#42 2013 Observations: A Look Back

First, some statistics.  2013 had more observing nights for me than ever before, and also more observing time.  I shattered my old records from 1978 and 1992.  This past year I managed 59 outings and observed for a total of 185 hours.  Considering how cloudy and wet it was right through June (parts of April being an exception), if it hadn't been for better weather in August, September and October it would have been an average year at best.  Those three months were splendid, however, allowing me to begin and conclude observations in Lyra and Cygnus, and nearly complete Cassiopeia, too.  

Whereas summaries of Lyra and Cygnus can be found elsewhere in this blog, I will not go into great detail.  However, let me say that I eventually succeeded in finding every single NGC and IC object in those constellations with my Orion 12" scope.  Several objects took many attempts, mostly waiting for nights of near-perfect seeing.  I even eventually glimpsed the central star in M 57!  I am having similar success in Cassiopeia, where only nine objects remain for me to see.

Earlier in 2013 I had some success in Lepus and Monoceros, though winter observing is done from my back deck, looking into light polluted skies.  Some of the finest open clusters reside within the boundaries of Monoceros, and I hope to log them all some day.  In spring I have better observing site options, and made a good start in Leo and Bootes.  I am attempting the almost impossible task of seeing all the NGC in those constellations, too.  In Leo I have logged 23 out of some 370 objects, so there is still some work to do there.  I have observed previously in Bootes with an 8" scope.  Having only seen the brightest galaxies, I am returning for another look at those with the 12", as well as continuing on with all 260+ objects there.  Last spring saw me log 13 new objects in Bootes.  In late fall I am drawn to Cetus, even more challenging due to its low position in the south sky from my latitude of 42 N.  23 new objects were logged there.

For the year I managed to view 124 NGC objects new to me, along with 19 ICs.  A large number of objects viewed previously with the 8" were also reviewed using the new 12".  In addition, I do not overlook clusters from other catalogs, such as Collinder, Berkeley, etc.  Double stars and variables also get some attention from me.  However, the deep sky objects are my major interest, and I saw an impressive number of them last year.  From January through June I saw 79 deep sky objects, all from Lepus, Monoceros, Leo and Bootes.  However, from July through December I saw 315 of the little buggers!  My total deep sky object count for 2013 was just shy of 400, at 394!  If that sounds like a lot, it is.  If it sounds like I was hurrying, I wasn't.  Divide my 185 hours into how many objects I saw and it becomes apparent that I spent just less than half an hour per object, on average.

Besides seeing the central star of the Ring Nebula, what were some of my greatest successes in 2013?  Just getting back so deeply into observational astronomy was the main news story for me last year.  Not to mention starting an astronomy blog!  The experience gained with my newest scope, combined with the quality of Uranometria 2000 maps, means that I am probably a better object hunter now than ever before.  Even though I have an Intelliscope, I have always preferred star hopping.  Only in this way can an observer have a real sense of where he is and where he is going.  Besides, sometimes there are amazing discoveries to be made not mentioned on any chart.  The telescope's computer is great for sky tours of brighter objects, or for finding something obscure in a very dark part of the sky.  But mostly I begin at an object and go from there using charts and navigation skills.

I am eager to see what lies ahead for 2014.  I will soon prepare new constellations for this summer and autumn, while Cetus, Lepus, Monoceros, Leo and Bootes will keep me busy for many more seasons.  It's been a very slow start to the observing year in 2014, due to a severe winter that is reluctant to give up its grip, even in mid-March as I write this.  However, spring skies are on the way and I am eager to get back to work there.  If I have to pick one favourite object for the year, I will cheat and choose the Leo Triplet of galaxies.  I can't wait to see them again!

 

Mapman Mike  

#41 Monthly Summary #1, February-March 2014

It continues to be a long, drawn out winter of misery, unless you happen to like very cold air and plenty of snow.  There hasn't been much in the way of astronomy observations to report on until now.  I had a session on Nov. 30th and another on Dec. 27th that needs mentioning.  So far in 2014 I have managed three sessions, all of them very cold ones. There were none in January, two in February, and one to date in March.

