#43 NGC Life List Update--How's My Observing?

When I first got seriously interested in amateur astronomy, I was determined to seek out all of the Herschel objects that were within reach of my Tasco 4.5" reflector, and then later my Edmund 8" reflector.  Star hopping to faint deep sky objects was quite easy with a properly aligned equatorial mount, which both scopes had.  Since acquiring my Orion 12" Dobsonian, and maps that amateurs in the 70s never dreamed of, I have become more interested in the NGC list.  Completing the list in one lifetime would be a daunting task, but I have decided to give it my best shot (see blog entry for 30/03/2013), counting the ones I saw previously with the 8".

I am only including the objects within my latitude range--I could not possibly hope to spend enough time in Chile or Australia to see all of the NGC objects only available to southern viewers.  Someday, however, I hope to get down there and at least view the highlights!  As my latitude is 42 degrees N, I can discount many of the objects in the catalogue, though I have plans to observe once or twice a year from about 36 degrees N, helping me to get the objects in the south skies too difficult from my home base.  And I am not interested in observing all of the NGC "mistakes."  Many objects turn out to be faint stars, or double stars, that perhaps looked nebulous to viewers back in the day.  Still others are duplicates of existing NGC entries.  I haven't yet determined how many objects of the 7800 I have available to me, but I am guessing it will be close to 5000.  As I am currently at just over 800 NGC objects seen, there is a long way to go.  The project would be much easier and faster with a 16", though to date I have found everything with the 12" that I have attempted.  Doubtless there will be some tiny, ultra-faint galaxies that I will never see, but by the time I have only those ones left to see, perhaps I will have a 16" scope or bigger.  Our astronomy club has a 14" at the observatory, and a very good friend of mine has a 22" Dob.  So the really faint ones are not causing me distress at this time.

I was never that familiar with the NGC list back in the early days (I began observing in late 1968), and when I did come across references to it in books it was usually described as a list of mostly very faint galaxies. That still describes the NGC pretty succinctly, though nowadays amateurs have access to telescope objective sizes we didn't even dream about back then!  A list of faint galaxies, while still quite intimidating, is within the reach of many amateurs and their large scopes.  Growing up, my local university had a 6" and an 8" scope.  Those were pretty big back then!  While I think they still are impressive, most observers would laugh at me for this belief (remember, a small scope back then was a 3").

Of course to seek out so many faint objects one must first have some type of mental disorder.  I don't know what mine is called, but I seem to be mostly alone out there in my search for all of the NGC.  The best part, of course, is after a night of observing many fainter objects, suddenly a 12.5 mag. galaxy is sighted and it seems like one is looking at the Andromeda galaxy!  Clusters appear twice as wonderful, as do globulars, after viewing galaxy after galaxy.  I never had much appreciation for fainter galactic nebula before, but I am now quite fascinated by them, even though some of the smaller, fainter ones resemble galaxies.  I am in no hurry to complete the list, either.  My Leo pre-observation rough pages number 30, with about 12 objects on each page.  In almost two years I have barely completed 3 pages!  I average about 3-4 deep sky objects per hour, not all of them NGC.  I like seeing what is in the neighbourhood, so if the NGC object is in an interesting area, I will take some time and have a look around to see what else is there.  Uranometria 2000, All-Sky Edition, accompanies me on every observing session.

I am happy knowing I will likely never complete my goal of seeing all of the available NGC objects.  It is comforting to me to know that there is so much out there.  If I make it a quarter of the way, or perhaps half, it will be an achievement worthy of some kind of award, no doubt self-presented.  "I present the distinguished 'He Tried but Failed to See all of the NGC' award to Mapman, from Ontario, Canada, one of the cloudiest places on the planet.  Good job, Mapman!"

