#147: Leo Deep Sky Part 8: Unranometria Chart #74, Left Side

 We are now examining the more northern reaches of Leo and its NGC objects.  Observations date from 2015-2016, using a 12" Dob.  Images are from Nasa.gov.

eg 2862:  2'.5 x 0'.3:  Vis.12.9; SB 13:  This galaxy was seen at 100x and viewed well as high as 200x.  It is an impressive and thin needle, with a stellar core.  A.v. shows a long, very thin slash, and it is quite bright.  187x and 200x were best, due to an 8.6 mag. star just S.  Recommended for thin galaxy fans!

eg 2862. 

 

eg 2893:  1.'1 x 1':  Vis./SB 13.2:  This galaxy took awhile to track down.  Once the correct nearby bright star was finally located, it showed up easily at 125x.  It sits SP a mag. 9.5 star, only 3' away.  The galaxy is round, pretty bright, and has a stellar core.  Good views were had up to 200x.

eg 2885:  1' x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.9; SB 12.4:  This faint galaxy was spotted at 125x and viewed up to 200x with a.v.  It appears round, so I was likely only seeing the central area. 

eg 2885 is at centre.  

 

eg 2896:  0'.9 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.5:  Picked off at 100x.  Viewed also at 125x and 150x, it was round, not small, and not difficult to view.  It resembles a faint, ghostly planetary nebula.

eg 2903:  12'.6 x 6':  Vis 9; SB 13.6:  Easily observed t 60x, it looks like a mini-Andromeda!  Superb views were had in all ranges up to 250x.  There is a very faint star F, and another one just S of the core, and yet another N of it.  The core area is very bright and stellar, surrounded by a slightly less bright region, then another layer, still bright but less so.  Finally the hazy envelope extensions on either end can be seen.  The galaxy is a very long, wide oval, all of it pretty bright in the 12" scope.  One of Leo's gems!

eg 2903. 

 

eg 2916:  2'.6 x 1'.9:  Vis. 12; SB 13.5:  Two decent galaxies in a row!  This one is pretty large, though only 1/4 the size of 2903.  It was pretty bright, including a middle area much brighter than the surrounding envelope.  Flaring resolution makes it difficult to see the true shape.  It does make a good comparison object with nearby 2903.  It is easy to sweep back and forth between them.

eg 2916.   

 

eg 2927:  1'.3 x 1':  Vis. 12.9; SB 13:  Viewed at 100x and 136x, it was oval, not hard to find,and pretty big.  No significant stars are nearby.  Though it had a bright centre, views were still best with a.v. 

eg 2929:  1'.2 x 0'.3:  Vis. 13.8; SB 12.5.  A triplet with eg 2930 and 2931 (see below).  29 was located at 136x, where it appears very elongated, and showing a bright centre.  At 187x and 200x all 3 galaxies are seen, stacked N to S.  30 is quite small, with 31 appearing notably larger and better with a.v.  Visually this is not a remarkable trio in a 12", though it's always fun to see 3 galaxies at a time.

eg 2930:  0'.7 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.2; SB 12.7:  A trio with 2929 and 2931.  See above.

eg 2931:  0'. 8 x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.2:  A trio with 2929 and 2930.  See above.

Centre to top:  eg 2929, 2930, and 2931. 

 

eg 2988:  0'.8 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.6; SB 12.9:  A pair with 2991, below.  91 was easy to see at 136x, and shows a stellar core.  In this range it appeared oval and hazy.  At 187x, 200x, and 250x an elongated extension could be glimpsed with a.v., preceding the main galaxy.  The extension was very faint, though 91 remains bright.  This extension is 2988.

eg 2991:  1'.4 x 1'.1:  Vis.12.6; SB 13:  A pair with 2988, above.

eg 2991 is at centre; 2988 is nearly attached, just P.  

eg 2994 is at upper left. 

 

eg 2994:  1'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13.2:  Observed easily at 100x, 136x and 187x,the galaxy appears round and evenly bright.  Located between two pairs of stars F, it was best viewed using a.v.  Afterwards it could be seen even at 60x.  1991 and 1988 are SP.  See photo, above.

eg 3026:  2'.7 x 0'.8:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.6:  I had hopes for this one; alas, mostly unfulfilled.  The galaxy was small, really faint, and though it was pretty large, it was not close to being 2'.7.  

eg 3026 is disappointing in a 12".  The specs indicated something better. 

 

eg 3032:  1'.7 x 1'.3:  Vis. 12.5' SB 13.2:  Located at 100x, it looks like a bright, fuzzy star.  It is located midway between 2 brighter stars, slightly F a line between them.  At 200x the galaxy shows a stellar core, being right and slightly oval overall.

eg 3032.  

