at 100x and observed up to 200x.  Noticeably bright middle and elongated.  Appeared larger with averted vision.
eg 2949:  The 7th galaxy located in a very tight area of Leo, near star 8.  Tiny, and very faint.  Confirmed on the 2nd night.
eg 2954:  Bright, spotted easily at 60x.  Oval with a bright middle, and bears magnification well.
eg 2958:  A threshold object barely seen at 125x, preceded by a 13 mag. star.
eg 2984:  Very faint, but seen at 125-200x.  Round.  eg I. 557 closely follows.
eg 3599:  Located at 60x in an area devoid of stars, it had a bright stellar core at 125x, surrounded by a large area of fainter haze.  Easy to see tonight from a dark sky, this one eluded me last season.  Precedes the 3605, 07, 08  triplet.
eg 3787:  Unsuccessfully searched for last year, this year from a superior sight it was not difficult, though it is faint, round and tiny.  Seen well at 200x.
eg 3827:  Seen faintly at 60x, improving all the way up to 200x.  Averted vision shows a larger object.  Round, with a bright middle.
eg 3816:  Within Abell 1367.  First seen at 100xx, and then later at 60x.  Bright and elongated at 100-125x, with a bright middle and a large block of fainter outer haze.  Fine in a 12".
eg 3821:  My first galaxy in Abell 1367, it was located at 100x and viewed up to 200x.  Not difficult to locate.  2 bright spots in the center, a bright core and a foreground star.
eg 3861:  Within Abell 1367.  Elongated shape easy to view, though appearing much smaller than its given dimensions.  Best seen with averted vision, as there is a bright star in the field.

eg I. 557:  Oval, faint and small, it appears with eg 2984 in the same high power field, following.

BOOTES 
I have observed this constellation previously with my Edmund 8".  However, I have added hundreds of new galaxies this time, and will be reviewing the ones already logged.
eg 5251:  Very close to M3, I have been unsuccessful with this one until tonight's dark sky.  Located at 100x, small, round and seen well at 150x.  South preceding M3.
eg 5548:  Previously observed with the Edmund 8".  Very bright, oval, with a stellar core.  Viewed well using up to 200x.
eg 5581:  Easy to locate at 100x despite being very faint, as it is placed between 2 9 mag. stars shown on Uranometria.  Best seen using averted vision.  Observed up to 200x.
eg 5610:  Easy to find due to its placement between 2  stars, mag. 9 and 9.5.  First discovered at 60x.  125x showed elongation and a bright middle.
eg 5637:  Faint, but not severely so.  Good hunting skills are required for most of these, however.  Located just preceding a curious circlet of faint stars.

So, despite frigid temperatures and many cloudy nights, I enjoyed amazing success, not likely to be repeated for some time.  A little vacation is planned next week to the American Southwest, so the next month of observing will be much shorter in duration.  I will be back right around new moon, hoping for a clear night or two.
Mapman Mike

Monthly Summary 2 (mid-April/mid May 2013)

     The clear sky gods were not around much this past month, though now that the moon is waxing they seem more abundant.  I have had a disappointing spring session, though I've tried to make the most of the few decent nights we did experience.  Most disappointing has been my initial season observing all of the NGC objects in Leo, along with a healthy selection of double stars and such.  And once Leo was too far west, I had hoped to get a good start on Bootes.  Oh well, at least the planning is done and next year I should be able to start right back in again with Leo.  There is still a chance that I can score a few more galaxy hits there near the end of this month.

     Here are the details.  All 16 new NGC objects logged this past month were galaxies.  15 of them were in Leo, and 1 was in Bootes.  A few were large and spectacular, some were reasonably bright and interesting, and several were so faint they could barely be seen with averted vision.  As it was last month, the highlight was the Leo Triplet, consisting of M 65, M 66, and eg 3628.  Last month I was able to sketch and log M 65, so this month M 66 and eg 3628 seem new, even though they have been observed many times before.  Until the sketch and notes of an object are entered into my observing logbook, I do not consider it as seen.  Two other galaxies within easy star hop of the triplet also provided highlights for the month.  Eg 3593 is large and bright, and lies within a notable star pattern, making it easy to find again once it has been located for the first time.  Eg 3596 is a bit north and considerably fainter, though also large.  The galaxy has become a marker for me for good seeing.  If this round object can be easily seen, then the hunt for much fainter galaxies is on.

     Another trio of galaxies provided me with a few nights of thrills.  This group marks my third triplet in Leo, even though I have barely begun my explorations there.  Egs 3607 and 3608 are a stunning and close pair, very bright and quite large in a 12".  Visually they are mag. 9.9 and 10.7, respectively.  3607 is considerably brighter, and has a bright inner core.  Its nearly circular shape is offset by a slightly oval 3608, an object that is also considerably smaller.  The third member is the smallest and faintest, but is fair game for an 8" mirror or higher.  Eg 3605 is just south preceding 3607, perhaps a bit more oval than 3608, though similar in shape.  An interesting group of faint stars is just south following eg 3607, including a close, faint double star.

eg 3605 is the smallest of these three galaxies in Leo.

eg 3607 is largest and brightest.  eg 3608 also fits

into my view at 150x.  South is at the top.