In late 2013 I inched along in Cetus and Cassiopeia.  I only have about 9 objects remaining in Cassiopeia.  Cetus continues to prove difficult due to poor south skies, but I may have recently come across a solution for this (a somewhat distant site looks promising).

Winter 2014 brings me back to Lepus (another poor sky area for me) and Monoceros (somewhat better, as it is higher).  I am hoping to try my new dark sky site after next full moon to locate some Lepus galaxies.  I will now report on progress within each constellation.  All observations were with the 12" Orion Intelliscope.

Cassiopeia

IC Catalogue
oc 1805  Fine cluster with some nebulosity (using filter).  Large, with many bright members.

Other Catalogues
oc Cz 9:  2 brighter stars involved with small cloud of fainter ones.
oc Cz 10:  8 stars at 200x.  More impressive asterism almost adjacent.
oc King 4:  Decent group showing about 20 stars between 100x and 200x.
oc Mrk 6:  Bright stars, okay for smaller scopes, too.
oc Tom 4:  Not many stars, and all very faint.  12" resolves well at 150x.

Cetus

NGC Catalogue
eg 64:  Glimpsed at 125x.  Ghostly, oval, and requires a very good sky.
eg 102:  Very faint oval patch at 125x, though less faint than eg 64.
eg 191:  Easily seen, big and round.  IC eg 1563 attached.
eg 7821:  A "slash" galaxy, seen clearly at 125x and 150x.  Possible stellar core.

Lepus

NGC Catalogue

gc 1904 (M 79):  The official sighting of this object, which I have viewed informally many times, was the best view I've had of it from my light-polluted back deck.  It was an outstanding night with low humidity, and I could actually see the stars in Lepus with naked eye.  Wonderful globular!  Very bright at 60x.  More stars resolved with each increase in power.  I used up to 200x to steadily resolve about 20 stars, with many more winking in and out.  I also had my best view ever of Jupiter that night, watching the red spot transit.  It was Sunday, Feb. 23rd.  It was 21 F (-9 C).

Monoceros

NGC Catalogue

oc 2251:  Attached on the north end to oc Bas 8 (see below).  Elongated, perhaps crescent-shaped cluster, seen well up to 125x.  Medium large, with brightest star a lovely and close double.

gn 2261:  Variable R was seen easily tonight.  "Hubble's Variable Nebulae" is an outstanding sight in a 12" mirror.  I saw it best with no filter.  High magnifications work well here.

IC Catalogue

gn 448:  A poor object, seen best with sky-glow filter (though it is reflection-type).  Oval haze surrounding bright star 13 Monoceros.  Nearby is 14, a good double star.  It's in a line of three, pointing towards oc Bas 8 and oc 2251.

Other  Catalogues

oc Bas 7:  Immediately following oc 2251.  A faint, curving line of stars leads to the main body.  Reminds me of a mini Hydra.  Not noticed in my milky sky until 100x.

oc Bas 8:  Lovely orange and blue double near the center, the brightest one in this large group.  I counted 35 stars at 60x.  Easy to hop between it and oc 2251, which are attached on maps.  Obviously 2251 is much further away.

oc Tr 5:  Hopelessly faint stars (below mag. 17); all that can be glimpsed here is a very faint, large patch.  Even 18" telescopes will have trouble resolving this group, which is reportedly quite rich in stars.

Mapman Mike

#40 Monoceros Clusters, Part 1

     I still remember my first view of oc 2244 and the Rosette Nebula.  It was late winter 1971, and I lived in Sudbury, Ontario.  Sudbury is a very cold place in the winter, and observing usually did not resume until March.  I was using a 40 mm refractor from K-Mart, with a table top tripod sitting on a tv table in my front yard, beneath a street light.  At 15x I was blown away by what I saw!  It was my first major object of the season, and my first ever in Monoceros.  The cluster was surrounded by faint nebula and I could count several stars, recognizing the now-familiar rectangular pattern of the main cluster body.  It was so cold that night I had difficulty focussing, but finally managed to get a superb view, one that has stayed with me all these years.  Armed only with the tiny star maps included with Olcott's guide to the heavens, there was nothing else immediately nearby to see and I soon moved north to oc 2264.

