#49 Summary # 5: June 2014

The hazy skies of June were not just in our area of the Great Lakes, but were reported far and wide.  Despite forecasts of "mainly clear" and "clear," high, thick hazy clouds hampered many a night.  More than a few 90 minute return drives to the observatory were either mostly wasted or completely wasted.  We managed to snag a few objects here and there, until finally our big break came.  Not until the moon was just approaching first quarter did we get a pair of very fine nights in a row.  Luckily we were able to stay late those nights, watching the moon set after midnight both nights.  Without those two nights it would have been a slim report.

I am happy to report, however, that 12.5 hours of observing were logged in June (and very early July), with 23 new NGC/IC objects making it into my logbook.  5 new objects from other catalogues were also seen, as well as 3 NGC objects viewed previously with the 8" scope.  Many of the objects were faint galaxies, and some were very poor viewing indeed.  However, I also logged a couple of planetaries, globulars, and an open cluster.

BOOTES

Work continues here, though I will only mention the best objects. 

eg 5529:  6'.2 x 0'.9: V. 11.5; SB 13.5:  This galaxy becomes more impressive the more you look at it.  I spent about 40 minutes enjoying this one, along with 2 very, very faint companions (eg 5527 and eg M+6-31-87).  Best at 150x using averted vision.

eg 5529, Sky View Images

eg 5544:  1'.1 x 1':  V. 13; SB 13:  Though faint, I had no trouble seeing this pair.  My first night  

eg 5545:  1' x 0'.3:  V. 14.1; SB 12.7) I did not know how far apart they were, and thought I had not seen 5545.  What I saw was a pear-shaped galaxy, quite long, with the wide end preceding the narrow one.  Once home I found a photo and realized I had been looking at both galaxies, which are interacting!  A fun pair, recommended with a great sky.

eg 5544, 5545 Skyview Images

eg 5557:  2'.4 x 1'.9:  V. 11; SB 12.6:  Seen easily, even through ever-thickening haze the first time.  A classic "fried egg" galaxy, with a slightly oval shape, a brilliant core, a large, bright area surrounding the core, and a much smaller area of fainter haze around that.  A 6" will show it easily.

eg 5596:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  V. 13.6; SB 13.3:  Round to oval galaxies are much easier to see than the "slash" type, or elliptical ones.  Stellar core was noted at 200x.  View hampered by a close 7 mag. star, so high power helps get it out of the field.

Other galaxies seen this month in Bootes were:  5499, 5515, 5524, 5527, 5572, 5616, eg M+6-31-87.

HERCULES

All work here was in Abell 2197 and immediate vicinity.

eg 6150:  1'.3 x 0'.5:  V. 14; SB 13.6:  Located at 100x.  Very elongated, but a wide middle.  Best at 200x.

eg 6160:  1'.8 x 1'.5:  V. 13.2; SB 14.3:  Seen at 100x (after moonset).  Stellar core at 150x.

eg 6173:  1'.9 x 1'.4:  V 12.1; SB 13.2:  The brightest galaxy in Abell 2157, but hampered by a nearby 7 mag. star.  Slightly oval with a notably large, bright middle.

Other galaxies seen this month in or near Abell 2157 were: 6138, 6141, 6174, 6175, 6180, 6184, 6131 (Corona Borealis), I. 4610, U 10407, U 10415.  The last two are very close and are not a difficult pair.

AQUILA

My new summer constellation has begun.

oc 6735:   8'; 35*s, B* mag. 12:  My first new cluster since Monoceros in March, and I didn't have to freeze myself to view it!  Pleasantly surprised, even at 60x.  A lovely and busy cluster of faint stars surround a bright yellow star.  Best at 100x.  At 125x I counted over 50 stars.  Also viewed in Deb's 6", where it showed less stars but still looked like a cluster.

V:  Variable star V is a beautiful orange star.

15:  A bright and wide double star, yellow and lavender.  A beauty!

gc 6760:  9'.6:  V. 9; B* 15.6:  This globular is a glowing ball of unresolved stars, but after viewing so many faint galaxies I didn't care!  It was wonderful!  Despite appearing as if it will resolve at any moment, it doesn't.  However, at 200x and 250x several stars outside the core pop into view.

