#108 Hercules NGC Project Part 2: Uranometria Chart 86

Only a few NGC galaxies appear on Chart 86, so this will be a short entry.  A few of the galaxies also appear on other charts.  NGC 6347, for example, has already been discussed on the page with Chart 87 (see Part 1).

CHART 86

eg 6375:  1'.6 x 1'.6:  Vis. 13.9; SB 14.9:  I expected trouble here, but I located the galaxy quite easily at 100x.  Transparency was excellent at the time.  It was also observed at 136x and 187x, being large, round, and showing a stellar core.  At 187x I noted a very faint star immediately north following.

                                                      http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6379:  1'.1 x 1':  Vis. 12.9; SB 12.8:  It was spotted at 100x and observed well thru 250x.  It is quite faint, and it follows a bright star.  It was round and seen best with averted vision, though it was easy to see.  However, no detail could be discerned.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6389:  2'.8 x 1'.9:  Vis. 12.1; SB 13.7:  One of the largest and brightest galaxies in Hercules.  Spotted easily at 60x, it was large, bright, and oval.  Views were quite nice at 100x and 136x, showing a stellar core, bright central globe, and fainter haze all around.  At 187x and 250x it is still bright and very large.  Recommended viewing.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6574:  1'.4 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12; SB 12.3:  Viewed at 60x, and very bright at 110x and 136x.  It sits at the north end of a faint star stream.  It has a very bright center, and it is very oval.  At 187x a faint star is seen just south (mag. 14?).  250x shows a very bright stellar core.  Viewed years ago with an 8".

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6627:  1'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.5:  Spotted at 100x, it was small but pretty bright.  At 136x and 187x it was a bit easier to view.  It appears slightly oval in this range.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6635:  1' x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.4; SB 13.1:  Only suspected at 100x, the galaxy was confirmed at 136x.  At 187x it is small, oval, but pretty bright.  At 250x it becomes ghostly.  It is immediately north of a bright star (mag. 11?), which helps to hide it.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

NOTE:  eg 6467 and eg 6555 are discussed elsewhere, Charts 68 and 67 respectively.

 

#107: The Hercules NGC Project, Part 1: Uranometria Charts 107 and 87

The Hercules NGC project commenced June 21st, 2015.  That summer I managed to observe in Hercules 13 times for at least part, if not all, of my night observing time.  I continued working there during the summer of 2016 with 14 sessions, and concluded this year (2017) with 5 sessions.  So, 32 sessions later, I have logged all of the NGC objects in Hercules.  There are over 200 of them, and they are mostly galaxies.  It goes without saying that many of those are faint.

I use Uranometria 2000 Deep Sky Atlas, All Sky Edition, which devotes 11 charts to Hercules (I don't count Chart 88, as it duplicates Chart 87 and Chart A-9).  The charts are: 107, 87, A-9, 69, 68, 67, 51, 50, 49, 35, and 34.  If you use the charts you will know why they are listed in that order.  This entry will focus on 2 of the charts, though mostly #87.  Reporting all of the NGCs will take some time, so please be patient--they are coming as fast as I can manage. 

CHART 107

Only 1 NGC object in Hercules is on this chart, and it was the first object I observed on my adventure.

eg 6230:  0'.9 x 0'.8:  Vis. 14.4; SB 14.1:  Spotted at 120x and again at 150x.  It was round, not too small, and surprisingly not too difficult.  It either had a stellar core or a faint star involved.  One of the faintest objects yet seen!

                                                       http://www.ngcicproject.org

CHART 87

eg 6081:  1'.8 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13:  Spotted at 100x and observed up to 250x.  It was very elongated, with a bright middle.  It was large with averted vision.  This is a nice elliptical galaxy.  It immediately follows a very faint stellar pair.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 1205:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.7; SB 12.1:  Located very near an 8.5 mag. star, the galaxy was oval, bright, and easy to observe at 100x, 150x, and 187x.  It is located immediately following the bright star.

eg I. 1206:  1'.2 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13.4:  The galaxy appeared round, faint, and ghostly.  It was seen at 100x, 125x, and 150x.  It was quite small, even at 200x.