     Readers of this column know by now that I like to begin near a pre-selected object and explore the nearby vicinity for other objects of interest.  After I have completed work on the main object, I enjoy sweeping the area immediately surrounding it.  However, even careful sweeping with a 12" scope, which is usually undertaken at low power, can easily miss other less conspicuous gems.  This article will search out other deep sky objects within very easy reach of oc 2244.

     Let me go astray for a moment and talk briefly about travelling.  Some people like to try and see all of Europe in ten days, and book their trip of a lifetime accordingly.  My own taste in travel is exactly opposite to this.  I would rather center myself for ten days in a great city, such as London, Madrid, Copenhagen or Barcelona, exploring a much smaller area in detail and making short excursions out of the city to nearby sites of interest.  Not surprisingly, this is also a preferred method for me of observing the sky.  Find a major site or object, enjoy its richness with various eyepieces, filters, etc., and then see what else is nearby.  Have you ever observed the Leo Triplet of galaxies?  This is a stupendous site in a scope 8" or higher, worthy of many revisits.  However, there are more than three galaxies of interest, if the neighbourhood is explored in a little more detail.

     And now back to oc 2244.  The cluster itself is wonderful (as we have already seen) even in a very small refractor.  In a really dark sky it is visible to the naked eye!  The emission nebula surrounding the cluster is visible in good binoculars (I am told) as well as small telescopes.  In the 12" it is seen best with a nebula filter (not the cluster, which lies at the dark center).  I see something that reminds me of high cirrus clouds, a mottled haze that deepens and thins as one sweeps the large circle surrounding the star cluster itself.  The nebula is given several NGC numbers, including gn 2237, 2238, 2239, and 2246, each representing a different area of brightness, and the whole nebula takes up a vast area of sky (80' x 60', or over 1 degree).  To me the brightest part is in the north, around 1 o'clock to the cluster.

     Immediately surrounding the main cluster and nebula are no less than seven other open clusters, providing enough challenge and entertainment for an hour or more of star hop observing.  On a cold March night it is a welcome project to see so much and not move the telescope all over the sky.  This article assumes you are looking at Map 116 from Uranometria 2000, all sky edition.  Five clusters are from the Collinder catalogue, one is from Dolidze, and one is from the NGC list.  I will briefly discuss each one, moving clockwise on the map.

Uranometria 2000 (old edition), showing the Rosette Nebula in Monoceros and surrounding deep sky objects.

     Immediately north and a tad preceding 2244 is oc Cr 97.  This large (30'), scattered cluster has few but bright members, highlighted by yellow variable star AX and double star Struve 926 (7.7-8.5/12"), which I see as bluish white and reddish.

     Slightly north of 2244 and considerably preceding is oc Cr. 92.  About one third the size of Cr 97, it still appears fairly large and scattered.  However, this one has a denser knot of fainter stars that surround a star of 8.5 mag.  As magnification increases more stars come out to play.  The cluster seems medium rich but has many mostly faint members.

     South from Collinder 92 is oc Do 22.  Nearly erased by the bright star 8, look north preceding from that star.  The cluster lies between it and a tiny group of stars that resembles a mini-Lyra configuration.  The area in and around Do 22 is rich in stars and fun to sweep.  Getting back to star 8 for a moment, it is a lovely double star all on its own (4.5-6.5/13"), which I see as ivory and lilac.  A 12.5 mag. star can be seen 94" away.

     Moving to the 8 o'clock position from, and much closer to, 2244 are two Collinder groups that share a border.  Oc Cr 104 is the smaller of the two, though it is not small.  A large field of relatively bright stars are interspersed with dense pockets of fainter ones.  Sweep back and forth from it to 2244 for lovely star fields that are part of no cluster but sometimes just as lovely.  Immediately south following 104, and overlapping it on one side is oc Cr 107.  At 35' in size, it is larger than 2244!  It contains two named variable stars (V731 and V 732), and the official star count of 30 only considers the brightest members.  There are many more faint ones.  I used several eyepieces here, from 43x up to 120x.