Also viewed in Aquila this month:  pn 6741, gc 6749 (more on this one at a later date).

Mapman Mike

#48 Monthly Summary #4: May 2014

This was a very successful session!  There were a total of 67 NEW NGC/IC objects observed!!  Though many were faint galaxies in Leo and Bootes, several were pretty impressive in the 12".  I also observed 5 UGC galaxies, along with 6 previously viewed NGC objects, all galaxies except for one planetary nebula.  If that sounds like a lot of objects, and that I might have been rushing, consider that I observed over 8 beautifully clear nights, and logged nearly 31 hours of observing time at the eyepiece!  That's just a little more than 2 objects per hour.  Though I did not sketch every object, I did do many sketches, especially when multiple galaxies were observed in one view.

In an earlier post I talked in detail about my observations in Abell 1367, a highlight to date of my work in Leo.  Rather than talk about each and every galaxy observed last month (too many!), I will only mention the highlights.

LEO

eg 3862:  1'.6 x 1'.6:  V. 12.7; sb 13.7:  In Abell 1367.  Large, with a bright middle.  Easily noticed at 100x, with good views up to 200x, where I. 2955 was also spotted, almost adjacent.

eg 3886:  1'.2 x 0'.9:  V. 13.2; sb 13.4:  Easy to spot at 100x, and still bright up to 200x.  Just north preceding 2 faint stars, it was easy to observe with direct vision.  Somewhat oval with averted vision.  Within Abell 1367.

eg 3910:  1'.6 x 1'.2:  V. 13.1; sb 13.9:  Another easy object to spot at 100x, it also had a very faint star near it.  Up to 200x was used to see the oval shape.  Bright, with a bright center.  Easy to find between two brighter stars.
UGC 6697:  1'.5 x 0'.3:  V.13.6; sb 19.6:  Not far preceding eg 3842.  Oval, and easily located.  A rich section of Abell 1367.
UGC 6719:  1'.1 x 0'.7:  V. 13.6; sb 13.2:  Located easily at 100x; bright and oval at 125x.  Within Abell 1367.
UGC 6725:  1'.2 x 0'.7:  V. 12.9; sb 12.6:  Oval and not so bright.  Confirmed as a galaxy at 125x, it was best seen with averted vision within a dim but busy star field.  Oval with a bright center.  Within Abell 1367.
UGC 6770:  2'.8 x 0'.8:  V. 12.9; sb 13.6:  Located at 100s, south of Abell 1367, and viewed well up to 200x.  Very oval, bright and large.  Lies between two 11 mag. stars.

