What a night!

[Bigzmey]

10/4/19

Previous trip to Anza was a bust. I drove for two hours just to discover clouds and more clouds; turned around and went home. This seems to earn me some credit with clouds gods, so this time I arrive to the nice clear skies. The half Moon was up and after setting the scopes I hit the sleeping bag to wait it out.

Woke up around 11:00. The Moon was setting down and at the first glance the sky was nothing special. I watched the moonset and after the last bit of it disappeared the sky transformed. I see sky that good once or twice per year tops.

North America Nebula and Triangulum Galaxy were direct view naked eye objects. Double cluster was resolved in two with naked eye, and even some stars within were visible. Andromeda Galaxy was huge, fainter disk and brighter core resolved naked eye.

I was sitting there soaking up the views and Draconids decided to top it up. There was a burst with meteors flashing here and there for a couple of minutes. It was so good that I decided to drop my plans and just enjoy the meteors and naked eye views for the night. Of cause the moment I made that decision the meteor shower stopped. I waited for a while and around midnight went to my scopes.

Cetus
NGC 132 – gal – faint oval with brighter central area. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 154 – gal – faint disk with brighter core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x) and XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 163 – gal – faint disk with stellar core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 165 – gal – same FOV with NGC 163. Much fainter galaxy resolved with averted vision (AV). 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 173 – gal – AV oval with stellar core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 171 (aka NGC 175) – gal – faint oval with brighter central area. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 191 – gal – faint oval. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 192, 196, 201 – 3 galaxies in the same FOV. NGC 192 and 196 – AV disks with brighter cores. NGC 201 – faintest, oval with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x) and XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 216 – gal – elongated disk with AV, stellar core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 227 – gal – small disk with brighter central area. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).

Eridanus
NGC 1415 – gal – elongated disk with AV, round core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1417 – gal – oval disk with brighter core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x) and XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 1426 – gal – oval with stellar core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1439 – gal – round disk with brighter round core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1440 (aka NGC 1442, NGC 1458) – gal – small round disk with stellar core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1452 (aka NGC 1455) – gal – small oval with brighter core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1453 – gal – oval with stellar core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x) and XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 1441 – gal – elongated disk with brighter core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 1449 – gal – same FOV with NGC 1441; small disk with brighter core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 1451 – gal – same FOV with NGC 1441 and 1449; fuzzy star, tiny disk with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 14mm (145x).

NGC 1461 – gal – narrow disk with brighter central area. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 1620 – gal – very faint large and narrow shape with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 1638 – gal – AV oval disk with stellar core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1659 (aka NGC 1677) – gal – faint oval with brighter central area. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1125 – gal – very faint elongated disk with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1200 – gal – faint oval disk with stellar core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1208 – gal – small elongated disk with brighter central area. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1239 – gal – very faint spot with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1242 – gal – small very faint spot with AV next to brighter and larger NGC 1241. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1248 – gal – tiny disk. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).

NGC 1253 – gal – long narrow glow with AV connecting two stars. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1266 – gal – small faint narrow oval next to star. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1284 – gal – very faint round spot with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1287 – gal – very very faint spot with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1299 – gal – small narrow disk with brighter core. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1304 (aka NGC 1307) – gal – faint small narrow oval. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1308 – gal – very very faint small spot with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x).
NGC 1320 – gal – small sharp edge-on. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 20mm (102x) and XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 1321 – gal – faint glow with AV around star above NGC 1320. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 14mm (145x).
NGC 1322 – gal – very faint spot with AV. 8” SCT/Pentax XW 14mm (145x).

By 03:00 the sky went winter. I rarely get an opportunity to enjoy winter Milky Way. This time it was magnificent from Cassiopeia in the north through Perseus, Auriga with naked eye clusters, Taurus, Gemini and Orion. Sirius was still relatively low, so Canis Major portion of Milky Way was lost in the sky glow. I have enjoyed the views for awhile and went to sleep around 04:00.

[notFritzArgelander]

What a haul!

[Don Quixote]

A fine outing, Andrey...a smorgasbord of delites.
I have observed Triangulum naked eye only one time. That wonderful year 2017.
Thank you Andrey.

[Bigzmey]

Thanks nFA and Mark!

[Arctic]

What a fantastic night and a great haul of DSOs! You really do put that 20mm Pentax eyepiece to work! Thanks for sharing.

Pouring rain here, with snow in the forecast. Hoping to get out late next week after the moon starts to wane...

[Bigzmey]

What a fantastic night and a great haul of DSOs! You really do put that 20mm Pentax eyepiece to work! Thanks for sharing.

Pouring rain here, with snow in the forecast. Hoping to get out late next week after the moon starts to wane...

Thanks Gordon! Yes those XWs do help to squeeze a few extra photons. I hope you get a break in the weather soon.

[DeanD]

Sounds great! I am particularly jealous of that meteor shower! (I have never recovered from missing the best of the Leonids in 1999! )

Happy hunting,

Dean

[Bigzmey]

Sounds great! I am particularly jealous of that meteor shower! (I have never recovered from missing the best of the Leonids in 1999! )

Happy hunting,

Dean

Thanks Dean! A meteor burst or a nice bolide do make your night special.