     Moving to the 11 o'clock position from 2244 we come to oc 2252, one of my favourite clusters in this cluster-rich constellation.  I have nick-named this one the "Star Trek" cluster, as to me it roughly outlines the insignia worn by Star Fleet members; at least it seems so at lower power.  There are about a dozen brighter members, and too many fainter ones to sketch well.  The central area looks like a little cloud puff at 60x in the 12", but resolves nicely as magnification increases.  100x and 150x gave fine views.  Watch for two distinct lines of stars that meet at the apex.

     Our final cluster is north following 2252, and is the largest of the entire group (45').  oc Cr 106 and the area surrounding it are wonderful for casual sweeping and getting lost among the stars.  The cluster itself has many widely scattered bright stars, along with two areas of fairly intense fainter patches.  The following end has one of these faint groups, and the north preceding end has another, near a brighter star.  Also contained in the cluster is V640, called "Plaskett's Star."  It is a binary system consisting of two giant stars, and is one of the most massive systems in the galaxy.

     Monoceros is a rich constellation for telescope users.  Eight neighbouring clusters, a very large nebula, and some very fine areas for casual sweeping at low power make for a rich visual experience. I hope you  enjoy your visit to one small part of this amazing constellation!

Mapman

#39 Winter Observing In Canada

When November (2013) rolled around I had great plans for upcoming observing sessions.  Not a whole lot became of my plans.  One of the severest winters in memory struck (and continues to strike), dashing hopes of getting much of anything accomplished.  A few looks at Jupiter here, a couple of the Orion Nebula there.   Obscenely cold temperatures coupled with high winds, along with continually falling and blowing snow made even the most stalwart observer helpless and confused.  I managed two sessions in November, one in December, none in January, and two in February.  Though we had more clear nights than that, they were simply unusable.

It's not that we don't have the clothing for it, though the one weak link in the chain continues to be good gloves.  Being able to switch an eyepiece, focus properly, turn a page from the map book or hold a pencil is impossible if fingers are properly protected.  And if they aren't, then watch out!  Here is a list of my typical winter gear for observing.

-lined pants (extremely warm!)

-snow pants overtop

-T-Max Heat* thermal base layer shirt, long sleeves.

-turtle neck sweater

-T-Max Heat* sweater, zippered high

-light jogging jacket, zippered tight

-snorkel parka, full length, synthetic down

-warm socks

- heavy over-socks, T-Max Heat*

-lined winter boots

-winter ear band

-toque

-jacket hood, if required

-two pair light gloves (dollar store), with T-Max Heat* hand warmers inside

-pair of large, very bulky, very warm winter mittens overtop double gloves.  Mitten comes off temporarily for eyepiece or other work.

*T-Max is part of Wind River brand, sold at Marks Work Warehouse in Canada

It takes quite a while to get dressed and ready to go outside!  And once dressed, you must go outside or you will faint!  Now the back deck must be prepared, too.  The home site is inundated with light pollution from nearby subdivisions and county roads.  The south sky is polluted by the lights of my hometown, Amherstburg, Ontario.  We erect tarps on two sides (south and east) to protect our eyes from oncoming traffic headlights.  A third side is protected by the garage which is attached to our house (west), and the fourth side from a large hedge (north).  Our north and west sky is polluted by lights from the Windsor/Detroit megapolis.  If it is too windy we cannot erect the tarps, and thus we cannot observe.  Our best sky is overhead and east, though we have no problems with clusters, nebula, double stars etc, in almost any direction.  Finding galaxies is a challenge.

Now it's time to set up the two telescopes.  The 12" takes about fifteen minutes from basement to deck, while the 6" requires less than five minutes.  In conclusion, serious winter observing is a huge undertaking.  I remember our first session in February of this year (2014).  We got set up, began observing, and clouds rolled in.  We waited patiently for an hour before calling things off.  In came the scopes, down came the tarps, off came the clothing.  Suddenly, it cleared up and remained clear the rest of the night!  We had no ambition to redo our setup, so we just remained indoors and in bad moods the rest of the night.