 

eg 3068:  1'.1 x 0'.9:  Vis. 14.3; SB14.2:  I managed to find this one without aid of a diagram!  The conditions were splendid.  The galaxy was small, round, and at threshold with a.v. at 136x.  At 187x and 200x it was still visible.  Good luck with this one!

eg 3068.  

 

eg 3088A:  0'.5 x 0'.3:  Vis. 13.8;  SB 11.6:  A pair with 3088B.  See below.  Though an interacting pair of galaxies, only one ghostly object can be discerned.  No doubt I saw both, or part of both.  Perhaps a 16" can tell them apart.  It was a threshold object at 136x, 187x, 200x, 250x, and 375x.  There is a stellar core, but quite dim.  It is small and extremely faint.

eg 3088B:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 15.4; SB 12:  A pair with 3088A, above and below.

eg 3088A is the brighter galaxy at centre; 3088B is elongated and SF.

They look like one object in my 12" mirror. 

 

eg 3098:  1'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis.?SB 12:  Located at 60x.  At 100x it appeared to be involved with a bright star, and was quite elongated though pretty small.  At 136x, 187x, and 200x there were 2 stars, or perhaps just one sitting near a bright stellar core. Overall it is a bright galaxy, and very elongated, though not large. 

eg 3098. 

 

Onward to Chart 73...

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#142: Leo Deep Sky Part 3: Unranometria Chart #92, Right Side

 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.

NGC 3356 is centre, with 3349 to the right.  

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.

NGC 3362 is located just NP a mag. 9.5 star.  The star is also shown on the atlas. 

 

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.

eg 3230. 

 

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 3370.
 

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 3346, with image ghosts.

 

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 3367. 

 

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 3300. 

 

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.

eg 3338. 

 

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 3299 is large and faint in a 12" scope. 

 

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 3306.  Very faint galaxy C65-69 is north (not attempted by this observer). 

 

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 3351, Messier 95. 

 

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. 

eg 3368, Messier 96.

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!

Ultra thin eg 3279, and another galaxy image ghost. 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#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

The Leo Triplet of Galaxies

     There has not been a great sky for galaxies here since April 5th.  However, the upcoming early week forecast looks good.  There have been a few nights with lots of haze, including the last few nights.  Thursday was the full moon, and Deb and I went out on the deck to watch it rise.  We also brought out some binoculars, and made a good scan of the whole of Leo, something I had not yet done.  I usually focus on one small area at a time, and am prone to lose "the big picture" as a result. 

     On Friday night we had about 45 minutes of dark sky before moonrise.  We set up our 2nd scope, the 4 1/4" Edmund Astroscan rft.  Sadly the main mirror has deteriorated to the point where we will have to send it off to Edmund Scientific to be replaced.  They will put in a new mirror and collimate it for around $140.  We recently purchased a tripod for it, as well as a red dot finder-scope.  One of the first things we looked at on Friday was M44, the Beehive Cluster.  Too large to fit into the field of most telescopes, the Astroscan was made for just such a task.  With the 28 mm eyepiece giving 16x, the cluster was quite impressive even in twilight.  Next, we scooted around some of the brighter stars and doubles in Leo, easily splitting Gamma at 50x (18 mm eyepiece with 2x barlow).  Gamma is one of the finest doubles out there, mag. 2.6 and 3.8, separated by 4" of arc, with both stars appearing golden yellow.  In the 12" it looks like a pair of headlights approaching, but it is still lovely in the 4".

     Last night, with about 90 minutes of dark sky before moonrise, we set up both scopes.  The evening had plenty of hazy clouds.  They went away for awhile, but then returned.  Despite this I was able to officially log M66 and eg 3628.  I have observed the Leo Triplet nearly every clear night for the past month and a half, and I have yet to tire of any of the three objects.  Last night I was able to use 200x on M66 and M65, getting bright, crisp views whenever the haze would move on.  It was easy to hop back and forth, even at high power.  This remarkable pair of galaxies was not noticed by Messier when a comet passed through the field in 1773.  According to Mechain, who did log them, the comet was probably too bright.  Imagine a comet passing through this area that blotted out those two bright galaxies!

     Noting the differences between the two Messier objects makes for good observational training.  M65 is more elongated, not quite as bright, and has a barely visible (in the 12") dark lane down its east edge.  This is more an impression than an easily observable feature, but I have seen it more than once.  M66 is the brighter galaxy, slightly less elongated, and has a blazing core that lies not in the center, but just a bit to the north.  This galaxy will take any magnification and still appear bright.  They both fit into my 100x field, and I will continue returning to them throughout the season.