 

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

#13: More About Galaxies

     I said awhile back that 5 of every 6 non-stellar objects plotted in Uranometria 2000 are galaxies.  That only includes objects to 15th mag.  If we dip down to 17th or 18th mag, virtually every object past 15 is a galaxy.  They are difficult to avoid if observing faint objects.  Since this blog is currently concerned with the NGC catalogue (and much of the IC list), I will only discuss the main list at this time.  With over 7800 objects of all types in the NGC list, galaxies still reign numerically supreme.  It might be of interest to look at which constellations have the most NGC objects within their boundaries, and just what type those objects are.  Because I live and mostly observe at latitude 42 degrees north, I will only discuss those constellations which are visible from mid-northern latitudes.

     The constellation (north or south) with the most NGC objects is........Virgo!  Not a huge surprise to seasoned observers, I'm sure.  Virgo has 637 NGC objects.  And guess what?  636 of them are galaxies!  There is one lone globular cluster (gc 5634).

     Number two on the list with the most NGC objects is....Ursa Major.  There are 407 NGC objects.  Only two are non-galaxies!  There is a single very famous planetary nebula and one open cluster.

     Number three constellation is Cetus.  Some of it is a bit low in the sky for me, but it is all there.  Cetus has 383 objects.  There is one lonely and very low surface brightness planetary nebula (NGC 246).  The rest are galaxies.

     Number four on the list and close behind is Leo, with 378 NGC objects.   Every single one is a galaxy!  No relief here, though it is peppered with some lovely double stars and multiples.  I am currently beginning my extensive and hopefully exhaustive exploration of this early spring constellation.  It will take me many years.  To date, I have located 13 of its NGC galaxies, though I've officially logged only 9 so far (it`s been pretty cloudy).

     Number five is Eridanus, a constellation that winds from north to south, meaning that I cannot see all of it from my latitude.  With 315 NGC objects, it has one reflection nebula and one planetary nebula.  All the rest are galaxies.

     So, then, the top five constellations for northern latitude viewers contain a total of 2,120 NGC objects.  That`s about 2/7ths of the entire list.  And a whopping 6 of those objects are non-galaxies!  Let`s continue through the top ten NGC constellations.

Number six is Pegasus.  With 298 NGC objects, only 3 are non-galaxies.

Number seven is Coma Berenices.  293 objects.  It has 3 globulars.

Number eight is Draco.  287 objects.  2 planetary nebula.

Number nine is Pisces.  270 objects.  All galaxies.

Number ten is Bootes.  267 objects.  1 globular.

     We are now up to 3,535 objects, nearly half of the NGC list!  All are galaxies except for 15 objects!  I don't know about you folks, but I find this quite astonishing and somewhat amusing.  "Well," you say, "what about those rich milky way summer constellations?"  OK.  Let's look at Scorpius.  Lots of interesting objects there.  Scorpius has a grand total of 71 NGC objects.  There are some totally amazing ones, too.  However, there just isn't a whole lot of them compared to those galaxy constellations (Sagittarius has 77 NGC objects).

     After the top ten NGC constellations comes Hydra, Canes Venatici, Hercules, Andromeda, Aquarius, Cancer and Lynx.  All are very heavy with galaxies.  I am not trying to prove any point here, but merely stating some interesting (for me) facts.  And no, I did not count the objects myself from the atlas.  This website does it for me.  
http://www.nightskyatlas.com/constellations.jsp

I did, however, scan through each constellation's list to search for non-galaxies, so there is some original research involved.

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Here are a couple of older sketches each depicting a galaxy I saw with my previous scope, the amazing Edmund 8":

My first attempt to scan some early sketches.

eg 4565, Coma Berenices.  112x.

15'.8 x 2'.1  Vis. Mag. 9.5.  Sur. Br. 13.2.

One of the showpieces of the heavens.

eg 4448, Coma Berenices.  72x.

3'.9 x 1'.4  Vis. Mag. 11.2.  Sur. Br. 12.9

The star field is at least as interesting

as the galaxy.  The scale for this sketch

is obviously not the same as for the one

above--I cropped this one a lot.

Happy galaxy hunting!