Finally, on the night of the 23rd of February, we hit the jackpot!  Clear skies, light winds, and temperatures that were tolerable if one was properly dressed (-6 C).  We were very snug in our little environment, and the observing was top notch!  I observed a number of deep sky objects and had the best look at Jupiter I ever have.  The red spot was in the very center of the planet (though north of the equator), and was so distinct and three dimensional that it just popped out at the viewer.  It was a deep orange, almost the same colour as Hind's Crimson Star in Lepus.  Detail on the equatorial belts was similarly astounding!

Lepus is my current winter constellation, and though very few of the fine galaxies within its borders can be seen from my deck, the double star viewing is amazing.  Several highlights of Lepus include M 79 (I had my finest view of it ever that night, resolving nearly 20 stars with the 12" in a very low and light polluted area of sky), Hind's Crimson Star (which I always check on during any winter session), a multiple star that also has an NGC designation (oc 2017), and double stars galore.  My favourite doubles are Kappa, a difficult object if south skies are too fluid, Gamma (lovely in very small scopes, too), ADS 4741 (a stunning triple), h 3750 and h 3752.  Also of interest in Lepus is pn IC 418.  Although it requires a large aperture and very high power (and thus a night of good seeing) to see much, observing the famous "Spirograph Nebula" is also a highlight of spending an hour or two in Lepus.  The nebula can be seen in small scopes, but it is tiny.  If a dark south sky is available, there are any number of galaxies to visit, several within range of 6" scopes.  Sadly my home sky does not permit this.

While overall winter observing this year was fraught with obstacles, even one or two good nights make the season worthwhile.  As Spring slowly begins to overpower Old Man Winter I will begin to observe in Monoceros, and then Leo.  Nights will still be cold for some time, but hopefully we will be able to make use of  them a little more often.

Mapman Mike



#38 Monthly Summary # 8: October/November 2013

It's now been one year of observing with the 12".  When I first set out to find all the NGC objects I could from my location, I thought it would be a daunting and difficult task.  I had no idea.  I figured that pointing a 12" Dob into the overhead sky would reveal anything and everything I wished to see.  It did, but what a task!  I expected (and got) trouble low on the horizon (see my previous post), but did not expect that much difficulty with overhead skies.  Finding some of these little faint objects from the NGC list has been really, really hard!  However, the experience I have gained in the past year has been impressive.  Knowing the limitations of one's scope (and eyes) is so important to observing.  It has been a lot of fun finding my limitations.

The good news is that I have seen every NGC and IC object in Lyra and Cygnus, and I am nearly done with Cassiopeia!  Last lunar cycle did not produce a bonanza of clear nights.  There were three that worked for us.  My biggest conquest (well, one of them) was locating the final unseen NGC galaxy in Lyra.  I saw it 45 minutes after sunset in one of the clearest skies I have ever experienced.  What makes eg 6686 so hard to see is its faintness (obviously) and its proximity to a bright star (mag 7.5, which looks like a streetlight in a 12").  I tried a number of times this summer.  However, the sky on this night was as perfect as it gets, and "bingo," there it was, in all its faint fuzziness.

Other impressive accomplishments include locating (just barely) eg 45 in Cetus, and enjoying my best view ever of pn 246, not far away.  The three sessions saw us observe for 11.5 hours.  I snagged 21 new NGC objects and one IC, plus 9 open clusters from other catalogues.  I give the facts below.

LYRA

eg 6686:  Mag. 14.45.  Very faint and elusive, but visible at 125x and 150x.  Small and round.  This completes my work in Lyra!!

CASSIOPEIA

gn 896:  These two nebula appear together, separated by a small black lane.  896 is quite good with a filter, and is the brighter of the two.
gn I 1795:  Appearing with 896 at low and medium powers, it is involved with a mag. 9 star.  Both easy objects with the ultrablock filter on a very fine night.
eg 1343:  Mag. 13.5.  Located at 125x, and observed at 150x and 200x.  Faint overall, but showing a brighter middle, and noticeably elongated.  2 faint stars lie immediately north.

