TheSkySearchers

6/11/21

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.

I like to take pics of nature on my trips to Anza, but the desert this year has been somewhat deserted. Instead, here are some critters making themselves at home around our house.
The desert weather was clear nice and dry. Plenty of time to set everything. After that I had dinner watching fading sunset colors and stars picking one by one. Around 21:30 the sky finally got dark enough for galaxy hunting. This night I have continued with polar region. Tons of galaxies in there.

Ursa Major galaxies (all observed with 9.25” Edge SCT)

NGC 2629 – faint oval with round core next to star. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 2641 – extremely faint round disk detected with averted vision (AV) moving EP. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 2650 – faint oval with AV, brighter central area. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 2684 – faint oval with AV. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 2692 – relatively bright small elongated shape. Pentax XW20 (118x).
UGC 4671 – wide AV oval with star shining through, in the same FOV with NGC 2692. Pentax XW14 (168x).

NGC 2710 – narrow oval with AV. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 2726 – faint narrow oval. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 2800 – AV glow next to star. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 2810 (aka NGC 2810A) – faint wide oval with compact core. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 2814 – faint narrow glow next to star. Pentax XW10 (235x).
NGC 2854 and NGC 2856 – two small faint elongated ovals with AV in the same FOV. Pentax XW14 (168x).

For given constellation I typically start at lower RA and work my way against the sky rotation. This time I had too many targets to keep up with sky rotation and ended up lower to horizon. I decided to switch to the other side of Ursa Major for darker sky.

NGC 5256 – elongated oval with brighter central area. Pentax XW20 (118x).
HJ 2667 – double – pair of equal white stars in the same FOV with NGC 5256, separation 13.5”. Easy split with Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 5255 – faint small spec. Pentax XW14 (168x) and XW10 (235x).
NGC 5250 – small disk with brighter central area, next to star. Pentax XW14 (168x).

NGC 5216 and NGC 5218 – Keenan’s System – a pair of interacting galaxies. These galaxies were first discovered by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in 1790, but only in 1935 PC Keenan has resolved a long 22,000 ly filament connecting them. The filament is too faint to see in small scopes. NGC 5218 – smaller with narrow bar, NGC 5216 – larger with brighter round core. Pentax XW20 (118x) and XW14 (168x).

NGC 5201 – faint oval. Pentax XW20 (118x).
NGC 5164 – faint oval. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 5163 – small faint oval. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 5109 (aka NGC 5113) – faint narrow shape. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 5007 – small faint disk. Pentax XW20 (118x) and XW14 (168x).

NGC 4977 – extremely faint round spot with AV, shaking EP for detection. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 4974 – small faint disk. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 4973 – same FOV with NGC 4974 but fainter and smaller. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 4967 – small extremely faint spot same FOV with NGC 4974. Detected with AV, shaking EP. Pentax XW14 (168x).
NGC 4964 – extremely faint detected with AV by sitting on the FOV. Pentax XW14 (168x).

By midnight I run out of gas. Next two weeks is the full moon cycle, and by July this area may swing away until the next year. However, I feel good about the progress I made in Draco and Ursa Major this season.

Nice session!

Congrats on all those targets acquired! I enjoyed seeing all the little critters!

Great list of snagged targets!
Now go feed those critters...

Thanks nFA, Bruce and Jeff! The critters feed themselves nicely on our grass and crops, no assistance required.

That's a great bunch of faint fuzzies. Congrats.

Well done! You went as deep as almost magnitude 15! Congratulations!
In SkySafari I liked the ones with a companion ( star or other galaxy) most.

Someone has been toiling again. Thanks!
I like it that you mention the used magnification. It gives me some idea what to expect if I take a look.

Looks like a good night to me! Thanks for sharing the spoils!

Very nice Bigzmey, a fine evening at the telescope.

AstroBee wrote: ↑Sat Jun 19, 2021 4:28 am That's a great bunch of faint fuzzies. Congrats.

KingNothing13 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 19, 2021 2:58 pm Looks like a good night to me! Thanks for sharing the spoils!

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Sat Jun 19, 2021 3:43 pm Very nice Bigzmey, a fine evening at the telescope.

Thanks Astrobee, Brett and Gabby!

John Baars wrote: ↑Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:37 am Well done! You went as deep as almost magnitude 15! Congratulations!
In SkySafari I liked the ones with a companion ( star or other galaxy) most.

Thanks John! I have noticed that there is quite a bit of discrepancy between different resources as far as DSO brightness goes. As an example SkySafari gives NGC 3196 mag 16.07. First thought - no way I can catch something faint like that. AL Herschel 2,500 list shows mag 15.7, better but still technically below my scope detection limit. Finally, Telescopius.com lists it as mag 14.9 - now we are talking!

I also like groups of galaxies, galaxies near (or within) other types DSOs or doubles, or galaxies sitting near stars. Makes it more exiting.

turboscrew wrote: ↑Sat Jun 19, 2021 2:22 pm Someone has been toiling again. Thanks!
I like it that you mention the used magnification. It gives me some idea what to expect if I take a look.

Thanks Turboscrew! By now I run out of larger galaxies, most of my targets now are around 1 arcmin size and require high powers to detect.

That is quite a haul! I would have been brain dead long before the end of that list!

I like the pictures of the little guys visiting your porch. I have some cottontail rabbits that chase each other around my back yard. There is one female that visits me sometimes when I am out at night observing. I will speak when she hops by and she will stop and sit there, not too close, for quite a while. Squirrels can be fun also, as long as they don't start being bullies.

Thanks for sharing and taking me along!

MistrBadgr wrote: ↑Sat Jun 19, 2021 5:38 pm That is quite a haul! I would have been brain dead long before the end of that list!

I like the pictures of the little guys visiting your porch. I have some cottontail rabbits that chase each other around my back yard. There is one female that visits me sometimes when I am out at night observing. I will speak when she hops by and she will stop and sit there, not too close, for quite a while. Squirrels can be fun also, as long as they don't start being bullies.

Thanks for sharing and taking me along!

Thanks Bill! When I observe from the desert often there are a few bunnies grazing around me. I think they know that it is safer from coyotes with people around.

Congrats Andrey for winning the VROD for today (6-20-2021) have a nice Father's Day!

My My Andrey.
You had a busy night!
Congratulations on the VROD.

Hello Andrey. Another superb observing report from you at the Anza desert. Lots of very nice NGC objects in your list. I also enjoyed your photos of the little critters. Add about 5 or 6 white Ibis birdies, several bluejays, and it looks like my backyard. Thanks for your excellent and descriptive observing report Andrey, and congratulations on winning the TSS VROD Award today.

helicon wrote: ↑Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:47 pm Congrats Andrey for winning the VROD for today (6-20-2021) have a nice Father's Day!

Gordon wrote: ↑Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:42 pm My My Andrey.
You had a busy night!
Congratulations on the VROD.

Thanks Michael and Gordon, always an honor!

Makuser wrote: ↑Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:49 pm Hello Andrey. Another superb observing report from you at the Anza desert. Lots of very nice NGC objects in your list. I also enjoyed your photos of the little critters. Add about 5 or 6 white Ibis birdies, several bluejays, and it looks like my backyard. Thanks for your excellent and descriptive observing report Andrey, and congratulations on winning the TSS VROD Award today.

Thanks Marshall! I say the more the merrier. We even think that gophers are cute.

Congratulations on the VROD!!
I made a bet with myself that these observations would earn the VROD, and I was right

John Baars wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22, 2021 6:47 am Congratulations on the VROD!!
I made a bet with myself that these observations would earn the VROD, and I was right

I hope you won something nice with that bet!