[terrynak]

Another wonderful night at Anza, Andrey! Might get there before the end of the year, we'll see...

Currently in Hawaii now, but didn't bother bringing a scope because of the full moon weekend.

[Bigzmey]

Another wonderful night at Anza, Andrey! Might get there before the end of the year, we'll see...

Currently in Hawaii now, but didn't bother bringing a scope because of the full moon weekend.

Thanks Terry! Have fun, which island?

[Thefatkitty]

A meteor shower, and all the rest to boot??!! That's awesome; hope you bought a lotter ticket

All the best,

[Bigzmey]

A meteor shower, and all the rest to boot??!! That's awesome; hope you bought a lotter ticket

All the best,

Thanks Mark!

[terrynak]

Another wonderful night at Anza, Andrey! Might get there before the end of the year, we'll see...

Currently in Hawaii now, but didn't bother bringing a scope because of the full moon weekend.

Thanks Terry! Have fun, which island?

Oahu

[kt4hx]

Very nice selection of galaxies Andrey. When one gets to a location that is truly dark, the skies become an open book. The sheer number of galaxies that become possible are staggering. Cetus and Eridanus are overflowing with them and you nailed down a goodly number for one outing. You know you are at the right place when you can distinguish the core, inner lens and outer halo in M31 with the naked eye. I love the intensity of the winter MW as well. While of course it isn't the rival of the summer section, the winter portion can be quite apparent when in such places as Anza. All that, plus a nice surge of meteor activity = a perfect evening.

[John Baars]

What a immens catch of galaxies on your great location!
Magnitude 14+ galaxies with an 8 inch telescope. It surely proves how great the Anza skies can be!
Congrats on those!

[Bigzmey]

Very nice selection of galaxies Andrey. When one gets to a location that is truly dark, the skies become an open book. The sheer number of galaxies that become possible are staggering. Cetus and Eridanus are overflowing with them and you nailed down a goodly number for one outing. You know you are at the right place when you can distinguish the core, inner lens and outer halo in M31 with the naked eye. I love the intensity of the winter MW as well. While of course it isn't the rival of the summer section, the winter portion can be quite apparent when in such places as Anza. All that, plus a nice surge of meteor activity = a perfect evening.

Thanks Alan! I hope to get another night or two like that before the season ends.

[kt4hx]

Very nice selection of galaxies Andrey. When one gets to a location that is truly dark, the skies become an open book. The sheer number of galaxies that become possible are staggering. Cetus and Eridanus are overflowing with them and you nailed down a goodly number for one outing. You know you are at the right place when you can distinguish the core, inner lens and outer halo in M31 with the naked eye. I love the intensity of the winter MW as well. While of course it isn't the rival of the summer section, the winter portion can be quite apparent when in such places as Anza. All that, plus a nice surge of meteor activity = a perfect evening.

Thanks Alan! I hope to get another night or two like that before the season ends.

What season is that exactly?

[Bigzmey]

What a immens catch of galaxies on your great location!
Magnitude 14+ galaxies with an 8 inch telescope. It surely proves how great the Anza skies can be!
Congrats on those!

Thanks John! You brought the question I been contemplating myself. How can one see galaxies fainter than 14 mag in the scope with limiting 14.4 mag?

First thing I noticed that DSO parameters very quite a bit from one resource to another. I saw differences in listed mganitude larger then one unit for a few galaxies.

Anza seats at about 4,400 ft abive sea level. It adds 0.2-0.3 to the visible magnitude.

Finally, averted vision can stretch detection limit by quite a bit. I feel with more experience one could add a unit or two to detectable magnitude limit.

Of cause size, surface brightness, and presence of brighter futures are factors two.

It is exciting (to me) subject. How far can you push it?

[Bigzmey]

Very nice selection of galaxies Andrey. When one gets to a location that is truly dark, the skies become an open book. The sheer number of galaxies that become possible are staggering. Cetus and Eridanus are overflowing with them and you nailed down a goodly number for one outing. You know you are at the right place when you can distinguish the core, inner lens and outer halo in M31 with the naked eye. I love the intensity of the winter MW as well. While of course it isn't the rival of the summer section, the winter portion can be quite apparent when in such places as Anza. All that, plus a nice surge of meteor activity = a perfect evening.

Thanks Alan! I hope to get another night or two like that before the season ends.

What season is that exactly?

From November to March we get clouds and rain. Clear nights are few in between and unpredictable. During this time I typically stick to splitting doubles and hunting asteroids from home.

[kt4hx]

Thanks Alan! I hope to get another night or two like that before the season ends.

What season is that exactly?

From November to March we get clouds and rain. Clear nights are few in between and unpredictable. During this time I typically stick to splitting doubles and hunting asteroids from home.

Ok, gotcha. I think most locations have certain times of year when things are very unpredictable. Typically for us its more in the spring months. That is why I'm concerned about the April 2024 total solar eclipse. We will be planning to set up at a relatives farm in southern Indiana in the path of totality. But that can be a very difficult time of the year.