pn I. 4593:  42":  Vis. 10.7; Cent. * Mag. 11.2:  I had higher hopes for this object, which turned into a larger star, somewhat fuzzy. Up to 250x was used, and though very bright, it did not approach its stated size.  This object has also been seen back in the day with my Edmund 8".

eg 6074:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.4; SB 12.3:  Easily seen at 150x and 200x, despite lying between 2 fairly close bright stars.  It was small, round, very faint, and best using averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6078:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 15.2; SB 13.8:  Seen nicely at 125x, it was round and a pretty good size.  It is possibly enhanced somewhat by eg M+2-41-18, on its S edge, though I could not distinguish it.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6083:  0'.9 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.6; SB 13.6:  Hercules galaxies are certainly not opening with a visual bang!  It's been a bit of a struggle, not to mention disappointment.  This one was seen at 150x and 200x, though it was "best" at 250x.  It is very faint, elongated, and was the most challenging of the Hercules galaxies observed during the first night.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6106:  2'.5 x 1'.4:  Vis. 12.2; SB 13.5:  I finally scored a decent hit, the first object of my second night in Hercules!  Located at 60x, it was quite small, oval, and faint.  It was much larger at 100x, and not nearly as faint.  At 150x it displayed a brighter middle section with a fainter envelope surrounding it.  A very faint star is involved or just beyond the haze.  The galaxy is now pretty large.  200x still gives a good view of this impressive object.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg UGC 10337:  1'.2 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14; SB 13.1:  Lying south preceding 6106, and just north of a mag. 8 star, I thought I would check this one out, too.  I tried it for fun at random, with no specs with me.  I spotted a faint, small oval patch at 150x and 200x.  It is just S of a faint star.  No doubt only the brighter center was seen.

eg 6132:  1'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13.2:  This one is very faint and small.  It was spotted at 125x, where I saw it as oval.  It was only seen positively with averted vision, and was near my threshold of visibility.  It was a good observing night, too.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 1209:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.3: SB 13.1:  An 8.7 mag. star lies very close, making this one a challenge.  The sighting was confirmed at 200x and 250x.  It was very small, and glimpsed between the bright star and a much dimmer one.

eg 6113:  1' x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.1; SB 13.4:  Located using a hand-drawn pinpoint map (I use Deep Sky Objects Browser if I can't find an object the old fashioned way).  It resembled a faint, flaring star at 100x.  It was observed to slightly better advantage at 125x, 150x, and 187x, and it was now oval and pretty bright using averted vision.  It was viewed at 200x, but it was fading at this range.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6219:  0'.7 x 0'.7:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.3:  Though small and faint, it was seen at 136x, though better at 187x.  A stellar core shows at 250x.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6224:  1' x 1':  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.3:  A pair with 6225.  My lower western skies were not so good at this point, and the humidity was building (90%!).  It was small and round at 187x, and seen best with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6225:  1' x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.2:  A pair with 6224.  It was seen at 250x, very faint and very oval, almost elongated to a slash.  This may be due to a possible star involved or alongside.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 4621:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.1:  Located at 136x, hiding between 2 faint stars, one of which is 11.7 mag.  The galaxy is small and ghostly, best with averted vision.  It's slightly better at 187x.  250x shows it as being oval, and its full size (pretty small) can be seen.

eg 6347:  1'.2 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.2:  The sighting of this tricky object was finally confirmed at 187x.  It is very faint, round, and small.  It lies just a bit south of a very faint star group, and north preceding 2 much brighter stars.  At 250x it is merely a faint, fuzzy patch, possibly somewhat oval with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

oc DoDz 7:  6'; 6 stars:  The only "cluster" on the chart.  It was easy to locate at 60x, where 5 bright stars show up in a concentrated area.  At 100x and 136x, many more stars appear in an area more than twice as large (15'?), perhaps 20 stars.  The main group is likely a bright asterism, but the nearby area is quite rich.