     NGC eg 3628 is probably, after M31, one of the largest galaxies I have ever seen.  It is viewed edge-on, and is extremely elongated.  Using averted vision and 100x or 120x, it just goes on and on and on.  Almost featureless in the 12", other than more brightening near the middle, it still makes a wonderful site.  The darker the sky, the better this one appears, but even through haze I was able to get decent views.  NB: In March 2014 I easily observed the dark lane running all across this galaxy.  It was a superior observing site and a very good sky.

     Two other smaller galaxies appear near the triplet, and one of them is very much worth seeking out.  Immediately preceding M65 and M66 are three brighter stars in a straight N/S line.  Star 73 is the one in the north, with two slightly fainter ones due south.  Eg 3593 immediately precedes the middle star, and should be easily visible in an 8" scope.  It is elongated E/W, and pops into view more readily than eg 3628.  It is about 1/3 the size of that galaxy, but is a very enjoyable sight in the 12", its bright core easily seen.  With averted vision and 100x, the full extant of the arms can be seen.  If I cannot see this galaxy on a given night, then I know the sky is a bad one.  Lately it is my first test for a quality galaxy sky. 

     A fifth galaxy is also nearby, and makes an excellent final test for good skies.  Eg 3596 is the faintest of the five, lying north of the three stars just used to find eg 3693.  It is south of Theta, also called star 70.  This, too, is a big galaxy, oval but much harder to see than the others.  If this one pops up right away at low power, I know I have an excellent night of galaxy hunting ahead.  Last night it only appeared as a threshold object at medium-high powers.

     I have yet to officially log these fourth and fifth galaxies, though I have sketched eg 3693.  They will both be logged on the next good night.  All five galaxies are an easy star hop from one another, and I now know my way around this area extremely well.  If you have not visited these galaxies yet, I can highly recommend them.  Telescopes of 8" or higher will offer rewarding views, especially if you go back often.  In the 12", even from suburban skies, they are quite stunning and unforgettable.

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

#11: Leo Galaxy Hunt

     Shhh.  Be vewy vewy quiet.  I'm hunting gawaxies. Hehhehehehehe.

     The hunt is on, and my success rate is impressive, if a bit behind schedule.  Normally, my object list to-do pages are set up so as to take a full night's session per page (about a dozen or so objects over about three hours).  However, I have been on my 1st page of Leo for several nights now.  That's okay, as I am not hurrying through the universe, but taking my time and getting to know an obscure corner of the constellation.  10 NGC galaxies are listed on the first page of my goals for southeast Leo (32 pages in all for the constellation!).  Nearby stars include 2, 3, 5 and 6 Leo.  Five galaxies were observed on previous good nights without much trouble.  Three of the fainter ones fell victim to my 12" mirror last night, and now only two remain.

     I have enjoyed 4 nights in a row of clear skies in Essex County, Ontario, Canada, an almost unprecedented event, especially this time of year.  Because I have moved the scope to a site south of my nearest city, nearly up against Lake Erie, the skies are dark to the south, east, and overhead, thus making Leo a perfect area for observing.  However, Monoceros is hanging in there for some final observing early in the evening, allowing me to capture a few NGC clusters before heading into galaxy land (I can recommend oc 2253 for almost any aperture).  I am still involved with star clusters that surround 2244 and the Rosette Nebula.  This is one of the richest areas for sweeping into incredible star fields that the sky has to offer.

     In my 4 nights in a row of April observing, I have managed to log 14 new NGC objects!  I've also seen other non-NGC objects, mostly clusters in Monoceros, as well as several double stars and variables in both constellations.  While now convinced that my scope can find and resolve virtually any open star cluster listed in Uranometria, finding some of those fainter Leo galaxies has proven to be a more difficult project.  The last four nights have taught me much.  I still believe that I can find every single NGC galaxy in Leo, but I now realize how difficult and lengthy such a project will be, and how little of the faintest galaxies there is to see (basically the shape).  Still, it is fun hunting them down, and extremely rewarding when another one is captured in all of its faint, averted vision glory.  I could never locate them all from my back deck, which is much too suburban a location.  But just 12 minutes drive south of here, past the town where I live, is a whole new sky, much darker and friendlier to galaxy hunters.  We require the darkest skies possible.  And sometimes even that isn't enough.  Low humidity is also required.

     Some of the galaxies I found last night were among the faintest objects of the entire NGC catalogue.  Luckily I had an astronomer/friend with me to confirm sighting of one of the rarest for a 12".  NGC 2873 has the following specs:  0'.8 X  0'.2---visual mag. 15.4; surface brightness 13.1.  This is not a galaxy for the faint of heart, or for those quitters who don't see it on the first try.  What makes it worthwhile is that it is nestled between two other galaxies, and found immediately north of them.  2872 is pretty bright for a 12" scope, and probably even visible with a 10" under good skies.  Virtually touching it is 2874, though in the 12" at moderate power (150x) there is a tiny amount of black sky in between them.  This galaxy is much fainter, though significantly larger and very elongated.  With averted vision its dimensions go scooting quite far south and a bit north.  Then comes 2873.  Because of its tiny size, its surface brightness is just enough to make it visible to patient viewers with 12" scopes using averted vision (in a good sky).  It appeared to me, however briefly and faintly, as a small oval between the two bigger galaxies, but just to the north, and just south of a threshold star.  All three NGC objects fit easily into the 150x field of view.

