So my intent was to return to Aries to pick up some more new galaxies as my primary thrust for the night. But first I turned to chart 77-left in the Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas (IDSA) to chase down a few new galaxies in Piscis Austrinus to acclimate my observing eye to the sky before digging deeper in Aries. Locating Tau PsA (mag 4.9) and Mu PsA (mag 4.5) I worked to the southwest a little in the general direction of the PsA-Grus border. So with that set up, let’s move into what I was able to pull down from a dark rural sky.
(Equipment used)
17.5 inch
Ethos 13mm (152x, 0.7° TFOV, 2.9mm exit pupil)
XW 10mm (199x, 0.4° TFOV, 2.2mm exit pupil)
XW 7mm (283x, 0.2° TFOV, 1.6mm exit pupil)
Centering on Mu PsA, I slipped 1° south to mag 5.0 Upsilon PsA, then turned southwest for not quite 1.5° to pick up my first object for this evening. Using 152x this elliptical appeared as a small and slightly dim rounded glow near a gentle smile of three field stars (11th and 12th mag). Taking a look with 199x it remained homogeneous to the eye, and while slightly dim, it was still obvious in the field. (New)
Nearly 3° west of the previous object I located this lenticular next to a triangle of three field stars (9th, 10th and 11th mag). Picked up with152x it was the brightest of three galaxies within the same field of view. It presented as a rounded homogeneous glow that was small in angular extent and slightly dim to the eye. Its appearance remained similar at 199x. (New)
About 18’ WSW of
Nearly 29’ west of
A little over 1° east of
Going back to Mu PsA, I slid west just over 1° to pick up this lenticular. Viewing with 152x it was small and slightly out of round in appearance. Its envelope was diffuse with a very subtle uptick in brightness into the core. Taking a look at 199x the noted central brightness was resolved into an intermittent stellar core. (New)
I slid again just over 1°, but to the south of the previous object. Here I located a small slender finger of dim light exhibiting an intermittent stellar core. The view at 199x was similar, though the galaxy was easier to discern. (New)
After loosening up my observing eye a bit down south, I headed back north to continue my galaxy hunting in Aries from the night before. I closed the IDSA and cracked the Uranometria atlas to chart 99 for the remainder of my outing.
Aiming the scope at the double star Gamma Arietis, I then moved southeast for over 1.5° to pick up mag 5.1 Iota Arietis. The almost 2.5° farther SSE to a large triangle of three field stars (7th and 8th mag). Along one side of the figure I located this spiral. Picked up at 152x it presented a small and dim homogeneous rounded dust bunny. It remained a little weak visually at 199x, but not difficult. (New)
About 13’ ENE of the previous object I located this lenticular next to an 11th mag field star. At 152x I was picking up a small and dim oval glow with an intermittent stellar core pinned to its center. Taking a look with 199x it was a little more obvious in the view, while the core remained weakly stellar. (New)
Moving now to the northeast almost half a degree, I swept up this galaxy using 152x. It was lying immediately east of an 11th mag field star. It presented a slightly bright, small and thick oval with a smooth and even envelope. It was very obvious at 199x and remained a nice homogeneous oval. (New)
Only about 17.5’ west of
Hopping south for nearly 1.5° I found a pair of galaxies about 12’ northwest of a mag 9.5 field star. The largest and brightest of the duo is this barred spiral. At 152x it displayed a slightly dim, small oval of light with a stellar core. Viewing with 199x I picked up a small central lens of brightness surrounding the stellar core within the extended dimmer halo. (New)
In the same field of view and about 2’ southwest of
Slipping slowly southwest for a hair over 1° I picked up another pair of galaxies close together. This lenticular was the northern of the two and by far the brightest. At 152x it presented a small and dim round homogeneous envelope that was evenly illuminated. Similar in appearance at 199x, it was nonetheless easily seen. It remained homogeneous even at 283x with no hint of interior detail. (New)
UGC 1468 (Aries, spiral galaxy, mag=15.1, size=1.3’x0.6’, SBr=14.6):
Just 4’ to the south lay this very dim spiral. It was not seen at all as I studied
I now slowly hopped into the southwestern corner of Aries near its border with Pisces to look for a scattering of galaxies. The western-most was this dim little dust bunny, just over 3° WSW of the previous duo. At 152x it presented a smoothly illuminated disk, which didn’t change at 199x. Though it was dim, it was not a difficult object to see. (New)