Mapman Mike





 

#106: Cloudy Spring

We've had them before, where the two weeks from last quarter moon to first quarter are completely useless for deep sky work.  However, that does not stop the disgust and outrage for and at Mother Nature on my part.  Especially when the period from first quarter moon to last quarter provided 8 beautifully clear nights.  This is not a conducive time to view Leo and Bootes galaxies, however.  And it is not conducive to maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

May and June are difficult months for observers anyway, as at my latitude (42 N) it isn't really dark enough to begin until at least 10:45 pm.  That makes for very late nights, and if one is working the next day (I am semi-retired, and still work three days a week), then it is nearly impossible to stay out all night.  Even an all-night session this time of year barely goes 5 1/2 hours anyway.

Up till early April I managed a good late Winter/early Spring session, nabbing 47 new galaxies in Leo.  However, as of early June I have not logged a single galaxy in Bootes, a constellation I had hoped to complete this year.  A large part of the reason for that has been the lousy weather.  Also, I went to London England on a short holiday in late April, right smack in the middle of the new moon season.  I usually try to book my holidays around the full moon, but this time I messed up.  So I undoubtedly missed two or three nights of observing.  When we returned on May 1st, the skies could not give us enough dark nights.  Of course, the high Spring moon was there, getting bigger and brighter all the time.  After 8 such nights it finally came to last quarter.  Clouds, rain, haze, and more clouds.  There are few words that accurately describe the feeling one gets when an entire two months of already short observing goes missing.

Anyway, there is really no one to officially take my complaint to, so I am forced to live with it.  As a result, Deb and I fired up the 6" reflector on our back deck last week.  We managed three lunar observing sessions in a row, along with that of Jupiter.  A 6" scope is more than enough firepower for lunar work, and almost enough for Jupiter.  So our lunar work was more successful.  The highlights were observing a few famous details, including the Alps, the Caucasus, and the Apennine Mtns.  There were also spectacular views of the Alpine Valley, Straight Wall, and Hyginus Cleft.

Alpine Valley and Lunar Alps

 http://www.astrocruise.com/solar_system/l_alpine.jpg

 Hyginus Cleft

https://lpod.wikispaces.com/file/view/LPOD-Nov8-10.jpg/177304865/LPOD-Nov8-10.jpg

 Straight Wall, near Birt Crater.

http://www.visit-the-moon.com/imgs/pages/21951_70767374050473853d831c.jpg

Happily, we also sought out the landing site of Apollo 15, snuggled beneath Mons Hadley, in the northern end of the Apennines.  I found a very helpful photo on the internet that gives a pretty good indication of just how high that mountain is.  From the shadow we saw that night in the scope, it is one impressive beast.  It rises over 4,000m above the plains, where the astronauts were galavanting.

 Apollo 15 astronaut beneath Mons Hadley.  Someone has cleverly inserted the world's tallest building into the background, against the mountain.  The building is 828m, and the mountain is 4200m, which is about 5x higher.
http://i.imgur.com/FPJ4G5Y.jpg

Hopefully I will still be able to get some work done this year in Bootes.  Dark sky work can begin again around June 18th for me (I am going to be away again for the first part.  Sigh).

Clear skies, wherever you are.  Hopefully not where I am, because there seems to be no such thing.

Mapman

#105 Climbing Mount Everest: The NGC Project Contines!

NOTE:  Part of this article appeared in the March newsletter of the RASC Windsor, Canada.

Up to and including April 1st, 2017, I managed to snag 68 new NGC/IC objects, mostly in Auriga and Leo.  I enjoyed 10 outings with the 12" Dob, totaling just over 26 chilly hours of observing time.  I also managed to add 24 new deep sky objects from other catalogues, as well as a few dozen double stars.  I still have a few years to go before finishing Leo, but have added 48 of its NGC galaxies so far this year.  Auriga will be easily finished next autumn/winter, and then I will commence my first extensive survey of Orion.  It has been a productive winter and early spring.  Once Leo has passed by, I will resume work in Bootes and Hercules, likely finishing up NGC work in both constellations this season.