BOOTES
This constellation offers the owner of a 12" telescope many fine galaxies that are relatively bright.  The constellation is high enough for northern viewers, and seems to last well into early July.
eg 5517:  1' x 0'.8:  V. 13.9; sb 13.5:  Located at 100x, with a close mag. 8 star.  Seen well at 125x, and still quite good at 150x.  Round, or perhaps flaring slightly oval with averted vision.  Not difficult in superior skies.
eg 5553:  1'.3 x 0'.3:  V. 14; sb 12.8:  Noticed at 100x and 125x, it was a classic cigar-shaped galaxy.  Relatively bright, just following a triangle of stars.  Several IC galaxies nearby.
NGC 5589:  1'.1 x 1'.1:  V. 13.2; sb 13.4:  These two galaxies have three other close NGC 
NGC 5590:  1'.8 x 1'.8:  V. 12.3; sb 13.5) companions, so it is worth getting familiar with the area.  90 spotted at 60x, easily located near a bright star.  Large and round, with good views up to 100x, where it is now a double galaxy with 89.  At 200x it had a very bright middle.  With both objects similarly shaped, they make a good comparison for size and brightness.
eg 5623:  1'.6 x 1'.1:  V. 12.5; sb 12.8:  Seen well at 60x, and all the way up to 200x.  A fine galaxy, elliptical and easy to find.  Very bright middle with haze extending all around.
eg 5629:  1'.8 x 1'.8:  Along with I. 1017, a fine pair of galaxies.  The main one was bright and easy at 100x, but looked like a pair at 125x.  Both seen easily at 200x.  The main galaxy is round, and the tiny one is oval (I.1017:  1' x 0'.5:  V 13.7; sb 12.8).
eg 5635:  2'.3 x 1'.1:  V. 12.9; sb 13.8:  Spotted easily at 60x, even with a rising moon.  Large and oval, remaining bright up to 200x.  Bright center.
eg 5639:  1'.4 x 0'.9:  V 13.7; sb 13.8:  Very elliptical with a bright middle.Best with averted vision at 187x.  Just N of a dim star.
eg 5672:  0'.8 x 0'.5:  V. 13.4; sb 12.3:  Located north following a mag. 9 star, which is actually a close, fairly even double, coloured yellow and pale blue.  The double points to the galaxy, which was spotted at 100x and gave good views up to 200x.  Slightly oval.  
eg 5677:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  V. 13.9; sb 13.2:  Easily spotted at 100x, and quite good at 125x.  Oval at 187x.
eg 5706:  0'.4 x 0'.3:  V. 14.8; sb 12.3:  Both galaxies seen at 125x, though 09 was spotted at 60x. 
eg 5709:  1'.6 x 0'.4:  V. 13.6; sb 12.3)  09 was remarkably elongated, whereas tiny 06 was oval.  Both seen best with averted vision at 187x.
eg 5737:  1'.3 x 0'.8:  V. 13.7; sb 13.6:  Spotted at 60x, and an elongated shape noted at 100x.  Faint at 125x, but not small.  187x with averted vision gives a fair view, large but not bright.
eg 5760:  1'.5 x 0'.7:  V. 13.3; sb 13.2:  Located at 60x, faint but oval.  100x shows it well, and 187x gives it a bright middle.  Very elongated now using averted vision.  It is pretty large and somewhat bright.
eg 5798:  1'.4 x 0'.9:  V. 13; sb 13.3:  Brighter than 5827, which should be brighter.  Anyway, it is oval and located at 100x.  It is bright and easy to view.  Faint star adjacent.  Best at 187x, where it had a stellar core.
eg 5857:  1'.2 x 0'.6: V. 13; sb 12.5:  59 is bigger, but either galaxy alone would make a fine sight. 
eg 5859:  3' x 0'.8:  V. 12.5; sb 13.3) Seen together at 150x they are quite splendid!  Both seen at 60x.  Fun to compare size difference and brightness.  Shape is similar, and with almost the same position angles.

HERCULES
I am doing some work in Abell 2197 and 2199.
eg 6146:  1'.3 x 1':  V. 12.5; sb 12.8:  Easy to view at 100x, preceding a faint star.  Oval, and bright even at 200x.  Many bright stars are in the field, as well as eg 6145 (not difficult) and eg 6147 (extremely difficult).

AQUILA
One of three summer constellations I am reviewing with the 12", having done them with the 8" in previous years.
pn 6751:  26":  V. 11.9:  Located at 100x between two faint stars, and viewed well up to 300x.  It has a very bright middle, likely the central star, with occasional hint of a dark center.  Small, but very bright.

Other objects seen this past month but not reported above are listed below.  If you want any further details on them, just send me a message.  Some were easy, some were very difficult.  Unless the sky has great transparency, I don't even try for the hard ones.
3602, 3834, 3840, 3844, 3845, 3851, 3857, 3859, 3864, 3867, 3868, 3883, 5249, 5293, 5332, 5512, 5532, 5559, 5567, 5568, 5579, 5594, 5609, 5611, 5613, 5642, 5657, 5659, 5685, 5735, 5748, 5771, 5773, 5778, 5780, 5827, 5829, 5842, 6145, 6147, I. 984, I. 2955, I. 4447.
Mapman Mike

#47 Leo Galaxies: Abell 1367

I have stopped observing in Leo for this year, as it is getting into unfavourable skies for me.  I am hoping to eventually observe all 364 NGC objects in the constellation, and in two seasons of observing I have managed to view 64 of them!  Only 300 more left to see.