Image from http://www.astrosurf.com/benoit/ngc.html

     Most of the rest are very faint galaxies, showing little detail except perhaps shape.  These include the following:  egs 2913, 2919, 2923, 2928, 2933, 3805, 3592, and 3598.

     Only one galaxy was logged in Bootes.  Eg 5490 is visually mag. 12, with a much dimmer surface brightness due to its modest size (13.7 mag.).  I was pleased with finding this one from my back deck under a 6-day old moon.  I even saw an extremely faint 2nd galaxy directly north of it, though I cannot find a name for this object.  I had been searching for 5490C, but this was not it.  Nor was it "B".  Perhaps I shall call it 5490D.  Alas, what is life without little mysteries?

     Also this month I managed a few close looks at different parts of the lunar surface, as well as a few superb views of Saturn, mostly around midnight when the air had settled down.  I also viewed a whole slew of large, bright galaxies, double stars and the wonderful globular M3 as part of my scope's computer tours (see previous blog entry for details).

     In other news, the Astroscan 4" has been sent off to Edmund Scientific in NY.  Either they will be able to clean the mirror or they will replace it.  Deb and I look forward eagerly to its return, hopefully for the next dark moon phase.

Mapman Mike

Fun with "Push To" Features

     I admit to being a confirmed star hop observer, preferring to start my night's session at a bright star or object, and travelling ever onward from there.  However, my newest telescope came with a very seductive little feature, and I do find it useful from time to time.  "Go To" telescopes are the rage now, with remote control location of objects.  Enter M 66 into the keypad and within a few moments you will be looking at a very fine galaxy, having expended little or no effort to get there.  "Push To" scopes work in a similar fashion, except you have to physically move the scope yourself, using arrows and numbers on the key pad to zoom in on the desired object.

     If I want to visit M 66 using the Push To, here is what I must do.  First, I must align my scope with two bright stars, after turning on the keypad and pointing my scope to vertical position.  Lately I have been using Regulus as my first star and Polaris as my second.  I recently switched to Arcturus as my first star.  This is done only once per night.  Then I select "M" object on the keypad, punch in 66, then "Enter", and I am off.  The key pad tells me how far to move the scope in r.a., and then in declination.  Within seconds, I have located M 66.  It is much faster than a Go To, since I can move the scope at any desired speed I wish, and the key pad runs smoothly on a single 9-volt battery.  So I sometimes use this handy feature to get to my starting object.  But what else can it be used for?

     No doubt from a really dark sky, it can be used to locate objects much fainter than M 66.  The entire NGC and IC catalogue are programmed into the computer, as well as nearly 7000 stars.  From suburban skies, however, this is not a big advantage over star hopping.  However, there is a feature I like, called "Sky Tour."  Each month has a set program of 12 showpiece objects.  Last night I entered "May" into the tour feature, and was treated to an amazing group of galaxies (mostly, as it is the season), a globular, a planetary nebula, and a double star.  In case you are interested, here is the list of objects in the Orion May Sky Tour. 

1)   M68--eg 4590 (too low from my site--blocked by trees)

2)  M104--Sombrero Galaxy

3)  M60--eg 4649 (twin galaxies!)

4)  M84--eg4374

5)  M99--eg 4254

6)  M64--Black Eye Galaxy

7)  M51--Whirlpool Galaxy

8)  M101--eg 5457

9)  M3--gc 5272--too amazing!!

10) M97--Owl Nebula.  Superb in the 12"!

11) eg 4565--one of the very finest galaxies, edge on!

12) Cor Coroli:  double star:  2.9-5.4/20".  I see white and yellow.  A stunning pair.

     Not only is the monthly object list great for star parties or drop-in visitors (who may not fully appreciate the beauty of a 14th mag. galaxy), but I like to use it later in the night when I am tiring of searching out extremely faint objects.  It makes a wonderful finale to a night of observing, or before going on to view Jupiter or Saturn, which usually puts a stop to one's night vision.  I try to observe the list more than once during the month, too.  Nothing like a second (or third) look.  So far, these objects have not become part of my formal observing program, and I do not report on them.  Perhaps once I have completed the entire cycle of 12 months, I will begin to log their appearance in the 12".  Many of them have been reported on with the 8" from previous years. 

     Last night, the objects were bright enough (except for M101 and M97) to see even as the 6-day old moon was shining, so I actually began my night with this program as I awaited moon set.  I also had time to try out another feature of the Push To.  I was able to easily find the list on the computer of the best double stars in Bootes, which was beautifully placed later on.  I pushed my way through 13 remarkable double stars.  My collimation was not perfect, but I managed to split 12 of them!  There are many totally amazing double stars in Bootes!  It may not have any Messier objects or brighter NGC objects, but it sure has a glorious selection of doubles.  The Push To list follows.

1)  1:  Mag. 6-9/4".6 separation.  White and blue, seen at 100x, 200x.

2)  39:  6-6.5/2".9.  Split at 100x, 150x.  Both white.

3)  44:  5.5-6/1".5.  Viewed at 200x.  Both ivory.