     After seeing three faint galaxies in the same high power field, it was refreshing to view the Leo Triplet again, just barely fitting into my 25 mm eyepiece at 60x.  Sunglasses are now almost required by comparison.  This is another area of good galaxy hunting, but for now I just come to look in awe.

     I still have two faint galaxies to locate to conclude my first page of Leo.  I had predicted that my study of the entire constellation would require about 32 nights to cover the 32 pages of planned objects.  But I have now spent parts of five nights just on the first page!  So I have learned a lot about my scope and my skies, and will readjust my expectations accordingly.  With 85% success rate so far in Leo (and about 98% in Monoceros), I will continue my search for Leo galaxies and the darkest skies possible.  Please let me know if you are in the area of Leo or Monoceros (or Essex County, Canada), and how you are doing.

Mapman Mike

#7 Planning Update

     Nothing like cloudy weather to get a lot of observing planning done!  I have a large number of fresh pages ready to go for Leo, should skies ever clear.  I observe from Essex County, Ontario, Canada.  We are surrounded by vast lakes that greatly influence the skies.  It is thus a very humid region, and weather is difficult to predict.  I came out from a concert in Detroit last Saturday night and it was completely clear.  However, a vast cloud bank could be seen sitting to the southeast.  Yup, that was my cloud bank.  By the time I arrived home in the extreme west of my county (right up against the Detroit River) it was completely overcast.  Clear in Detroit; cloudy in Essex County, Canada.  I will devote a future blog to detailing my nearby observing locations (I have five options).  I'll try not to depress you with how many cloudy nights we get.

     Today, however, I am only here to announce my completion of the herculean task of preparing notes for observing the constellation Leo in depth.  I have the specs on 460 objects written down on paper and lightly marked in pencil on the atlas, with 360 of them being NGC galaxies (I skipped most of the IC galaxies for now, and all of the other even fainter ones from different catalogues).  The other objects to be observed are double stars, variables or just plain  stars.  As I do not yet know the limits of my 12" mirror at my suburban location (I'm certain that in a dark sky in New Mexico there would be no limits), I am prepared to track down all of the NGC within Leo.  I may get to see 30% of them, or even less.  Maybe I'll see them all.  It's something I do not yet know.  Leo is high enough that I should be looking at the best part of my viewable sky.  Anyway, time will tell just how far I will get with spring plans.  I would love to hear from someone who has observed a lot in Leo, so if you are out there kindly message me.  Theoretically, every object I jotted down (I have 32 pages ready to be filled with exciting notes and sketches) should be viewable in my instrument.   Lucky for me I have a good friend nearby with a 22" Dob, just in case there are one or two I can't find with my instrument.  Something like "Copeland's Septet" should be an awesome galaxy group to see in a 22" Dob.  Are you listening, Randy?

     I came across another interesting named feature on the Uranometria charts for Leo.  Ever heard of the "Frosty Leo Nebula?"  Can't wait to see that one.  Reminds me of the "Red Rectangle" in Monoceros, which I am still hoping to see before the season passes.  Has anyone seen either of these?  Please share if you have.

     So, how many clear nights will it take me to see the 460 planned objects in Leo?  Good question.  I try to set up my observing pages so that one page approximates what I can search for and possibly see in one night (remember that I will have a different constellation awaiting for later in the night--I will soon prepare Lyra).  With 32 pages of Leo objects awaiting, I will thus need about 32 nights of clear, dark skies to finish this project.  If I am lucky, I will get 5 nights per season to observe, so I might get almost 1/6th of the way through Leo this year.  If I am very lucky, I might score as high as 8 pages/nights (average 14 objects per page).  Remember that I am not in a rush to finish this.  I may still be observing in Leo when I die!  I hope to carefully observe every chosen object, especially the 5 Messier objects within Leo.  A few other large, bright galaxies also await, and I know I will see some wonderful double stars, as well as many incidental stars of note.  I am partial to very orange stars, but almost any colour will do.  I do not spend a long time on very faint galaxies, unless there is something of particular interest.  I love edge-on ones, and can look at those for quite some time.  I am also excited at seeing several galaxies within the same field of view in my eyepiece--that is always quite a rush!

     As soon as I actually begin Leo, I will report back.

Mapman Mike