In the all-sky edition of Unranometria is a closeup chart of a galaxy-rich area in Leo.  Chart A-11 is a pinpoint view of a tiny section of main chart 72, left page.  Last year I only managed to view one galaxy within chart A-11, and it was just outside the Abell 1367 boundary.  This year I completed observing the galaxies within the chart, viewing all of the NGC objects, as well as the lone IC galaxy.  I even threw in a few UGC galaxies, as they were brighter than some of the NGC ones.  It took several nights with exceptional skies.

Once you know your way around Abell 1367, you can view all of the objects easily in a very short time, kind of like a mini-Messier marathon.  However, initially it takes a long time to properly identify which galaxy is which.  Most are faint, and well beyond 12th mag.  I  consider anything with a visual mag. of 12.5 or brighter to be an easy object for a 12" scope in a good sky.  12.5 to mag. 13 is considered more difficult, but a reasonable target.  Mag. 13 to 13.5 requires good seeing and some patience, as well as higher magnifications.  13.5 to 14 can be considered difficult objects, especially if somewhat large, or if edge-on. Below mag. 14 really requires an expert eye and pinpoint accuracy, and thus the close up chart becomes very valuable.

Tackling a project such as Abell 1367 is an excellent way to challenge yourself (with a 12"-14"), and offers a chance to spot very faint objects that might be harder to locate otherwise.  If you have never had much success with very faint objects, this might be a good place to try some.

I will first discuss the objects that lie just outside the boundary of Abell 1367, and then proceed to the actual galaxy cluster itself.  Once within the cluster, I always begin with a bright galaxy that is easy to identify, and then star and galaxy hop from there.

Uranometria 2000, Chart A-11, showing galaxies in and around A 1367 that I observed.

V.= Visual magnitude.

sb= surface brightness

eg 3805:  1'.4 x 1'.1:  V. 12.7; sb 13.2:  Preceding the main group, this was my first target and easy to spot.  Quite dim.  Viewed in 2013.  All others viewed in 2014.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3805.jpg

eg 3787:  0'.4 x 0'.3:  V. 13.7; sb 12.1:  Located at 200x, where it was round and tiny.  Moon was up, too (5.5 days old!).

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3787.jpg

eg 3827:  0'.9 x 0'.8:  V. 13.3; sb 12.6:  Located at 60x, though faint.  Image improves up to 200x.  Averted vision shows a larger object than with direct; round with a bright middle.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3787.jpg

UGC eg 6670:  2'.8 x 0'.8:  V. 12.9; sb 13.6:  Located at 100x, and viewed well up to 200x.  Very oval, relatively bright and quite large.  Within a bright star field, it lies between 2 stars, mag. 11 and 11.5.

eg 3883:  2'.8 x 2'.3:  V. 12.6; sb 14.5:  Don't let the 12.6 fool you--this one is quite dim.  Located at 100x, it was large and slightly oval.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3883.jpg

eg 3910:  1'.6 x 1'.2:  V 13.1; sb 13.9:  Spotted easily at 100x, it has a faint star very near, north.  Up to 200x was used to see the oval shape.  Quite bright overall, with a bright middle.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3910.jpg

ABELL 1367

eg 3884:  2'.1 x 1'.4:  V. 12.6; sb 13.7:  Located at 100x, it was bright enough though dimmed by a nearby 7 mag. star.  Very elliptical.  125x and 150x showed a bright center, sometimes appearing star-like.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3884.jpg

UGC eg 6725:  1'.2 x 0'.7:  V. 12.9; sb 12.6:  Confirmed sighting at 125x, the galaxy had a stellar nucleus.  Oval and much dimmer than 3884.  Best with averted vision.