 

Mapman Mike





#8 My Previous Telescope

      I mention in my intro to this site that I have had considerable experience observing the skies with a telescope.  Most of that was done with my previous telescope, the one with which I have logged the most hours.  Here is the original promo sheet that I got with it.  I was fortunate in that I was able to use the instrument spring, summer and fall in northern Ontario under pristine dark skies for many years.  That scope could pull almost any object out of a dark sky, and served me very well for over 30 years.  I recently sold it to help finance my upgrade to a 12" Dob.  The Edmund 8" was a thing of beauty, and I instantly fell in love with it at the Toronto shop where it was set up.  I was in university in 1978 and barely had a spare nickel to my name.  Student grants and loans saved my life back then, and I didn't mind cutting back drastically on food and beer for awhile to help pay for this.

     To date I have logged 540 formal observations, encountering over 660 NGC/IC objects, hundreds of variable stars, thousands of double and multiple stars, and many objects not listed as NGC.  Quite a few of the observed objects have been sketched, and if I am able to I will soon begin to share some of these remarkable past observations.  Scanning a sheet of black paper containing stars and galaxies drawn and painted on it is a new experience for me, and early results are not promising.

     The first time I got to use the 8" in a dark sky I thought I would lose my mind.  There were stars among stars among stars, and the background just seemed to resolve forever and ever.  My family had a cottage on Lake Penage, west of Sudbury, Ontario.  I had observed there for years with the smaller telescope I had previous to the Edmund.  Naked eye 7th magnitude stars were routine on a good night.  Spring galaxies soon fell one after another to the mighty 8" mirror, as did summer globulars, open clusters, and nebulae.  Star charts for amateurs had just recently graduated from Norton to the more comprehensive ones of  Will Tirion.  I was seeing many faint objects not even plotted on their maps!

     Alas, the 8" had its flaws.  The extreme tension required to hold the mount in place depended on a simple turnbuckle, which frequently stripped suddenly.  The telescope could fall over when that happened, and did on more than one occasion.  Plenty of spare buckles were always on hand.  The 40mm finder-scope was not the greatest, and the main focuser was considerably less than perfect.  Balancing the scope was tricky, and when a large eyepiece was plunked down, things went astray quickly.  The tube had to be loosened and repositioned when changing sky positions (and rebalanced).  But it had a working clock drive for most of its illustrious career, and that really enabled drawing at the eyepiece, as well as meditative viewing.  My wife would sometimes sketch for 30 minutes without ever requiring me to re-center the object.

     It was decently equipped for astrophotography, but other than some lunar and planetary work I was never interested in that aspect of astronomy (another subject for a future blog).  As I have been an avid photographer since the age of 13, this might seem somewhat perplexing.  Parting with the Edmund scope was not as hard as I expected.  I had it up for sale for about a week last fall.  There were no nibbles and I had just made up my mind to upgrade it with a better finder and focuser, and forego purchasing a new 12."  Then along came a buyer, who took it after one look (it is awful pretty).

     I am eager to revisit some objects logged with the 8" scope, now available to me with the 12", but I will mostly go on to different sights with the new one.  In my next post I will talk about those objects and why I gave this blog the name that I did.  Hope you come back.

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

#4 Planning an Observing Session, Part 4

     So far in previous blog entries we have darted around the sky using brighter deep sky objects as our guides.  We have star-hopped in all directions from oc 2232 (or any other object of your choosing) using Method 1, not searching for anything in particular except for "what's out there."  This adds some randomness to an observing session, and can lead to little discoveries that can become your very own.  Next, using Method 2 we planned to view a series of specific objects immediately surrounding a brighter one (again, oc 2232).  There are too many observers who merely dart from one bright object to another, and I'm hoping that a few of them will learn to slow down a bit and explore beyond those irresistible bright target objects.

