Spring galaxies at Anza

[Bigzmey]

4/24/22

Location: Anza desert site, Bortle 4.
Equipment: Celestron 9.25” Edge HD SCT and Clestron 150ST achro on SW SkyTee 2 manual AltAz mount. Pentax XW EP set.

My home location is about 60 miles from the Anza site. At home we are having a heat wave with temperature in 90s F (30s C) and 10% humidity. When I arrived at the Anza desert, I was pleasantly surprised by mild 70s F (20s C). Talking about microclimates. While at home it feels already like summer, at Anza it was still spring. The night temps reflected that dropping below 50F (10C).

Spring is the rainy season in Southern California, that is when I typically observe least frequently and hardly ever at Anza. This April turned out to be a nice exception from the rule. I got a rare chance to enjoy spring sky from a dark location. It is refreshing to see so many more stars in Virgo, Leo and Gemini, and discover that Hydra, Cancer and Coma Berenices are not just empty swatches of sky (like they appear from home) but contain many stars.

I also got used to see either summer or winter Milky Way at Anza, so it is new to witness starry spring sky without Milky Way in it. The Coma Star Cluster (Mel 111) and the Beehive Cluster (M44) become the focal points instead, with eye naturally drawn to them.

While stargazing I caught single but bright meteor, which combined with previous session brings my Lyrid 2022 count to 3.

Transparency was much better than during my early April session. It was easier to spot faint galaxies which I am going after now days. The progress was faster, more enjoyable, but still pushing scope’s optics and my eyes to the limit.

Cancer galaxies (all observed with the Edge 9.25” SCT)

NGC 2512 – faint small spot (118x).
NGC 2513 – oval with brighter core (118x).
NGC 2510 and NGC 2511 – small, averted vision (AV) spots in the same FOV with NGC 2513.

Canis Minor

NGC 2394 – nice looking OC – patch of ~20 brighter stars with background glow forms the shape of a flying flamingo. 150ST (38x).
NGC 2402 – gal – faint oval with star shining through. Edge 9.25” (168x).
NGC 2459 – neat OC – small unresolved glowing patch around the tight group of 3 stars. Edge 9.25” (235x).
NGC 2508 – gal – faint round glow above the pair of faint stars. Edge 9.25” (168x).

Crater galaxies (all observed with the Edge 9.25” SCT)

NGC 3456 – very faint wide oval glow touching field star (168x).
NGC 3505 (aka NGC 3508) – faint narrow oval (118x).
NGC 3571 – faint narrow lens with brighter central area (118x).
NGC 3591 – faint small narrow spot with AV (168x).
NGC 3661 – extremely faint narrow shape with AV (168x).

NGC 3667A (larger) and NGC 3667B (smaller) – two faint elongated ovals next to each other in the same FOV with NGC 3661 (235x).
NGC 3715 – faint small oval (118x).
NGC 3734 – extremely faint round spot detected with AV by moving EP (168x).
NGC 3771 – very faint oval with AV (168x).
NGC 3791 – extremely faint oval with AV (168x).

Corvus galaxies (all observed with the Edge 9.25” SCT)

NGC 4035 – very faint spot detected with AV by moving EP (118x).
NGC 4114 – very faint AV spot (168x).
NGC 4094 – large faint glow between two stars (118x).
NGC 4177 – faint wide oval (118x).
NGC 4263 (aka NGC 4265) – very faint elongated oval detected with AV by moving EP (118x).

NGC 4714 – small oval with compact core (118x).
NGC 4722 – faint oval with AV (118x).
NGC 4748 - faint oval with AV near star (118x).
NGC 4727 (aka NGC 4740) – larger faint oval and NGC 4724 – smaller faint oval near each other (168x).
NGC 4756 – large faint oval (118x).

NGC 4763 – small relatively bright elongated oval (118x).
NGC 4802 – AV glow around star (118x, 168x).
NGC 4792 – faint oval with AV (168x).
NGC 4794 – faint glow touching star (168x).

[Unitron48]

Another great session, Andrey! Lots of faint fuzzies!!

I hate when we rush through Spring (temperature wise). Seems to happen all too often here in VA

Dave

[ARock]

Nice session Andrey.

There is a Mag 12.9 (or brighter) Supernova in NGC 4647 (close to M60) lately.
Would that be visible with your scopes at Anza? Have you seen it?

https://www.rochesterastronomy.org/sn20 ... 22hrs.html

[turboscrew]

Nice session again!
It's become too light here for (most) galaxies, and an hour ago it was, again, -5°C (23°F) outside.

[John Baars]

Great Galaxy hunt in springtime!
A C9.25 at Anza should not be underestimated.
You were nearing Magn 15 with NGC3734, well done!

[Bigzmey]

Another great session, Andrey! Lots of faint fuzzies!!

I hate when we rush through Spring (temperature wise). Seems to happen all too often here in VA

Dave

Thanks Dave! Spring is my favorite season, but it is so flitting.