CETUS

eg 45:  Mag. 12.5.  One of the biggest challenges in Cetus for northern observers is this large, very low surface brightness galaxy.  After many tries, I saw it on this one superb night.  6.9 mag. and 9.9 mag stars make this even harder to see.  Expect faint patchiness, in at least two locations.  Located at -23 degrees.  Good luck.
eg 113:  Mag. 13.3.  Oval and faint, a brighter center was noted at 200x.
eg 114:  Mag. 12.9.  Paired with 118, this was smaller but somewhat brighter.
eg 117:  Mag. 13.8.  Difficult object.  Seen at 125x and 150x.  Round.
eg 118:  Mag. 12.95.  Larger than 114, but seen with it at medium powers.  Large and fainter.
eg 120:  Mag. 13.35.  Threshold object at 125x.  Noticeably elongated at 150x.
eg 124:  Mag. 13.1.  Tricky to locate.  Big and oval, best with a.v.  Close to 114, 118.
eg 132:  Mag. 13.2.  Easy to spot at 60x!  Round and ghostly at 100x.  Much brighter at 200x, and quite large.  Sits amidst three faint stars.
eg 145:  Mag. 13.15.  Oval, faint and best with a.v. at 100x, 125x.
eg 161:  Mag. 13.35.  Like a star out of focus at 125x.  Very small.  150x shows elongation.  200x shows a stellar core.
eg 173:  Mag. 14.1.  Ghostly at 125x, it was acceptable at 150x and 200x.  Very large with a low surface brightness, I wish to return here for a 2nd look.
eg 179:  Mag. 13.05.  At -18 degrees.  Spotted at 100x.  Oval with a bright middle or perhaps a star within.  125x and 150x shows well.
eg 209:  Mag. 12.95.  1 degree S of 179!  Small, round and very faint.  Appears to have a stellar core.
eg 255:  Mag. 12.9.  Lying at -11 degrees, 28', this one has proved impossible up till my one fabulous night.  Easy tonight!  Round and ghostly, like a planetary nebula.  Large at 125x (though considerably smaller than nearby pn 246).
eg 1070: Mag. 12.75.  Seen at 60x, 100x, 125x and 150x.  Round, faint but large.  Oval at 150x.
eg 1085: Mag. 12.8.  Small and faint.  Should be brighter.  Will return for a 2nd look.
eg 1137: Mag. 13.  Views improve at 125x and 150x.  Considerably elongated using a.v.
eg 1153: Mag. 12.35.  Small and faint.  Oval at 150x, with a brighter middle.

CLUSTERS FROM OTHER CATALOGUES

Cassiopeia

oc Be 4:  15 faint stars around a bright one.
oc Be 61:  Small, hazy patch at 60x.  Resolves at 125x upward, but very few stars. 
oc Be 62:  A dozen faint stars involved with a 5-star asterism.  Use high power.
oc Be 104:  S of star V639.  6 stars resolved at 250x, hampered by the variable.
oc Do 13: Large and widely scattered group.  About 40 stars at 100x, many of them bright.  Attractive group.
oc King 1:  Very faint at 60x.  150x shows 16 stars in 2 groups.  A bright group is adjacent.
oc Skiff j00584+6878:  125x begins to show a dozen stars, widely scattered.  Out of the way.
oc St 18:  Line of 5 bright stars.  2nd from west surrounded by faint stars.
oc St 21:  A 'V'-shaped group was noted, open end to the NW.  The line of stars in the S (running E-W) has a compact group of very faint stars around it.  The whole 'V' is attractive.

Mapman

#37 How Low Can You Go?

This short entry will discuss observing NGC objects near the horizon; in my case, towards the south and east.  My latitude is 42 degrees N, so that limits how far south I can see on a good night (it is next to useless to attempt low objects on a less-than decent night).  The fainter the object, the more difficult it is to see when it is down low.  A few objects recently attempted in Cetus have seen my scope pointed nearly horizontal.  If I were attempting to split a bright, wide double star, this would not pose too much of a problem.  Neither would locating a large, bright open cluster, or a large and bright globular cluster.  M 7 is way down there at -35 degrees, though it usually looks pretty fair from my site.  I have successfully observed down to -42 degrees, glimpsing oc 6231 in Scorpius one time with my 8".  That time the scope was flat out horizontal, and the cluster was at its highest point.  Omega Centauri, the globular cluster everyone wants to see at least once in their lifetime, has reportedly been seen from Point Pelee National Park by a member of our club, just a few miles from my location.  It lies below -47 degrees!!  Our local club (Windsor RASC) sponsors dark sky nights there once a month, and the south horizon view over Lake Erie can be very good.  This is the southern-most tip of mainland Canada, and lies at 41 degrees 55 minutes N latitude.

