M94 and a Red Carbon star.
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:03 pm
Last night it seemed crystal clear. And that's what it was at times. Many cloud fields passed by, sometimes accompanied by high veil clouds. In between it sometimes seemed crystal clear. Seeing turned out to be not too bad for me. The veils did increase. The waxing Crescent Moon descended to the Western horizon. Moon craters on the terminator stood calmly. Instrument used was a 120mm ED f / 7.5 Evostar doublet.
I said goodbye to the great Orion Nebula, maybe it won't be until next year before I see it again. Orion slowly disappears behind a hedge and a row of houses. Alnitak, Rigel, Sigma Orionis, Trapezium, M42, Sirius with his little dog. Of course they all came along. The little Pup took little effort. Even the Rosette nebula could be greeted with the lowest magnification and UHC filter. Not that it catches the eye. Rather, it is a subtle black surrounding the "umbrella" cluster NGC2244 in the center, bordered by a slightly grayer, barely definable area. There are fewer stars in that area. To then transition more or less smoothly into the dark sky background. If you don't know, you 'll look over it.
On to some spring objects. The well-known foursome in the Lion. M65, 66, 95 and 96 were all in the lot. Subtle, here in town, but they were there. NGC2903, in the head of the Lion, was more prominent. If you are looking for galaxies in the Lion as a city observer, M105 should not be missing, which is a class better visible than the 60s and 90s Lion - brothers and - sisters. Better still: as a city dweller you immediately have two galaxies in the field of view with M105:NGC 3384 also shows itself. At least the third galaxy that fits in the same field, NGC 3389, was not visible from here. M94 came into the picture even more prominently, a system in Canes Venatici. High recommendation if as a beginner you want to see an easy extra-galactic system apart from M31. Even small instruments will show it easily, far more easy than the Lion's group. 2.5 degrees North of Cor Caroli.
After a short stopover at open star cluster NGC2420 and Eskimo Nebula: challenge M51, entered the Whirlpool galaxy. It turned out to be not so difficult when the cloud fields stayed away for a while. Clearly two cores, one of the two significantly "thicker". Would it be wishful thinking if I saw something like a brighter area in that thicker spot? Probably. In any case, it occasionally shimmered that it was not an even stain. That is quite a lot in the city with a 120mm telescope.
Had a rest at Alcor and Mizar, where no Coronic five feet applies, then a jump up to the Owl Nebula. It was still there. A little bit spooky. As always I was surprised by its size. Then down into the Hounds again. I typed SAO44317 into the screen of the ancient Skysensor 2000. I got the answer "No Data". "Hmmmm ..... definitely forgotten because of antique", I grumbled. Then entered the coordinates 12h 46m and + 45 ° 19´, obeying the instructions of Skysafari. Enter. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzz .... simmer ... beep ... Lo and behold!! La Superba, so named by Angelo Secchi in the 19th century.
A breathtaking red star stared at me. "It's really RED," I muttered. And lives up to its name.
Below is a quickly compiled impression, a collection of Stellarium, Paint,Gimp and own input. Image posted earlier in the Red Star Hunt forum.
Highly recommended for city / and other observers. Really such a star where you take a rest from your previous trip. Does anyone recognize that?
Then another ten minutes or so M3, globular, as a tasty dessert. That was just as good!
I said goodbye to the great Orion Nebula, maybe it won't be until next year before I see it again. Orion slowly disappears behind a hedge and a row of houses. Alnitak, Rigel, Sigma Orionis, Trapezium, M42, Sirius with his little dog. Of course they all came along. The little Pup took little effort. Even the Rosette nebula could be greeted with the lowest magnification and UHC filter. Not that it catches the eye. Rather, it is a subtle black surrounding the "umbrella" cluster NGC2244 in the center, bordered by a slightly grayer, barely definable area. There are fewer stars in that area. To then transition more or less smoothly into the dark sky background. If you don't know, you 'll look over it.
On to some spring objects. The well-known foursome in the Lion. M65, 66, 95 and 96 were all in the lot. Subtle, here in town, but they were there. NGC2903, in the head of the Lion, was more prominent. If you are looking for galaxies in the Lion as a city observer, M105 should not be missing, which is a class better visible than the 60s and 90s Lion - brothers and - sisters. Better still: as a city dweller you immediately have two galaxies in the field of view with M105:
- M 94.jpg (23.77 KiB) Viewed 1983 times
After a short stopover at open star cluster NGC2420 and Eskimo Nebula: challenge M51, entered the Whirlpool galaxy. It turned out to be not so difficult when the cloud fields stayed away for a while. Clearly two cores, one of the two significantly "thicker". Would it be wishful thinking if I saw something like a brighter area in that thicker spot? Probably. In any case, it occasionally shimmered that it was not an even stain. That is quite a lot in the city with a 120mm telescope.
Had a rest at Alcor and Mizar, where no Coronic five feet applies, then a jump up to the Owl Nebula. It was still there. A little bit spooky. As always I was surprised by its size. Then down into the Hounds again. I typed SAO44317 into the screen of the ancient Skysensor 2000. I got the answer "No Data". "Hmmmm ..... definitely forgotten because of antique", I grumbled. Then entered the coordinates 12h 46m and + 45 ° 19´, obeying the instructions of Skysafari. Enter. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzz .... simmer ... beep ... Lo and behold!! La Superba, so named by Angelo Secchi in the 19th century.
A breathtaking red star stared at me. "It's really RED," I muttered. And lives up to its name.
Below is a quickly compiled impression, a collection of Stellarium, Paint,
Highly recommended for city / and other observers. Really such a star where you take a rest from your previous trip. Does anyone recognize that?
Then another ten minutes or so M3, globular, as a tasty dessert. That was just as good!
- My 150 has a defect Moon- on-off switch