Abell Galaxy Clusters 2197 & 2199

[Mark Moyer]

Galaxy season is pretty much over for us here in the north. However, the overlapping galaxy clusters AGC 2197 and 2199 are high enough in the sky I can observe them well after culmination, so that was my main plan for last night. I started around 10pm when the sky was fairly dark but not nearly as dark as later in the night. After star hopping into the area, I worked on a part of the cluster around NGC 6166. I ended up viewing 27 galaxies, almost all of them MCG or 2MASX galaxies. While I've mostly been hunting misc. NGC galaxies the past few months, it was nice to get back to some galaxy cluster hunting. I always find it a fun challenge to spot so many galaxies in such a small area. In this case the 27 galaxies were all within a circle about 1/2 degree in diameter (and there are quite a few more that I didn't see just because the cluster got too low for good observing).

The forecast is back to clouds for a while, but because this cluster is so high, I may continue the search in a few weeks (i.e., next lunar cycle).

[kt4hx]

Nice Mark. AGC 2197 and 2199 are fine clusters indeed. I was in them on 25 June of last year at the dark site with the 17.5 inch. I observed 25 galaxies in AGC 2197 and 18 in AGC 2199 before the clouds shut me down.

Actually I consider galaxy season to be year round when one has access to darker skies and larger aperture. There are several UGC galaxies in Cygnus and Lyra is moderately galaxy rich. I've also had some good results in Delphinus and Equuleus. Granted they are not in the same level of profusion as in our spring into early summer, but especially as we move into autumn up here, the numbers ramp up again.

[turboscrew]

Cool!

[helicon]

Nice observations Mark! Thanks for the report and congrats on winning the TSS Visual Award of the day!

[Unitron48]

Great session, Mark...and congrats on the VROD award!

Dave

[Bigzmey]

Congrats on the successful session and VROD, Mark! I hope you will be able to continue next new moon. I am hoping for the same here .

[John Baars]

Quite exciting to find all those galaxies in the Hercules Cluster. Twenty-seven within a small field of view, Wow!
Congratulations on the VROD!

[Makuser]

Hello Mark. I am glad that you had a great session, and spotting 27 galaxies withing a 1/2 degree diameter was a fun packed experience. Thanks for your observation report Mark, and congratulations on winning the TSS VROD Award today.

[Ylem]

Nice Mark, and congratulations on the VROD!

[Mark Moyer]

Many thanks, everyone, for the kind words. And VROD -- I didn't even know such a thing exists! It's a pretty cool idea, and thank you for the award!

[Mark Moyer]

Nice Mark. AGC 2197 and 2199 are fine clusters indeed. I was in them on 25 June of last year at the dark site with the 17.5 inch. I observed 25 galaxies in AGC 2197 and 18 in AGC 2199 before the clouds shut me down.

Actually I consider galaxy season to be year round when one has access to darker skies and larger aperture. There are several UGC galaxies in Cygnus and Lyra is moderately galaxy rich. I've also had some good results in Delphinus and Equuleus. Granted they are not in the same level of profusion as in our spring into early summer, but especially as we move into autumn up here, the numbers ramp up again.

Hi Alan,
One problem is my latitude. It means darkness falls pretty late and light comes pretty early. Plus, it means areas of the sky that aren't high (e.g., Virgo) drop too low earlier and rise later than at lower latitudes. My normal viewing site is fair as far as darkness goes, but not great.
But you're certainly right that there are still galaxies viewable by me year round (at least when transparency is good here). If I'm already viewing UGC galaxies and 2MASX galaxies, then there are definitely going to be some of those available any season. I guess for these, though, it's a matter of preference. I find it fun viewing the very dim galaxies when they're in a galaxy cluster, but otherwise (unless there's something else interesting about them) I probably wouldn't go after them. So as far as the brighter galaxies go, there's not much (but I wouldn't say nothing) I can do at this time of year. As an example, although there are gads of galaxies in the Herschel 2500 that I haven't seen, I've viewed all those between RA 17:00 and 22:00. But even this next month things should improve for me with Aquarius and Pegasus becoming viewable earlier, so I'm looking forward to those.
Plus, even if galaxies aren't good for a while (though, as you say, in some sense they're good year round), it's good for me to switch gears and view some asteroids, quasars, comets, etc.

[kt4hx]

Nice Mark. AGC 2197 and 2199 are fine clusters indeed. I was in them on 25 June of last year at the dark site with the 17.5 inch. I observed 25 galaxies in AGC 2197 and 18 in AGC 2199 before the clouds shut me down.

Actually I consider galaxy season to be year round when one has access to darker skies and larger aperture. There are several UGC galaxies in Cygnus and Lyra is moderately galaxy rich. I've also had some good results in Delphinus and Equuleus. Granted they are not in the same level of profusion as in our spring into early summer, but especially as we move into autumn up here, the numbers ramp up again.

Hi Alan,
One problem is my latitude. It means darkness falls pretty late and light comes pretty early. Plus, it means areas of the sky that aren't high (e.g., Virgo) drop too low earlier and rise later than at lower latitudes. My normal viewing site is fair as far as darkness goes, but not great.
But you're certainly right that there are still galaxies viewable by me year round (at least when transparency is good here). If I'm already viewing UGC galaxies and 2MASX galaxies, then there are definitely going to be some of those available any season. I guess for these, though, it's a matter of preference. I find it fun viewing the very dim galaxies when they're in a galaxy cluster, but otherwise (unless there's something else interesting about them) I probably wouldn't go after them. So as far as the brighter galaxies go, there's not much (but I wouldn't say nothing) I can do at this time of year. As an example, although there are gads of galaxies in the Herschel 2500 that I haven't seen, I've viewed all those between RA 17:00 and 22:00. But even this next month things should improve for me with Aquarius and Pegasus becoming viewable earlier, so I'm looking forward to those.
Plus, even if galaxies aren't good for a while (though, as you say, in some sense they're good year round), it's good for me to switch gears and view some asteroids, quasars, comets, etc.

I understand where you are coming from in regard to latitude and loss of significant observing time during the summer. I've been far enough north to witness no astronomical darkness and am thankful I do not have to endure that each summer. I am indeed fortunate that I have a pretty good observing site at the other house. I can typically start galaxy hunting a little before full astronomical darkness under average conditions.

Absolutely it is a matter of preference. Some folks don't like observing galaxies much at all simply because most do not reveal details other than shape, size and perhaps uneven brightness within the disk. I on the other hand revel in even the dimmest of the dim for my scope and conditions. While I love details as much as anyone, for me it is the challenge of seeing them either in swarms or singularly, and the concept of seeing these objects over the time and distance involved. It is just how I am wired. Bottom line is we each approach this hobby in the manner that best suits us and gives us the most enjoyment, and that is how it should be.

[turboscrew]

I, too, can understand the problems with the latitude.

[kt4hx]

I, too, can understand the problems with the latitude.

Indeed Turbo, you are in the bright zone up there!