So those are the extremes.  For me, -42 degrees.  From my county (and country), -47 degrees.  But what about "normal" low horizon deep sky observing?  As mentioned, M 7 is getting pretty low, at -35 degrees.  Everything above that can be seen on a good night, with exceptions.  Below that, views can get very unsettled.  Very faint globulars are a problem, and then there are galaxies.  I have been researching my lowest easily obtained galaxies of late, and find that I must be pointing up pretty high to see the really faint ones.   Using Cetus as my example, here are some interesting tidbits.

Cetus drops to nearly -25 degrees.  I am not happy when I am observing galaxies down there, faint or otherwise.  Not only am I looking through a lot of atmosphere when my scope is pointed down that far, but southern sky light pollution turns that part of the sky a milky hue, making it impossible to see galaxies.  I have glimpsed eg 253, the Sculptor Galaxy, which lies just below -25 degrees.  It was not a showpiece sight, but it was viewable.  I have (barely) glimpsed eg 45 in Cetus.  This would be a tough object even if overhead, but its position at -23 degrees makes it a formidable task, even for a 12".  I have tried for years to glimpse this object, finally having success last month on a truly spectacular night.  My life is now nearly complete.

On that same night I also had my first really satisfactory view of pn 246.  It has a low surface brightness and lies at -12 degrees.  However, despite seeing perhaps a dozen brighter galaxies down there, it is hardly worth it.  It usually takes several attempts, and not much is seen except a ghostly haze.  Things begin to get more comfortable for me at around -8 degrees.  From here on up, even the dim galaxies begin to pop out.  From -6 degrees up, I am finally back to 100% certainty of locating almost any NGC object!

Finding out my low sky limitations has been enormously helpful.  I no longer waste precious time on cold nights trying to locate objects that are all but impossible from my location.  I have not given up on the more southerly objects, but will save them for a planned expedition to New Mexico next autumn.  Observing from 32 degrees N should make the job reasonably promising, along with darker skies.  Do you know your low sky limitations?  Try some brighter objects down there, and then slowly try for fainter and fainter, until there is... nothing.  Like me, you just might learn something!

Mapman Mike

#36 September/October 2013: Summary of Observing #7

It was quite a month of clear skies!  Of course there were 6 cloudy nights centered around new moon, an all-too familiar pattern around here.  But we managed 12 observing sessions beginning just before last quarter moon and continuing till first quarter.  That enabled me to finish up Cygnus, a project I thought would take at least two years.  I am also deep into Cassiopeia now, and beginning to flirt again with Cetus.

Deb and I have been observing a lot at the club's observatory location near Comber, ON Canada.  Though far from perfect, especially in the south and the northwest, overhead skies are superior on good nights.  For example, I was able to finally see the central star of the Ring Nebula in the 12"!  I was mighty pleased about that.  I was also able to glimpse the illusive IC galaxy 1296 for the first time, very close to M 57!  And I helped out a fellow member, whose 20" mirror is in for service, observe a 15.2 mag. variable star.  So it is no surprise that I located every object I went after except for one, a faint Berkeley cluster.

Here is what I accomplished in the past month.  If it seems like a lot, it is, but we put in hours and hours of observing.  12 sessions, with more than 48 hours at the eyepiece!  I observed 137 objects in Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Cetus and Lyra (only 2 in Lyra).  This includes:

20 double stars
66 NGC/IC objects (24 of them brand new to me)
51 clusters from other catalogues.

If that sounds like a lot, it is.  However, that's less than 3 objects per hour, so I am staying pretty true to my goal of not rushing through things.  Some faint objects take more time to hunt down than to observe and make notes about them, but the good ones deserve and get plenty of observing time from me.  I added 10 new sketches to my collection, too.  That's not nearly enough, but I already plan on revisiting certain objects next summer with the hope of drawing them at the eyepiece.