4)  Epsilon (Izar):  2.5-5/2".9.  Viewed at 60x through 200x.  Yellow and pale lilac.  One of the most   beautiful doubles!

5)  Iota:  5-7.5/39".  60x.  Ivory and lilac.

6)  Kappa:  4.6-6.5/13".  60x, 120x.  Pale yellow and lilac.

7)  Mu:  4.5-6.5/108".  Wide pair is yellow and lilac at 60x.

     Mu-b: 7-7.5/2".  Close pair minute at 100x, whites at 200x.

8)  Pi:  5-6/6".  60x, 100x.  White and yellow.

9)  Xi:  5-7/7".  60x, 100x, 120x.  Yellow and orangey-red.

10)  Zeta:  4.5-5/0".9 (also a 10.5 comes at 99").  Not split!  Wide pair is white and purple.

11)  Struve 1785:  7-7.5/2".8.  100x, 200x.  Both golden.

12)  Struve 1834:  7-7/1".1  200x.  Orange pair.

13)  Struve 1835:  5.5-7/6".2.  60x, 100x.  White and pale lilac.

     Now, finding and splitting all of these wonderful pairs in 15 minutes or so is possible using the Push To.  Of course I take my time, though, never rushing from object to object, but it is nice sometimes to just be able to see a series of beautiful deep sky objects in wide and various parts of the sky in a short amount of time, and without having to use the finder scope, red flashlight and the atlas (I do enough of that, believe me).  By observing the Bootes doubles last night, I also obtained a good sense of the size of Bootes, and exactly how far it extends.  By contrast, in a usual night of observing for me I would be confined to one small part of the constellation.  So the Push To feature gets me out and about, so to speak.

     In conclusion, when I first used the scope last October I thought the Push To would be a feature I would use rarely and only for special searches of objects not near any bright starting point.  I do use it for that, but I now really like the monthly features, and also have easy access to all of the finest doubles and variables in each constellation, and some of the finest deep sky objects in any given month.

Mapman Mike

#15: Full Moon: Dark Skies Just Ahead

     The time just before and after full moon is perfect for tweaking one's observing plans.  Spring constellations are available to us for such a short period of time compared to summer, autumn and winter ones that careful preparation is even more important than usual.  I have been trying to make a decent start on Leo, and beginning two nights after full moon I hope to resume my work.  Immediate observing projects are to observe and sketch M 66 and eg 3628.  As the moonrise is gradually set back far enough in the evening, I will leave my back deck and set up my scope farther afield in dark sky locations.  I don't know yet whether I'll be able to observe in the 'preceding' area of Leo, where I have a whole collection of faint objects remaining to see, or if I will have to immediately move my observing session more towards the middle and 'following' sections of Leo.  Leo begins at about 9h 22m r.a., and continues until 11h 58m r.a.  No doubt I will still get lots done in Leo if it's clear, but not necessarily from the first pages of my object list, which generally follows r.a. of the constellation I am observing.

     One thing is for certain; Leo will set relatively early during the night.  Though I have notes prepared for Lyra, I decided I needed something to bridge the gap between Leo and Lyra.  Bootes seems to fit the bill nicely, though I have already observed it in some detail with the 8" scope.  Bootes begins at 13h 16m r.a., continuing to 15h 12m r.a.  Bootes is a galaxy-filled constellation of difficult NGC objects, and it contains not a single Messier object or galaxy of real brightness.  Besides galaxies, there is a lone, very faint globular cluster.  Having already viewed and sketched the brightest galaxies and the cluster, there may be little remaining for me to see except the dozens of much fainter galaxies.  While I don't mind reviewing previous brighter galaxies in the newer 12", I also want to add new NGC objects to my life list.  The good news is that right about now where I live, the trees usually begin to leaf.  When this happens, a lot of ground light pollution is blocked and the sky grows a bit darker.  Any slight advantage might make the difference between seeing a faint galaxy or not seeing it.  This year in southern Canada, however, we seem considerably behind in seasonal changes, and I may have to wait one more full moon before the trees are of much help.

     Leo also offers two close-up charts in Uranometria.  Charts A10 and A11 are galaxy-filled playgrounds, and I hope to make a good start on Abell 1367 (Chart A11).  I haven't yet decided on an observing strategy for this remarkable area.  I will first determine which objects and how many are actually available to me by having a quick look there.  If many or most of them are visible, then I will likely enjoy a galaxy-filled observing orgy over several nights.  As I enjoy star hopping so much, I'm certain to love galaxy hopping, too!  If my skies do a poor job of allowing me decent access, then I will likely plan a road trip with my telescope for next spring to somewhere very dark in order to experience this feast properly.  In fact, an upcoming post will likely be about dark site road trips.  Where to go, when to go, why to go and which way to go.  So stay tuned.

     Full moon is also a perfect time to tune up the scope and accessories.  Cleaning eyepieces and the finder-scope is a great idea, and perhaps doing some collimating on the secondary and primary mirrors isn't such a bad idea, either.  And of course it is a perfect time to scour the web and catch up on some blog reading!  Until next time enjoy the full moon, and join me in anticipating the dark-sky nights that will come soon afterwards.

Mapman Mike