     Method 3 is for serious stargazers only, and requires patience and careful preparation.  My preferred method of observing is by constellation.  The whole, entire thing.  Single, variable, double and multiple stars.  NGC and a few IC objects.  Some non-NGC and non-IC objects.  The complete constellation in all its glorious detail, or as much of it as my current scope can find.  I always have one or two constellations chosen for each season, and I finally need a new spring project and one for summer.  I have began the onerous task of preparing Leo for upcoming sessions.  Since Leo has over 350 NGC objects in it (not counting IC and the other lists), I am not going to suggest that you begin with this one.  However, in future blogs I'll let you know how my planning and observing of Leo are coming along.  I've already spent about 8 hours preparing, but then there have been plenty of cloudy nights to work on it.

     I suggest beginning with a few smaller constellations, and the summer sky has some nice options.  Lacerta, Sagitta, and Vulpecula are good choices to try out Method 3 for the first time.  However, since I will be preparing Lyra soon, I will choose it as my example.  So, then, in easy steps:

     1)  Choose a constellation (Lyra).

     2) Gather your information sources.  I use Uranometria 2000, 2nd ed., revised (All Sky), and its complementary Deep Sky Field Guide.  I use Burnham's Celestial Handbook (Vol. Two required for Lyra) and Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects, by Luginbuhl and Skiff.  I also use the internet, including the Washington Double Star Catalogue.

     3)  Decide which objects you wish to attempt.  The owner of a 6" telescope will choose differently than the owner of a 10" scope.  Burnham's lists 3 1/2 pages of double stars.  Go through the list and mark in pencil which ones you would like to view.  Several will be too faint or too close to be of much interest to any except the owners of very large telescopes.  There is also a page of variables, including one of the most famous in the sky (Beta).  I like to choose variables based on several criteria, including interest to amateurs and  colour (T Lyra is mentioned as being "very red."  That always catches my attention.)  There are 4 NGC objects listed, including 2 Messier objects.  Luginbuhl and Skiff list 6 NGC objects.  Uranometria lists 28!

     4)  Once you have decided what to view, it's time to plot them on your atlas (Uranometria).  I use a fine point mechanical pencil.  All of the NGC (28) are listed on the Uranometria charts for Lyra.  There will be other types of objects, too.  If you are only planning to see some of them, underline (in pencil) which ones you are interested in observing, or lightly circle them.  If you think writing in pencil in a star atlas is Satanic, either get over it or purchase two copies--one to keep pristine, for whatever reason, and one that will detail your on-going voyage through the heavens.  The variables and major stars will already be labeled, too.  All you have to do is add in the names of the dimmer double stars, in their correct positions.  The positions listed in Burnham's are off a bit, but after a few stars are plotted you will figure out by how much and easily match the r.a. and dec. given with the actual star on the map (you should not have to draw any actual stars--they should already be there, just unlabelled).  I also circle the name/number of any star that I will be observing.  This is a fun way to begin knowing your way around Lyra.  With the atlas marked in pencil with the objects you wish to view, you are now ready to prepare your observing list on paper.

     5)  It is now time to prepare your observing list, the one you will take outside with you.  My Leo list will be long enough to make into a small book.  The Lyra list should be 4 or 5 pages.  Yours will depend to what depth you wish to explore the constellation, as well as the size of your mirror.  You may set up your list anyway you choose, but I recommend leaving room on the left side of the page to jot down the full object's name and any information you have about it.  Double stars will have magnitudes and separation distance, which is essential to know in the field.  I usually don't write down position angles, as I prefer to find that out myself at the eyepiece.  Variables will have their minimum and maximum brightness, and their period.  NGC objects will have sizes, magnitudes, and, for clusters, perhaps how many stars there are in it.  List the objects and their stats down the left side, saving the rest of the page for field notes.  Indicate the required chart number from your atlas, and leave diagram space on the right side for clusters, galaxies, etc.  I use a shot glass to draw blank circles on my field note sheets--bottom of the glass for smaller NGC objects, and the top end for larger ones.  I tend to begin observing a section of the constellation at a bright star or object, and star hop from there until I have seen and reported on everything in the vicinity (like Method 2, previous blog entry).  Then I go on to another location, seeing everything near it, and so on through the constellation.  If you have marked your atlas properly, you will be writing up your to-do list in the exact order you wish to peruse the constellation, and it will include a nice mix of objects..