When exactly I decided to go for all of the NGC I cannot say, but I likely had a fever at the time.  I am not pursuing all of the IC objects at this moment, but I do drop in on them if nearby, as well as objects from other catalogues.  I wanted to take my time seeing each NGC object, recording it in my log (with a sketch if possible) and hopefully remembering many of them with the help of my notes.  I did not want this to become merely a checklist, and so far it has not been so.

From 42 degrees N Lat. there are approximately 6400 NGC objects visible, out of a total of 7800+.  I do not usually plan on viewing galaxies if they fall below -30 degrees declination, but with clusters I can go almost to the horizon (around -40 degrees).  I have seen a few larger and brighter galaxies lower than -30 degrees, but they are not usually very impressive in our south skies from Hallam Observatory.  In a moment I will tell you how many NGC objects I have seen so far.  I do count ones I have seen with the old 8” scope and not yet with the 12”, though I have redone many of them with the larger aperture.

 

During the spring of 2013 I began my Leo project observing from Malden, Essex County, Ontario.  The south skies were okay, but not great.  I didn’t observe from Hallam Observatory until much later that year.  So my first season was rather slow going, and I ended up with less than 35 galaxies observed.  Still, it had been the start of a great adventure and I couldn’t wait for the next year.  In the meantime I had expanded my NGC project to Lyra, then on to Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cetus, Bootes, Lepus, Monoceros, Sagittarius, Aquila, Delphinus, Equuleus, and others, now all completed except Cetus.  I am continuing my work in Leo, as well as in Hercules, Pegasus, and a few others.

Back to Leo.  I have now spent four spring seasons observing galaxies here (all of the Leo NGCs are galaxies).  2017 is my fifth year exploring this most amazing constellation.  Though Leo has its fair share of 14^th mag. little troublemakers, there are so many bigger and brighter ones that during each session I can count on at least one gem, if not more.  And they often come in twos, threes, fours, and mores.  Some sessions I may only log six or seven objects, especially if they are all singles.  Other nights I might grab fifteen, especially if there is a quintet (last night I got 12).  Some of the galaxies require great finding skills.  I generally use my Push-To computer to get into an area, then star hop (actually, galaxy hop) for the session.  I may spend more time searching for a faint galaxy than observing it, but the brighter ones get plenty of my observing time.  I have now located and recorded 250 of Leo’s 363 galaxies.  That’s a little better than 50 per year on average, not that far from my original goal (last year was my most successful, seeing around 80!).  I even make time to go back and review some of them from time to time, and not just the five Messier objects.  Leo is an amazing playground for a 12” scope!

And finally, how many of the 6400 NGC objects available to me from Hallam have I observed so far?  Would you believe just over 1700? (as of Apr. 1^st, 2017)  That is a little better than 25% of them!  Huzzah!  It will be impossible to finish the project in my lifetime, but I like it that way.  I will never run out of things to observe.  I will certainly finish the summer and autumn NGCs, but the spring galaxies will prove to be too overwhelming.  Winter is also a tough season for observers in Canada.  I will continue to report on my progress here; usually as I finish a constellation I post about it here.  Due to the size and number of Leo objects I will continue to post progress reports by Uranometria chart.  An new entry should come later, so check back if you are a Leo fan.

Clear skies!

Mapman Mike

#104: An Open Cluster Tour: Monoceros

This is an article I wrote for our club newsletter, Jan./17 issue.  The club is RASC Windsor, Canada.  Hope you enjoy!

#103 Taurus: The NGC Objects

It's been a while since I have posted.  I have other blogs, too, and I try to have a life, or at least part of one.  Some of my other blogs include travel (London, UK, and the Southwest USA), literature (Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series, and Avon/Equinox Rediscovery SF Series), and just a down home blog for family and friends.  Links to all my blogs can be found on my home website, which is lonemtnhomestead.com.

Anyway, it has taken me a few years to get through Taurus with the 12".  Skies are not at their best during November and December at my location, and neither are the temperatures.  In the past two months I have had 3 clear nights (not counting all those beautiful skies just before, during, and after full moon).  Work continues in Pegasus, and I have even made some progress in Cetus.  Replacing Taurus for winter observing this year is Auriga, should it ever become clear again.