Nice session Andrey.

There is a Mag 12.9 (or brighter) Supernova in NGC 4647 (close to M60) lately.
Would that be visible with your scopes at Anza? Have you seen it?

https://www.rochesterastronomy.org/sn20 ... 22hrs.html

Thanks AR! Mag 12.9 should be within the reach of my scopes. I will try it next weekend.

Nice session again!
It's become too light here for (most) galaxies, and an hour ago it was, again, -5°C (23°F) outside.

Thanks Juha! Do you still see some stars or it is just twilight from now on?

Great Galaxy hunt in springtime!
A C9.25 at Anza should not be underestimated.
You were nearing Magn 15 with NGC3734, well done!

Thanks John! This is the advantage of taking on difficult observing lists. If it would not be on the Herschel 2,500 I would never consider it. But then you think: it is on the list you may as well try it. It is amazing how far averted vision with some training could take you.

[messier 111]

buzy beeeeee . thx for the report .

[Makuser]

Hello Andrey. Another fantastic observing report from you at your Anza Desert dark sky site. Wow, what a haul of the night sky jewels for you. Thanks for your latest and well written report with lots of observing description notes Andrey and I hope that your next visit to Anza is as productive as this one.

[Bigzmey]

Thanks Jean-Yves and Marshall!

[kt4hx]

Nicely done Andrey. Some very nice catches there for sure and I am very happy to see you back out at Anza in pursuit of galaxies. Crater is a particularly rich galaxy field.

[milanpicard]

Nice job, Biggs! Great to travel to a desert! Even better to travel there for astronomical reasons! I envy you!

[turboscrew]

Another great session, Andrey! Lots of faint fuzzies!!

I hate when we rush through Spring (temperature wise). Seems to happen all too often here in VA

Dave

Thanks Dave! Spring is my favorite season, but it is so flitting.

Nice session Andrey.

There is a Mag 12.9 (or brighter) Supernova in NGC 4647 (close to M60) lately.
Would that be visible with your scopes at Anza? Have you seen it?

https://www.rochesterastronomy.org/sn20 ... 22hrs.html

Thanks AR! Mag 12.9 should be within the reach of my scopes. I will try it next weekend.

Nice session again!
It's become too light here for (most) galaxies, and an hour ago it was, again, -5°C (23°F) outside.

Thanks Juha! Do you still see some stars or it is just twilight from now on?

Great Galaxy hunt in springtime!
A C9.25 at Anza should not be underestimated.
You were nearing Magn 15 with NGC3734, well done!

Thanks John! This is the advantage of taking on difficult observing lists. If it would not be on the Herschel 2,500 I would never consider it. But then you think: it is on the list you may as well try it. It is amazing how far averted vision with some training could take you.

I see stars still. Astro twilight lasts 3h 10 min. It doesn't become darker than that. After May 6th the nautical dark is as dark as it gets.

[Bigzmey]

Thanks Alan and Milan!

Juha, sounds like it is dark enough to split doubles.

[davesellars]

Nice bunch of galaxies from that session, Andrey! A few areas of the sky I haven't really explored much around...

[Bigzmey]

Thanks Dave! This is one of benefits doing lists like Hesrchel 2,500. They take you to the constellations you will not visit otherwise. Then you also look around your target and pick a few neighbors which are not on the list as well.

[davesellars]

Thanks Dave! This is one of benefits doing lists like Hesrchel 2,500. They take you to the constellations you will not visit otherwise. Then you also look around your target and pick a few neighbors which are not on the list as well.

Yep, I'm still catching up! It's lovely and clear tonight but I'm still recovering - although I'd like to have a go at the Supernova while it's still visible (not sure if i'm up to lugging out the 12" dob though... I wonder if the 120ST will be sufficient to do it.

[Bigzmey]

Thanks Dave! This is one of benefits doing lists like Hesrchel 2,500. They take you to the constellations you will not visit otherwise. Then you also look around your target and pick a few neighbors which are not on the list as well.

Yep, I'm still catching up! It's lovely and clear tonight but I'm still recovering - although I'd like to have a go at the Supernova while it's still visible (not sure if i'm up to lugging out the 12" dob though... I wonder if the 120ST will be sufficient to do it.

When I split doubles with my SV 102mm ED I can get down to 12.5 mag stars on a good night. Need to push power above 200x for that. So, you might be able to catch 12.6 mag SN with 120mm, but it will be definitely much easier with 12".

[Kanadalainen]

Great session Andrey. You are putting that nice 9,25 edge to good work.
Cheers my friend

[Bigzmey]

Great session Andrey. You are putting that nice 9,25 edge to good work.
Cheers my friend

Thanks Ian! BTW nice fish!

[Kanadalainen]

Great session Andrey. You are putting that nice 9,25 edge to good work.
Cheers my friend

Thanks Ian! BTW nice fish!

Thanks! Thats a walleye - my kids and I go after them up at the cabin - the locals call them pickerel or greenbacks.