     I currently have three constellations on the go.  Soon there will be five.  My main autumn one is Cetus; my winter ones are Lepus and Monoceros.  I am preparing a new one for spring (Leo) and summer (Lyra).  In this way, I always have hundreds of observing objects awaiting.

     Whichever method you use (Method 1, 2, 3 or a combination of them, as I do), you will soon learn to appreciate the less bright and flashy objects.  You will train your eye to see details you never thought were there.  You will gradually become knowledgeable about vast areas of the sky.  You will get to know your scope even better.  And you will still have lots of fun on cloudy nights, preparing your lists and transferring your rough notes into your official observing logbook.  If you have questions or comments, please feel free.

     In the next blog, I will talk about my newest telescope, and some of my early successes and failures with it.  Clear skies, and happy Vernal Equinox.

Mapman Mike

#3 Planning an Observing Session, Part 3

     This time I would like to talk about a second method of preparing for a night's observing.  However, a star atlas is now required, and perhaps some books describing deep sky objects, variable stars, and double stars.  I like the books put out by the Webb Society, but I mostly use the 3-volume Burnham's Celestial Handbook.  I also use "Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects," by Luginbuhl and Skiff.  As to sky atlases, the only one to even consider for advanced amateurs is the Uranometria All-Sky Edition, 2nd Ed, revised.  For the price of a cheap eyepiece ($60), this will be the best investment you ever made.  Cloudy nights suddenly become fun with this atlas.  And it comes with free shipping. 
http://www.willbell.com/atlas/index.htm

     If you are among those who purchased the first edition, as I did, then realized the maps were all backwards and difficult to use in the field, have no fear.  Things are corrected and much better now!  And an all-in-one edition means only one volume is now needed to study Orion in depth!  Okay, now that you have ordered and received your new star atlas, you may wish to continue to read this blog entry.

     Before the 2nd edition of Uranometria came about, the following is how I used to do my 2nd Method of preparing for a session.  In a moment I will tell you a new, improved way, thanks to the new atlas format.

     1)  Pick an area of sky of interest to you.  With apologies, I will pick on oc 2232 in Monoceros once again, for reasons that should become apparent (it's a simple enough area to start with).  However, any area will do, as long as you begin somewhere you will recognize.

    2)  Without looking at any photos of objects to be observed (wait until after you have actually searched for them at the eyepiece), write down some info about the main object from one of your resources.  (oc 2232: 29'; stars mag 6--8, about a dozen).

   3)  Search on the map (chart #116 in Uranometria) for neighbouring points of interest.  Write down any info about these objects you may have.  You should notice oc 2219 to the east, oc 2250 to the west, and oc Cz 26 to the northwest.  These are within easy star-hop range of oc 2232 (see my previous blog entry).  Better yet, they are virtually undiscovered clusters.  Their obscurity may or may not be deserved.  You can decide for yourself.  The size of your mirror and the darkness of your sky will help you determine this.  A few unnamed doubles are also indicated nearby, as well as a handful of variables, including GL, V723, and IM. Don't ignore the brightest star within oc 2232 itself, which is labeled as a double star.

     What we have just done is prepare our session considerably more than with the previous method, where we only needed the location of one bright object (and no atlas) to get started.  This time we have gone target hunting, looking for specific objects near our bright starting point.  Now, one of the reasons I chose 2232 again is that despite a good star-hop search in Method 1, those three other open clusters still may not have been found.  They are faint, and at low power may be missed (if you found them using Method 1, then congratulations!).  Using Method 2, we are now searching in an exact location for specific objects, hopefully with some success.  Use neighbouring stars leading from 2232 and marked on the atlas to guide you directly.  This is called guided star hopping.

     Thus Method 2 works similarly to Method 1, but it is now required to choose an area of sky with a few other objects of interest near the main object.  If you have the right atlas, this will pose no difficulty.  Choose your area based on your sky conditions, horizon, and season.  This is how I prepare for a session using Method 2.  Now, however, I will sometimes do things differently. 