Taurus has two Messier objects (1 and 45), a number of galaxies, and several good open clusters.  It is a sprawling constellation, and takes a long time to fully rise in late autumn skies.  Even when the Pleiades are well up, the rest of the constellation still needs time to get into a good observing position.  Here follows a complete list of my observations of the Taurus NGC with my Orion Go To 12" Dob.  IC and objects from other catalogues will follow in a separate entry.

eg 1349:  0'.8 x 0'.8:  Vis. mag. 13; SB 12.4:  This galaxy has a bright center, and is possibly oval.  It was seen at 187x and 200x, close to a bright star.  Less than a degree north is a lovely triple star, Struve 430.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1349.jpg

 

eg 1384:  0'.9 x 0'.5:  Vis. mag. 14.5; SB 13.4:  The galaxy is nearly stellar, and it appears like a star with some haze around it.  It is very small.

 

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1384.jpg

eg 1409:  0'.9 x 0'7:  Vis. mag. 13.8; SB 13.2: 09 was spotted at 136x.  It was somewhat oval, larger

eg 1410:  0'.7 x 0'.6:  Vis. mag. 14.3; SB 13.5:  than expected, and fairly bright.  10 was just north, being much smaller and fainter.  Though not completely enmeshed, they are very close and can deceive the eye at 187x and 200x.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1409.jpg

eg 1431:  1' 0'.8:  Vis. mag. 14.1; SB 13.7:  Viewed at 187x and 200x.  It was very faint and round, just a small hazy patch.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1431.jpg

gn 1432:  26' x 26':  Reflection Nebula around Maia:  Fainter and smaller than 1435, but still easy 

to see.  Within M 45.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1432.jpg

gn 1435:  30' x 30':  Reflection Nebula around Merope:  Easily visible, even in smaller scopes.  Within M 45.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1435.jpg

eg 1462:  0'.9 x 0'.5:  Vis. mag. 14.2; SB 13.2:  Confirmed at 136x, it was a very faint and elongated haze.  It was also viewed at 187x and 200x, and seemed to be involved with two faint stars.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1462.jpg

eg 1474/IC 2002:  1'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis. mag. 13.8; SB 13.9:  The galaxy is slightly oval and faint.  It was viewed at 136x and 187x, and is located south of a faint star.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1474.jpg

eg 1497:  1'.5 x 0'.7:  Vis. mag. 13.1; SB 13:  After a fairly long search it was finally located at 136x.  It was bright, large and round to slightly oval.  Up to 250x gives good views, where the galaxy is now oval.  It has a bright stellar core.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1497.jpg

eg 1508:  0'.7 x 0'.6:   Vis. mag. 14.5; SB 13.4:  I used a hand-drawn pinpoint location map.  The galaxy was round, faint and ghostly at 187x and 200x.  It was not really small, and it appeared evenly lit.  Later I was able to see it at 136x.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1508.jpg

pn 1514:  132"; Vis. 10.9; Cent. * mag. 9.4:  This is a much better object to view with a 12" scope than 1555.  At 60x I observed it with and without a Skyglow filter.  It was also observed at 120x with the Skyglow, and then without it.  I went as high as 200x.  It is a massive but faint circular haze surrounding the bright central star.  The nebula is an unexpected sight, and worth a stopover.

http://www.caelumobservatory.com/obs/n1514block.jpg

eg 1517:  1' x 0'.9:  Vis. mag. 13.4; SB 13.1:  Suspected at 100x, the object showed nicely at 136x.  It precedes a bright star.  It was quite bright, small and round.  Views were good at 187x.  A pretty decent galaxy in a 12".

