6/4/21
Location: Anza desert site,
Bortle 3.5
Equipment: Celestron 9.25” Edge HD
SCT and Celestron 150ST
achro on
SW SkyTee 2 manual AltAz mount.
After relatively dry winter the desert is not very picturesque, but we are really enjoying seasonal colors around our house. Here are pics of enormous blooming jacaranda tree of our neighbors and the cacti from our garden.
This evening I have continued where I left off last week.
Draco galaxies (all observed with 9.25” Edge
SCT).
NGC 3961 – small round disk with stellar core. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 4034 – extremely faint oval detected with averted vision (AV) by shaking
EP. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 4120 – narrow lens with AV. Pentax XW14 (168x) and XW10 (235x).
NGC 4159 – very faint spot with AV. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 4210 – round disk with brighter central area. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 4238 – extremely small lens with AV. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 4331 – This one took a while to detect. All wide fields I have tried failed. Almost gave up, but then remembered about minimal glass. BCO 10mm (235x) has resolved small knot of light with AV.
NGC 4332 – elongated oval with core and bar resolved. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 4363 – fuzzy star with AV, took a while to detect. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 4386 – bright galaxy, elongated oval with brighter central area and compact round core. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 4857 – small elongated spec with AV. Pentax XW14 (168x).
I have logged all Draco targets on my list for the evening. Took a break to observe Sagittarius Milky Way clouds rising. What a site! The summer has arrived.
Sat for a while tracing naked eye intricate structure of the summer Milky Way from Cassiopeia to Scorpio. It felt a bit silly to turn away from all this grander to pop the eyes on barely visible fuzzies. But those galaxies only stay in the optimal area for short period of time and there are a lot to catch!
Ursa Minor galaxy
NGC 5547 – This one was listed under wrong constellation (UMa) on my list. Tiny spec with AV. Pentax XW10 (235x).
Ursa Major galaxies (all observed with 9.25” Edge
SCT).
NGC 5540 – small round disk with AV. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 5526 – very faint small spec with AV. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 5486 – small elongated AV oval in the same
FOV with
NGC 5485. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 5484 – fuzzy star with AV below
NGC 5485. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 5477 – small very faint spot with AV, detected by moving
EP. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 5475 – small sharp narrow lens with compact core. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 5402 – narrow faint shape with AV, detected by moving
EP. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 5372 – small oval with AV. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 5370 – small disk with stellar core. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 5368 – small round disk with brighter core. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 5342 – small elongated spec. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 5294 – extremely faint small oval detected with AV by shaking
EP. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 5278 and
NGC 5279 – two ovals next to each other,
NGC 5278 is brighter. Pentax XW10 (235x).
Despite difficult targets I found this session very relaxing. Crisp night desert air, owl hooting nearby, coyotes chorus in a distance, starry sky slowly rotating above, occasional meteor, all came together as well orchestrated nature’s play and brought feeling of tranquility.
I have wrapped it up reluctantly around 01:00, hit the slipping bag around 01:30 and woke up around 07:00 well rested. Morning desert was warm and energetic – stark contrast to the cool calm of the night. It was a bit sad to leave, but I will be back!