What were the highlights?  For Cygnus, see the previous blog entry, which summarizes the best of the whole constellation.  The two things I saw in Lyra were major accomplishments for me and my scope.  One was that central star in the Ring Nebula, M 57.  I have tried before, but on that one night everything clicked.  I saw it three separate times, mostly winking in and out, and best with averted vision.  I also saw the faint, nearby galaxy I 1296, which I had tried to see all summer.  Very faint and elusive, but unmistakeable at last!  There is only one NGC galaxy left in Lyra for me to see.  Maybe next year.

So I will mostly discuss Cassiopeia in this blog entry, and a bit of Cetus.  Cassiopeia is a truly amazing constellation, filled with some fine nebulae (though not on par with Cygnus), galaxies, planetary nebula and clusters.  Oh, those clusters!  Several of them are better than anything in Cygnus.

Cassiopeia Highlights

oc 457:  Stunning object in virtually any instrument, this one does require a low to moderate power.  For my scope 83x was the ideal range.  I also saw it well in the 6" at 84x.  Highlighted by 3 bright stars, it is a moderately rich group.  Worth coming back to often.  Makes a nice showpiece for star parties or beginning observers.  oc 438 is very close by, showing about 30 stars at higher power.

 oc 581--M 103:  Not an object to hurry over, especially with a 12".  Not as instantly likeable as M 52, nor as many stars, it is still beautiful and quite rich.  The cluster remains bright, even at higher powers.  A yellow star on one end, an orange one near the middle and a triple on the opposite side of the yellow one make a nice beginning.  The cluster is quite dense but don't be put off.  Even a 6" shows the group well.

oc 654:  Already rich and dense at 60x, the stars swarm around a yellow 7.5 mag. star.  This reminds me of a Berkeley cluster on steroids!  High power shows 30 faint members.

oc 663:  An outstanding cluster in my 12" mirror!  Large and bright, I viewed it at 60, 100 and 125x.  Though a major showpiece in my scope, it is bright enough to be appreciated in almost any aperture.  A rich cluster, highly recommended.  Two pair of double stars, one on either side of the group, add interest.

oc I 166:  A cloud of extremely faint haze was noted just preceding a mag. 9 star.  Stars begin to resolve at 200x.  This looks like a job for a 16"!

oc St 2:  On the border with Perseus, this group is an utter wonder at 43x!  The eyepiece is filled with bright stars in a dense field.  Great in the 6" scope, too.

oc St 5:  Another large, scattered cluster good at low to medium power.  Contains a star circle, and V781, an orange star.  Fine for all apertures.

oc Cr 463:  A huge group, best at 43x.  Widely scattered but rich in bright stars.

oc King 14:  The best of three clusters, all appearing in a 100x field.  Largest of the three and most interesting to view.  150x shows 30+ stars.  oc 133 is hard to identify.  Look for 4 bright stars in an uneven N/S line.  The 2nd star from the N is a close double.  13 stars seen at 250x.  oc 146 is just preceding.  An 11.6 mag. star lies at the center of a faint, hazy cloud at 60x.  25 stars resolve at 150x.

oc King 21:  An impressive number of stars can be seen at 125x and 150x.  The cluster is near a bright triple star.

I must mention one triple star.  Iota Cass. is not to be missed, looking splendid in both the 6" and the 12"!

Cetus

Six galaxies were observed in the lower part of Cetus, a difficult project for me.  Southern light pollution is a problem at the observatory, plus the fact that my scope is pointing just a bit higher than horizontal.

eg 47:  A bright star adjacent hampers views.  Best seen at 150x, when the star is out of the field.
eg 50: Noticeably elongated at 125x and 150x, especially using averted vision.
eg 54:  Very elongated at medium power.  Use averted vision.
eg 59:  Large and fairly bright, I only saw it one night, despite trying again a few times.
eg 61 A/B:  Seen as one big blob, I was expecting two separate galaxies.  Look for two "bright" centers, slightly apart but at different angles.

Clear skies to all!
Mapman Mike