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1517.jpg

eg 1539:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.8; SB 13.4:  Another very challenging object!  Luckily I had great skies, and a pinpoint hand-drawn map.  It was spotted at 136x and 187x.  It is tiny, round and faint.  At 200x, 250x, and 272x it appears stellar with direct vision, and like a fuzzy star with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1539.jpg

eg 1541:  1'.4 x 0'.6:  Vis. mag. 13.5; SB 13.2:  Viewed at 100x, 136x, and 187x.  The galaxy is very, very faint in my early southeast sky. I seemed to mostly see a brighter oval center, with no extension.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1541.jpg

eg 1542:  1'.3 x 0'.5:  Vis. mag. 13.9; SB 13.3:  Spotted at 187x and 250x, it is very small and very faint.  I was likely just seeing the core.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1542.jpg

eg 1550 (1551):  2'.2 x 1'.9:  Vis. mag. 12; SB 13.4:  Different numbers, same object.  Viewed at 136x and 187x, it was pretty bright but not large.  Again, only the bright center was showing well, and it was oval.  An observing friend was barely able to view it, but it showed itself more easily to me.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1550.jpg

gn 1555:  1' x 1'; Reflection Nebula:  1554 is sometimes associated with this object, but is considered as either an error now, or a "lost" nebula which once existed but no longer does.  Hind's Variable Nebula (with Struve's Lost Nebula).  Visually this tiny nebula, separated from T Tauri (mag. 9.5 star), isn't much to look at.  Most sources agree that 1554 is the "lost" nebula, and 1555 is the one present and accounted for.  At 136x and 187x it is seen best with averted vision.  At 200x is appears somewhat clumpy, with areas of uneven brightness.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1555.jpg

eg 1587:  1'.7 x 1'.5:  Vis.  mag. 11.7; SB 12.7:  87 was seen at 100x, and both were in view at 136x.
eg 1588:  1'.1 x 0'.6:  Vis. mag. 12.9; SB 12.5:  They are both bright at 187x.  250x gives very good views.  Though there is an obvious difference in size and brightness, both galaxies are good objects for a 12" scope.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1587.jpg

eg 1589:  3'.2 x 1':  Vis. mag.  11.8; SB 12.9:  Spotted at 60x and 100x, where it appeared large, bright, and oval.  It is located near a bright star, and is just north of 1587 and 1588.  136x shows all 3 galaxies in the field.  It is very bright at 187x and even at 250x, now showing a bright stellar core.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1589.jpg

eg 1590:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. mag. 13.7; SB 13:  Located at 100x.  At 136x it was oval using averted vision, and small.  187x and 250x give much better views.  It lies just south of 3 bright stars.  It is slightly oval and not very large.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1590.jpg

eg 1593/1608:  1'.6 x 0'.6:  Vis. mag. 13.4; SB 13.3:  Duplicate entry in the NGC. Called 1608 on Uranometria.  Viewed at 187x and 250x, the galaxy was small, oval, and ghostly in appearance.  I was only seeing the central area.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1593.jpg

eg 1615:  1'.2 x 0'.7:  Vis. mag. 13.9; SB 13.6:  Spotted at 100x!  Observed nicely at 136x and 187x, it was oval.  It was easy to view with averted vision, and it has a bright core.  Two bright stars are in the field.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1615.jpg

eg 1633:  1'.2 x 1'.1:  Vis. mag./SB 13.5:  33 was spotted at 136x, being large but pretty faint.  3
eg 1634:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. mag. 14.1; SB 12.6:  bright stars are nearby.  34 was glimpsed at 200x and 250x, being tiny, round and faint.  It was south of 33 but very close.  At high power 33 is pretty large.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1633.jpg 

eg 1642:  1'.7 x 1'.2:  Vis. mag. 12.6; SB 13.2:  Spotted at 100x.  At 136x it is large, bright and oval.  Very good views were had at 187x.  Taurus is proving to have some fine galaxies.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1642.jpg 

oc 1647:  40'; Mag. 6.4; 200 *s; Br. * mag. 9:  At 42x perhaps 100 stars can be counted (I counted 25 in a quadrant), many of which are of similar magnitude.  The cluster is very large but pretty dense.  2 bright yellow stars (mag. 6 and 7) sit on the south edge and point towards the cluster.  A fine bright double star is near the center.  60x fills the eyepiece with bright stars.  Views remain impressive at 83x, with many of the brighter stars clumping together in threes, fours, and fives.  This is a good object for any size scope, including a 2".