UGC eg 6719:  1'.1 0'.7:  V. 13.6; sb 13.2:  Located at 100x, it was much easier to see than U6725!  Bright and oval at 125x.

eg 3886:  1'.2 x 0'.9:  V. 13.2; sb 13.4:  An easy object at 100x, and it remains bright up to 200x, even with direct vision.  Oval shape unconfirmed.  North preceding two faint stars, mag. 11.5 and 11, in a line with it.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3886.jpg

eg 3861:  2'.4 x 1'.5:  V. 12.7; sb 13.7:  Seen at 100x, and on up to 200x.  Not large, but elongation is easy to see.  Best with averted vision, as there is a relatively bright star in the field.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3861.jpg

eg 3873:  1'.1 x 1':  V. 12.9; sb 13.7:  These two galaxies became favourites of mine, and I 

eg 3875:  1'.3 x 0'.3: V. 13.7; sb 12.3)  observed them over many nights.  Located at 100x, the very close pair at first appeared as one larger elongated haze.  However, at 125x, 150x, 187x and 200x the object clearly showed two bright centers, especially with averted vision.  3873 was the brighter of the pair, and round.  3875 appeared fainter, smaller and noticeably elongated.  Though definitely seen as two close galaxies, at times it did appear as one larger, unusual object.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3873.jpg

eg 3860:  1'.3 x 0'.7:  V. 13.4; sb 12.7:  This object proved tricky at first, but posed no problem on a superior night.  Oval, faint but not difficult.  Lies opposite eg 3873 and 75, with a pair of 11 mag. stars between.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3860.jpg

eg 3842:  1'.2 x 1':  V. 11.8; sb 12.2:  The brightest galaxy on the chart, and the home base for many other fainter galaxies.  Makes a nice triplet with 3837 and 3841.  Located easily just south preceding a mag. 11 star, one of 4 in a line running NE to SW.  Just slightly oval at 200x, and still very bright.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3842.jpg

eg 3841:  0'.9 x 0'.4:  V. 13.8; sb 12.5:  Much fainter than eg 3842, and elongated.  Makes a close triangle with 3842 and the 11 mag. star.  Shows well at 187x with 3842.

eg 3837:  1' x 0'.9:  V. 13.3; sb 12.9:  Easy to locate south following 3842, though not nearly as bright.  3841, 42 and 37 all fit nicely at 125x.  Round.  Near the 2nd star in a 4-star chain.

eg 3845:  0'.8 x 0'.3:  V. 14.2; sb 12.5:  A very faint slash was seen at 100x, and seen with averted vision up to 150x.  Just north of 3842 and 3841, and north preceding that 11 mag. star.

eg 3844:  1'.7 x 0'.3:  V. 14; sb 12.6:  Large and oval, though occasionally glimpsed with averted vision as a long slash.  Not that difficult!

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3844.jpg

eg 3840:  1'.2 x 0'.8:  V. 13.7; sb 13.4:  Actually quite small and nearly stellar.  More difficult than it would seem.  Round with averted vision.

eg 3851:  0'.3 x 0'.3:  V. 14.7; sb 13.2:  Located opposite the 11 mag. star in relation to 3841.  Found at 100x, it was nearly stellar, round and fuzzy.

eg UGC 6697:  1'.5 x 0'.3:  V. 13.6: sb 12.6:  Located at 187x without much difficulty, just preceding 3842.  Oval.

eg I. 2951:  1'.4 x 0'.7:  V. 13.6; sb 13.7:  Follow the line of 11 mag. stars from 3842 SW.  Just south preceding the third star is this faint galaxy, nearly attached to an even fainter star.  Very faint but not difficult.  Possible stellar core at 200x.

eg 3862:  1'.6 x 1'.6:  V. 12.7; sb 13.7:  A large galaxy with a bright middle, much easier to locate 

eg I. 2955:  0'.4 x 0'.3:  V. 14.1; sb 13.7) than most other Abell 1367 objects.  Noticed at 100x and also observed well at 125x and 150x.  At 187x the galaxy began to appear suspicious, as if quite elongated!  200x and averted vision showed 2 galaxies!  I. 2955 is almost adjacent, and not plotted on Uranometria.  A fun discovery!

