Leo shares Chart 91 with Virgo and Coma Berenices. Coma observations are in progress again this Spring. I have yet to undertake Virgo. For now here is more Leo. These observations were made with a 12" Dobsonian telescope between 2013-19. This page completes the mid-section of the constellation. Lower and upper areas will soon appear here as well. Photos are from NASA.gov.
eg 3691: 1'.3 x 1': Vis. 11.8; SB 11.9: This object looks good on paper, but isn't very interesting to actually see. For one thing it's pretty small. Only about half the stated size is seen. Located at 136x, it is small, round, and somewhat bright. At 187x it is actually quite dim (?), and best seen with a.v. It is larger, though.
eg 3692: 3'.2 x 0'.7: Vis. 12.1; SB 12.9: Located at 84x as a small slash. At 136x it is pretty bright, though not very long. 187x and 250x give good views. I allowed the object to pass across the field of view. It resembles a silent flying saucer! A faint star is NF.
eg 3705: 4'.9 x 2': Vis. 11.1; SB 13.4: Located easily at 84x, the galaxy is much larger and brighter than its neighbour 3692. 136x shows it as a fine object. It is very elongated, has a very bright middle, and is large. Good views at 187x, 200x, 250x, and 272x show a very bright core with a wide layer of envelope surrounding it. It resembles a mini-Andromeda galaxy.
eg 3731: 1' x 0'.9: Vis. 13.9; SB 13.7: Located at 136x, I noticed a tiny hazy patch M of a faint star. 187x and 250x reveal a stellar core, then a pretty bright central area, but still small. It was round.
eg 3773: 1'.2 x 1': Vis. 12; SB 12.1: Suspected at 100x, at 136x the galaxy is small and very bright. The stellar core makes any surrounding envelope too difficult to see. There is some ovalness at 187x, and the core is very bright. Elongation is more evident at 250x; it is still very bright.
eg 3767: 1' x 0'.9: Vis./SB 13.5: This galaxy is very small at 126x. 187x shows a stellar core with a small envelope. 250x shows a bright core with the envelope seen best with a.v.
eg 3764: 0'.9 x 0'.7: Vis 14.7; SB 14: A pair with eg 3768, below. 68 was located at 100x, being small, oval, and bright. At 136x through 250x it maintains a very bright stellar core, making the much fainter envelope a challenge. It is about 1/2 of the published size in my scope. 3764 was seen at 136x, just NP 68. It is much smaller and much fainter. 250x shows a distinct stellar core with a.v.
eg 3768: 1'.6 x 0'.9: Vis. 12.4; SB 12.7: See 3764, above.
eg 3790: 1'.1 x 0'.3: Vis. 13.9; SB 12.6: Located at 136x, the galaxy appears very small, very elongated, and P a mag. 8 star. At 187x and 250x it is still small, but views are somewhat improved. See photo below.
eg 3801: 2'.5 x 1'.6: Vis. 12; SB 13.4: A triplet with eg 3802 and 3803. 01 is the best of 5 galaxies in the immediate vicinity. Viewed at 84x through 250x, it remained bright, very large, and oval. It was easy to see at all magnifications. 02 lies just N, also easily seen at 136x. It is oval, pretty large and bright, and P a faint star. 03 was viewed at 187x and 250x. It is small, round, and N of 02, just off-line P 01 and 02. This makes a nice triplet for a 12" scope!
eg 3802: 1'.1 x 0'.3: Vis. 13.3; SB 12: Part of a triplet. See above.
eg 3803: 0'.4 x 0'.4: Vis. 13.6: Part of a triplet. See above.
eg 3806: 2'.2 x 1'.8: Vis. 13.8; SB 14.9: The most difficult of 5 close galaxies, this very elusive beast is located N of a mag. 9.5 star. A much fainter star is S of the galaxy, and the object is just off-line (slightly F) with the two stars. I saw it only with a.v. at 187x and 250x, and only the brighter central area. However, on a final sweep of the area I was able to glimpse all 5 galaxies at 136x, including this one! See above photo.
eg 3799: 0'.7 x 0'.4: Vis. 13.9; SB 12.4: A pair with eg 3800. Both galaxies were seen at 100x. 3800 is very bright and very elongated. A pair of dim stars is S and SF. Both galaxies are easy to see with a.v., with 99 appearing oval. Views are good up to 250x. In detailed photos the galaxies are interacting, but in the eyepiece there is a tiny bit of dark sky in between them.
eg 3800: 2' x 0'.6: V/SB 12.7: A pair with eg 3799. See above, and photo below.