A mere half a degree east of the last object I located another close pairing of galaxies. The eastern most, brighter and larger of the two was this small round diffuse disk which yielded an intermittent stellar core. Clearly dominating its neighbor at 283x, its stellar core was quite apparent now. (New)
Immediately west of and almost in contact with
UGC 1271 (Aries, barred lenticular galaxy, mag=13.1, size=1.7’x0.9’, SBr=13.4):
Merely 10’ NNW of the
UGC 1261 (Aries, spiral galaxy, mag=14.5, size=1.5’x0.4’, SBr=13.8):
Another 15’ or so onward to the NNW I encountered this dim little bunny. Fairly dim at both 152x and 199x, it was evenly illuminated across it’s out of round disk and otherwise non-descript. (New)
UGC 1274 (Aries, spiral galaxy, mag=13.9, size=1.5’x0.4’, SBr=13.2):
Shifting my attention south (about 12’) of the primary pair (
UGC 1282 (Aries, lenticular galaxy, mag=13.1, size=1.5’x0.7’, SBr=13.0):
Another 21’ to the south I pulled down my next galaxy. At 152x it was small and dim, and as the previous object revealed an intermittent stellar core. Using 199x its appearance really didn’t change other than being a little more visually obvious. (New)
UGC 1260 (Aries, barred spiral galaxy, mag=13.1, size=1.0’x0.7’, SBr=12.6):
A bit over 15’ to the northwest of the previous object I spotted my next one. This barred spiral, also known as Markarian 575 was observed at both 152x and 199x, revealing a small and dim out of round envelope that was evenly illuminated. (New)
The mag 7.1 star HD 11520 lay 1° east of the grouping of galaxies, and 7.5’ west of the star I located this slightly bright and small homogeneous oval. Very obvious at 152x, it was even stronger within the field at 199x. (New)
South of the grouping of galaxies I had just observed I notched this little round spiral. Viewed with both 152x and 199x it was a dim, but not difficult, homogeneous disk. (New)
UGC 1290 (Aries, spiral galaxy, mag=14.1, size=0.7’x0.5’, SBr=12.8):
Almost 8’ northwest of and in the same field of view with the last object I could just discern this object using 152x. Going quickly to 199x its presence was confirmed as a small and fairly dim diffuse out of round glow. (New)
Nudging southwest of
Moving back up to the northeast a little bit, I snagged this elliptical with 152x. It presented a small, thick oval glow that despite its listed magnitude seemed slightly bright to my eye, and smooth in illumination. At 199x it was not difficult at all and displayed a very small non-stellar brightness in its core region. Interestingly this is a double system with a 16th mag PGC 3126708 (likely a foreground object) immediately east of the core involved in the disk of
While in the area I stopped by this galaxy which I previously observed about three years ago from our home backyard (
A little over 2° east of
As I studied
About 11’ west of the previous pair, is another pair. As with a couple of the other galaxies above, this barred spiral was observed about three years ago at home. In the 12 inch at home it was very weak visually. This evening it was a small and slightly bright elongated oval at 152x and 199x. Its envelope was evenly illuminated. I went up to 283x in an attempt at picking up mag 15.5
I now swept about 3° southeast to pick up mag 7.4 HD 15029. Just 19’ northeast of this star I found my next target. At 199x it was a small and dim homogeneous oval glow. Though easier at 199x, it remained a smooth disk and dim. (New)
Again I stopped by another galaxy observed during the same session three years ago. At home with the 12 inch it was a very weak object. This evening in darker skies with the 17.5 inch it was a small oval that was subtly bright and revealed a stellar core. Also taking a look at 199x it was quite easy.
Just over 1° to the southeast I located my last field for the evening just north of mag 6.7 HD 16499 and close to the border with Cetus. This spiral presented a subtly large and somewhat bright oval with a stellar core pinned to its center. At 199x it was a strongly obvious elongated oval with a strong stellar core. A dim mag 13 field star lay off its eastern edge. (New)
My final galaxy shared the field of view with
It was now just after 2200 hours and at three hours in, I felt I’d had enough and was ready to head back inside for a good night’s rest. We would be heading back home in the morning and had a couple of stops to make on the way. I thank you for coming along on these two nights of discovery with me. I hope to see you all out there again soon.