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3862.jpg

eg 3857:  1'.4 x 0'.7:  V. 14.1; sb 13.4:  Seen with averted vision at 100x and 125x.  It appeared round.  Mag. 8.5 star hampers the view.

eg 3859:  1'.2 x 0'.3:  V. 14.1; sb 12.8:  Though spotted at 100x and 125x, the same 8.5 mag star as in 3857 interferes with viewing.  The star, 3857 and this galaxy make an equilateral triangle.  At 150x and 187x, the galaxy is large and oval.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3859.jpg

eg 3868:  0'.8 x 0'.3:  V. 14.4; sb 12.7:  68 appeared pretty large, though faint.  68 and 67 are 

eg 3867:  1'.5 x 0'.6:  V. 13.3; sb 13) elliptical with averted vision.  200x shows both galaxies quite 

eg 3864:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  V. 14.8; sb 14.1) well.  64 is very faint and round, likely the most difficult member of the Abell 1367 NGC.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3867.jpg

eg 3821:  1'.6 x 1'.4:  V. 12.8; sb 13.3:  Located at 100x and also viewed at 200x.  Not difficult to locate.  The center had two bright spots, likely a bright core and a foreground star.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3821.jpg

eg 3816:  1'.9 x 1'.1:  V. 12.5; sb 13.2:  First located at 100x, but afterwards seen as a faint elongated slash at 60x.  At 100x and 125x it was bright and quite elongated, with a bright middle and a large amount of fainter outer haze.  Quite a decent object, one of the brightest members of Abell 1367.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/3/n3816.jpg

There you have it!  I really enjoyed my visit to this remarkable area, and will return to it next season for  another long look.

Mapman Mike

#46 Monthly Summary #3--April/May 2014

There were only three outings this lunar month, and one was for a self-hosted star party on our back deck for some of my music students.  We were also away for a week, missing one or two clear nights on approach to new moon.  Not one of our nights was a fine, clear night.  The final one started out promising, but we saw clouds move in just after dark, and were soon clouded out completely (despite the weather predictions of "mostly clear").

A total of 9 new NGC/IC  objects were observed, and one that was observed many years ago with the 8". Officially, all objects observed were galaxies.  However, I spent my time with a few globulars, doubles, and Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

LEO

eg 3016: 1'.3 x 1'.1; Mag. 12.9:  One of a galaxy quartet, but my sky conditions changed before I could sort everything out.  Though smaller and fainter than nearby eg 3020, this one is not difficult.  Round, somewhat bright middle, best at 125x.

eg 3020:  3'.2 x 1'.8:  vis. mag 11.9; sb mag. 13.5:  Easy to spot, very large, oval, and a slightly bright middle.  Recommended object.  I will likely have to wait until next year to find the other two.

eg 3837:  1' x 0.9:  Mag. 13.1: In Abell 1367, an area crammed with galaxies.  Don't come here with a 12" scope unless you have a very detailed star chart!  I use the close-up one in the back of Uranometria 2000.  An easy object but not too bright.  With two other NGC at 125x (see below).

eg 3841:  0'9 x 0'4:  Mag. 13.15:  A close pair with the much brighter eg 3842, and a triple with eg 3837.  The is the smallest of the three, a faint, elongated haze that makes a triangle with eg 3842 and an 11 mag. star.

eg 3842:  1'.2 x 1':  A large galaxy, very easy to see, just south preceding a mag. 11 star, one of 4 in a line NE to SW.  Makes a nice pair with eg 3841 at 187x, and a triple galaxy at 125x with eg 3837.

 eg 3860:  1'.3 x 0'.7:  Mag. 13.05:  The first night I tried for this object I could not find it.  However, on a different night it posed no problem.  Oval, faint, but not too difficult to study.  On the preceding side of two N/S stars, and making a triangle with them.

eg 3873:  1'.1 x 1':  Vis. Mag. 12.9:  One of a close pair of galaxies, and the brighter of the pair.  Located just following two stars in a N/S line, not far from eg 3860.  Round.  Double galaxies seen at 125, 150 and 173x.  Recommended pair.

eg 3875:  1'.3 x 0'.3:  Vis. Mag. 13.7:  Fainter, smaller and elongated.  Sometimes it looked like one galaxy, but with good seeing and higher power it was a double!  3875 seen best with averted vision.

eg I. 2951:  1'.4 x 0'.7:  Mag. 13. 65:  Very faint but not difficult to see.  Stellar core noted at 125 and 200x.