     Since the publication of the 2nd edition of Uranometria it includes, in addition to 220 star maps that show every NGC and IC object down to Mag. 15, plus every other deep sky object down to mag. 15 from other catalogues, there are 24 close-up maps at the back of the atlas.  These highlight and enlarge x2 or x3 galaxy clusters (Virgo, Coma, Hercules and others), extra rich areas of the milky way (Cygnus, Sagittarius, Scorpius, etc) and the Magellenic Clouds.  There is a lifetime of observing just within these supplemental maps!  I can't wait to get at Cygnus this summer with Charts A1 and A2, and in the spring with the Leo galaxy charts (A10, 11).  And once you see the Large Magellenic Cloud Chart and how many NGC objects reside there (a 2-page spread), you will want to book an astronomy B & B in Australia for a month.

     Next time I will detail Planning Method 3.  May you have clear skies and successful star hunting!

Mapman Mike

#2 Planning an Observing Session, Part 2

     Of my three preferred methods of planning an observing session, I will discuss them in order of simplicity, beginning with the easiest to plan.  This first method does not even require a star atlas, if you know the whereabouts of a few good objects with which to begin.  The session virtually plans itself.  The method works well beginning on any bright object, whether it be a Messier showpiece or simply a bright star.  If you have access to a good star chart, then the method can be used on just about any object or star.  I now use Uranometria Star Atlas exclusively (2nd Ed.), and own the massive two-in-one volume.  For the sake of having to start somewhere, I am going to pick an open cluster in Monoceros, but again, you could pick anything you like.

     NGC oc 2232 is bright and not a bad object with which to begin or end a night's observing.  It is well suited to small telescopes (6" and under) and medium telescopes (8" to 12").  I cannot speak for larger ones, but I suspect it would work just fine, as we are going to mostly use a low power eyepiece anyway.  Once 2232 is in the eyepiece, it is time to get the observing eye ready to work.  The cluster is a whopping 29`in size, with most of its members at mag. 6 thru 8.  Now, unless there are literally hundreds of cluster stars in front of me, I like to begin with a quick count, just to wake up the eye.  2232 is not very rich, and because of the brightness of the members it is easy to count.  If you have the atlas open to Map 116 and look at 2232 in the lower left corner, it is easy to determine which stars are within the cluster and which are without.  A group of bright stars lie just outside the border, so don`t count them.

oc 2232

STScI Digitized Sky Survey 30' x 30'

     Once you have had a look around the cluster, the next step begins (I will devote a post dedicated to more fully observing an object at a later date).  Star hopping is the tried and true way of hitch-hiking around the galaxy.  If you have a "go-to" scope and have never done much star hopping, or haven't done it in a while, you are missing much of the fun of amateur astronomy.  Through star hopping I have come across many delightful and undiscovered nooks and crannies, enjoying star chains, doubles, coloured stars, and even vast dark spaces without a single star showing.  You will discover sights probably no one has ever noticed or dwelt on before.  If I find a particularly fine spot, I mark it in pencil on the atlas so I can return to it, or tell others.  Anyway, we are going star hopping from 2232. 

     First we need to determine direction.  Allow a bright star from the cluster to drift out of the field.  With a Dob mount, that star just exited west.  North is now 90 degrees counter-clockwise.  Let`s begin by heading north from 2232.  Go far enough so that the cluster is right out of the field of view.  Now return to 2232.  Go a bit further north now, using the new stars to guide your progress.  Travel slowly and be alert for anything interesting.  Keep brief notes.  If you see something on the edge of your field of vision (a lovely orange star, for example) and veer off in that direction to center it, make certain you can retrace your steps back to 2232 without using your finderscope or "go to" computer.  When you have explored the north area for a reasonable distance, try going south.  Again, make several forays, extending your distance a bit each time, but always returning to your old friend 2232.  Next comes hopping to the east, and then to the west.  By now you should have discovered something interesting, perhaps not shown on any atlas.