eg 3828: 0'.8 x 0'.5: Vis. 14.8; SB 13.7: Using a hand-drawn detailed map,this tiny and faint galaxy was finally observed at 136x, NP a faint star. At 187x and 250x it appears oval. It is pretty small, faint, but shows a faint stellar core.
eg 3853: 1'.7 x 1': Vis. 12.4; SB 13: Located at 100x, the galaxy was also viewed well at 136x and 187x. It is very elongated, very bright, and shows a stellar core. It is easy to find, and certainly worth a look.
eg 3933: 1'.1 x 0'.6: Vis. 13.6; SB 12: A pair with 3934, below. 33 is very faint at 187x, though it is pretty large and oval. 34 can be seen well at 136x and 187x. It is round, pretty bright, and a pair of stars is N.
eg 3934: 1'.1 x 1': V/SB 13.6: A pair with 3933, above. See photo below.
eg 3996: 0'.9 x 0'.7: Vis. 13.5; SB 12.8: located at 100x, there are 2 faint stars F and SF the galaxy. At 136x and 187x the galaxy is pretty faint, and not that small. It seems to be very oval.
eg 3872: 1'.9 x 1'.2: Vis. 11.7; SB 12.6: Located at 100x, it was easy to find, bright, and oval. At 136x the galaxy is very attractive, making a triangle with 2 bright stars as the base. Views are good up to 250x.
UGC 6758: 1'.8 x 1'.7: Vis. 12.8; SB 13.9: Easy to find not far F eg 3872. It seems oval at 187x, and is near a mag. 13 star. It is much fainter than 3872, by at least a magnitude.
eg 3908: 0'.4 x 0'.4: Vis. 15; SB 13.9: Viewed at 187x and 250x, and located using a pinpoint map. The galaxy appears stellar and very faint. Some round envelope might have been seen, but not confirmed. It is the only object in that location. A ridiculous inclusion to the NGC. It lies within Abell 1390.
eg 3968: 2'.7 x 1'.9: Vis. 11.8; SB 13.4: A pair with eg 3973. Located at 100x, there is a bright star just F. 3 fainter stars are N. The galaxy has a pretty bright centre, showing a stellar core and considerable surrounding haze, itself very faint and best seen with a.v. at 187x and 250x. 3973 was not seen the first night.
eg 3973: 0'.6 x 0'.3: Vis. 15; SB 13: A pair with 3968, above. It is difficult to see due to its proximity to a mag. 9.8 star. It sits just 0'.7 N of it. It is very small at 200x, and only glimpses of it are seen with a.v. The stellar core shows well at 272x.
eg 3810: 4'.3 x 3': Vis. 10.8; SB 13.4: Located easily at 60x, the galaxy is already large and bright. It appears round up to 100x, but at 136x it begins to resolve as oval with a.v. At 187x and 250x the galaxy is very bright and very large. No real detail can be discerned; the object seems evenly lit. A faint but notable triangle of stars is S.
eg 3817: 1' x 0'.9: Vis. 13.3; SB 13.1: Part of a quintet of galaxies, two of which are in Virgo and not discussed here. eg 3819 and 3820 are in Leo. The two Virgo galaxies (eg 3822 and 3825) are bright and are the first to show up, helping me identify the Leo members. The Leo ones are hampered by a mag. 11 star just N of 3817. That galaxy appears oval at 100x and 136x. It is smaller and a bit fainter than the 2 Virgo ones,which are just SF. 3819 follows the mag. 11 star, and is N of 3822 in Virgo. The galaxy is easy to see, and half the size of 3817 at 187x. 3820 is the most difficult one to see, lying a bit N of 3819. At 187x it is ghostly with a.v., and shows a faint stellar core.
eg 3819: 0'.6 x 0'.5: Vis. 13.8; SB 12.6: See 3817, above.
eg 3820: o'.5 x 0'.4: Vis. 14.5; SB 12.7: See 3817, above.
eg 3839: 1' x 0'.5: Vis. 13.5; SB 12.6: This galaxy is pretty small, showing a bright centre and a stellar core. It was observed at 187x and 250x, SF 2 faint stars, and N of a brighter one.
eg 3869: 1'.9 x 0'.5: Vis. 12.8; SB 12.5: Located at 100x, the galaxy is very bright, very elongated, and pretty large. 136x, 187x, and 250x give good views with a.v. The galaxy follows a bright star, with 2 fainter ones NF. It remains bright and easy to see at high power. Another "flying saucer" galaxy!
Leo reports will continue in the next blog.
Mapman Mike