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1647.jpg

oc 1746/1750/1758:  40'; Mag. 6.1; 20 *s; Br. * mag. 8:  Uranometria combines all three numbers into one gigantic cluster.  Quite lovely at 60x.  I was impressed, at any rate.  I viewed it mostly at 83x, then lastly at 100x.  There are 6 or 7 bright stars, depending on your eyesight.  There are denser pockets, including the preceding end.  Another is at the following end, between two bright stars.  The cluster is pretty scattered, though pretty rich.  There are curving lines, intersecting loops, and long, cascading streams of stars.  One such stream breaks away and goes north, like an elephant's trunk, from the following dense are mentioned above.  100x resolves the cluster entirely.  There is a lot to see here, and the longer you look, the more you see.

 http://www.alsonwongastro.com/images/Star_Clusters/NGC1758LRGB_600.jpg

A nice photo of NGC 1746, 1750, and 1758.  Think of it as one big, happy family of stars,

oc 1802:  20'; 25 *s; Br. * mag. 9.2:  At 60x and 100x I observed a dozen bright stars, including two curved lines intersecting.  There are a similar number of faint stars, especially at 136x.  The cluster is large, scattered, and not rich.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1802.jpg

oc 1807:  12'; mag. 7; 37 *s; Br. * mag. 9:  I enjoyed views of this bright cluster at 60x, 83x, 100x, and 136x.  It contains about 10 bright stars (5 shown on Uranometria), and perhaps 15 fainter ones.  There is a bright stellar triangle near the center, with one of them having a very close companion.  The cluster is shaped like an airplane, with a double row of stars for the body, and a single row for the wings.  The wings point south to a very bright yellow star.  To the north they point to a faint but very rich field of the Milky Way.  The cluster should be suitable for all apertures.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1807.jpg

oc 1817:  20'; Mag. 7.7; 283 *s; Br. * mag. 9:  Quite beautiful, even at 60x.  At low powers it makes a wonderful double cluster with 1807.  The cluster is vast and star-filled.  The section closest to 1807 (south preceding) has the brightest stars (4 shown on Uranometria).  In addition to the 4 brightest, there are around 20-25 stars of medium brightness, and a nearly uncountable number of faint ones.  At 136x the cluster is worth a long look.  The preceding section is dense, especially amongst the bright stars.  Another dense area is the north central section, which is in a curved L-shape.  In addition to the numerous stars are large areas that appear empty.  This is a wonderful object in a 12".  Take your time!

 Oc 1807, right; oc 1817, left

http://jthommes.com/Astro/images/NGC1807-17_PS3Crp_med.jpg

gn 1952--Messier 1:  6' x 4'; Emission Nebula:  This large, bright supernova remnant is very impressive in a 12" mirror, especially one that has recently undergone a very thorough cleaning!  It is very large, very bright, and very elongated.  The large center is much brighter than its outer edges.  Several faint stars appear to be close or even touching the outside edges.  The south-following end is very patchy, whereas the north end tapers gently and fades gradually.  This object is recommended, especially for those who like to take their time with a nice, long look.  Quite a bit of detail can be discerned from this object which suddenly appeared in 1054 A.D. 

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1952.jpg

oc 1996:  22'; cl?:  Another group of stars that may not be a cluster.  This is a very rich area of the sky to begin with.  At 60x I observed a nice group of stars preceding Tau 125, a bright star of mag. 5.  There are many faint members, and they remain faint at 100x.  Best views were at 136x, with 35 stars counted, somewhat starfish in shape.  The center is dark except for a faint, very close double star.  This is a grand area for casual sweeping.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/1/n1996.jpg

oc 2026:  10'; 35 *s; Br. * mag. 9: This cluster is a bit tricky to pick out from the rich background.  There is also some doubt as to whether or not this is a true cluster.  I observed it at 136x, where it lies immediately north of a mag. 9 star.  3 bright stars within the group form a triangle, with the base pointing north.  These two stars have fainter stars clustered around them.  There are many dark gaps, including a wide, main black area running north/south. 

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/2/n2026.jpg

That wraps it up for NGC objects in Taurus.  I will soon commence work on Part Two, which will include the IC objects I have seen (not all of them were located), as well as objects from other catalogues.  M 45 can be found in Part Two.

Mapman Mike