     After switching from an equatorial mount that I used from 1978 until quite recently, to a Dobsonian mount, I used the above method to relearn and readjust to star hopping. I can now travel quite far from my beginning object and usually find my way back.  And now for the advanced version:  time to head NW, NE, SW, and SE.  This should cover a nice area of sky around your object.  How far you go depends on your inner star memory and skill level.  You should always discover something of interest, as well as gain confidence using your telescope.  You will begin to develop better visual star memory, and perhaps will remember enough to recall certain patterns while lying in bed later that night.  You have now gone beyond looking at just "the object" itself and then simply moving on to some other object.  I can spend anywhere from 15 minutes searching the field of an object, to over an hour depending on my mood and how much there is to see.  If you chose oc 2244 instead of 2232, you will see what I mean, as that is an even richer area.

     Planning three or four such objects and related field searches in a night provides a very rewarding and enriching experience.  You can plan your objects to keep up with the moving sky, too!  In this way you will always have something to see in your ideal sky area.  Keep notes of what you saw in each direction, even if there was nothing much unusual.

     Next time I will talk about a similar but slightly more advanced type of observing session, using a star atlas to prepare oneself, as well as using a map during the actual session.  Hope to see you back here.

Mapman Mike

#1 Planning an Observing Session Part 1

     Welcome to the world's newest amateur astronomy blog!  I have been a stargazer since November 1968, and have owned and used a total of six telescopes since then.  I will talk about each of them in future posts, as well as some of the sites from which I have observed.  As I am an observer and not an astro-photographer, you will not see a lot of sky photos on this site.  You will, however, have access to some of the sketches either I or my artist-wife have done at the eyepiece, mostly of deep sky objects.

     In the first few first entries, I would like to discuss observing plans.  The dark sky is a very large neighbourhood, filled with all manner of stars, clusters, nebula, and galaxies.  It can be a bit overwhelming.  Where to start?  Most of us started with the moon, the planets, and the brightest Messier objects.  I still don't think there is a better place to begin.  However, this blog is not aimed at beginners.  I am aiming at the seasoned amateur, perhaps someone who has already logged the Messier catalogue and bagged a number of objects from other lists.  This kind of activity is certainly to be encouraged, as there are many different types of objects to see, and any number of variations among them.  Even though checking off astronomy object life lists can be a good thing, there are downsides. 

     One downside is that often only the biggest and brightest objects make it to most lists.  What's wrong with that?  Nothing is wrong with it.  However, by throwing in a number of fainter and more difficult objects, those brighter ones, if saved for just the right moment, become even more impressive.  Training the eye to see fainter objects will certainly make a brighter one pop out of the eyepiece even more.  Many of my greatest accomplishments have been spotting galaxies at the very limit of my telescope's, and my eye's, ability.  Afterwards, check out M 31 again!

     'Ah,' you say, 'so you are one of those observers that only look for faint fuzzies--no thanks; not for me.'  Not true, I say.  But seeing fainter objects helps one appreciate the brighter things even more, not to mention the degree of challenge and the skills you will acquire.

     A second problem with lists is that we want to finish them.  If you are ticking off the 400 brightest Herschel objects, you are going to want to get to #400.  Again, all well and good.  Unless, perhaps, you are hoping to tick off 40 or 50 of them during the next clear night.  Sorry, but that is not observing.  That is merely using a checklist.  If you are going to only observe the best and the brightest, then the urge to race through the list should be at the very back of your mind.  Often it isn't.  Locate.  See object. Check it off.  Multiply by 400.

     A third problem is that areas of sky around the listed objects are often avoided.  What else might be nearby?  A lovely double star?  A nebula?  A rich star field?  All missed because the observer has moved on to the next object without bothering to check the surrounding field.

     So, are there any other ways of approaching the night sky?   In my next entry I would like to briefly discuss three methods I like to use.  Let me know what you think. 

Mapman Mike