BOOTES

eg 5523:    4'.7 x 1'.1:  A nice, bright and large galaxy, though I saw it as clouds and haze were rolling in.  I will return here first in the new session.  Seen previously with the 8", and quite impressive in the 12".  Cigar-shaped and recommended.

Mapman Mike

#45 Two Spring Globular Clusters

          Any seasoned observer knows that Spring is galaxy season.  The skies are rich with bright galaxies, and armed with a 6” telescope the best and brightest can be enjoyed.  With our club’s 14” scope (RASC Windsor), most of the fainter NGC list can be picked off, too.  Uranometria 2000 lists over 26,000 galaxies and/or galaxy clusters in its charts, a daunting task for any one person to observe or photograph.  Until summer constellations begin to rise later in the night, there is not much to see in the way of clusters.  In a future Spring post, I would like to discuss in greater detail some of the galaxy wonders of Leo, and not just the one famous triplet, but a number of other “triplets” as well.

            This time, however, I am turning to a pair of globular clusters, one of them a highlight of the entire flock.  Uranometria 2000 plots 170 globulars, including those inside the Magellenic Clouds.  I’m not certain how many are observable from northern latitudes, but it seems reasonable to assume that observing the entire viewable list is not too daunting a task.  We all know that the summer sky is crowded with globulars, though after seeing too many in short order they can tend to look somewhat similar, at least in smaller scopes. 

If you did not catch the recent Hubble view of M5 published in APOD on April 25^{th 2014} you should stop reading now and go take a look ("Astronomy Picture of the Day").  Hubble’s view of M5 is the perfect image of this object type, and the image we are all seeking when we go to the eyepiece, whether with a 6” mirror or a 36”.  I am convinced that globular clusters alone are responsible for most of us wanting bigger and bigger mirrors at our disposal.

            M5 is not well placed in early spring skies, but a worthy competitor is.  M3 (gc 5272) is one of the finest globulars in the sky, and makes a very refreshing sight after viewing so many galaxies.  Finding M3 is easy.  Locate Arcturus, and then nearby Eta (just south preceding it, mag. 2.5).  Make Arcturus and Eta the east-west baseline for a right-angle triangle, shooting north twice the distance of that baseline (see map, below: note M53 is also shown, but is not part of this discussion).  At a visual mag. of 6.3, even in binoculars M3 is impressive.  It resolves nicely in a 6” mirror, and in my 12” at 170x I’m beginning to get that Hubble feeling.  The main body spreads out over 18’, though outliers go well beyond.  The brightest star is mag. 12.7, so in a really dark sky smaller scopes will partially resolve this cluster nicely.

            By comparison, the second globular is much harder to see and resolve.  GC 5466 can be located 25’ following M3, and looks impressive enough on paper.  Its combined visual mag. is 9.2.  However, it is spread out over 9’ and the brightest star is only mag. 13.8.  In a great sky this one is barely visible in a 6” scope, and I have swept past it with the 12”.  Once located, it provides another wonderful lesson in interstellar distances.  In the larger scope the centre shows a slow burn, rather than the hot intensity of M3.  Resolution of stars is more ephemeral.  Patience is needed to begin to see the wonders of this large but very faint object.  Still, it is a gem and would be worth a trek to the club observatory’s 14” to see.  In fact, it would be better to begin with gc 5466, as our observatory scope will track right to it.  After observing the fainter object for a time with different eyepieces, moving to M3 will be guaranteed to give the viewer a rush.

            Amidst a night of viewing Spring galaxies, I always enjoy stopping for a break and viewing these two globulars.  Even after dozens of times I still enjoy the contrast and quiet spectacle they provide.

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

#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