This past Saturday I injured my right leg (knee and ankle) in a fall at home and certainly will miss the current dark period during this lunar cycle (but hopefully no more than that). So because I will be unable observe for a bit I decided to post the results of those first two evenings of that three night run on the same dates two years hence. Though I got a late start this first evening due to a later than normal departure from home, the outing still went very well. I hope you join me on this journey and look back at what turned out to be three great evenings of galaxy hunting – the meat and potatoes of my observing passion.
17.5 inch
Ethos 13mm (152x, 0.7° TFOV, 2.9mm
XW 10mm (198x, 0.4° TFOV, 2.2mm
XW 7mm (283x, 0.2° TFOV, 1.6mm
UGC 10599 (Hercules, elliptical galaxy, mag=13.3, size=1.1’x0.9’, SBr=13.3):
Also known as Markarian 501 is a blazer or BL Lacerae object with an AGN (Active Galactic Nucleus) emitting a gamma ray jet toward Earth. Observed with 84x and 152x it presented a small and dim round halo with the AGN appearing as a distinct stellar core that clearly outshone the galactic disk. Not significantly bright overall, yet not difficult. Here is a link with more information about this curious object: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markarian_501 (New)
Visually detected at 110x as a very dim and diaphanous small oval glow. Going ahead to 198x it remained quite weak and homogeneous. Though it was visually dim, I was not aware at the time of the posted visual magnitude, and thus conditions were obviously starting out very well indeed. (New)
MCG +7-35-15 (Hercules, spiral galaxy, mag=13.7, size=0.9’x0.7’, SBr=13.1):
Picked up at 110x it presented a very small and round homogeneous dust mote just northeast of an 8th mag field star. Viewed with 198x it was easier, but still weak overall. It displayed some modest core brightness at 198x. (New)
MCG +6-37-19 (Hercules, barred spiral galaxy, mag=14.9, size=1.1’x 0.7’, SBr=14.4):
Though it was picked up at 110x, it was just barely there as a small rounded pip just north of a 14th mag field star. Even at 198x it remained small and pretty weak visually, as well as homogeneous in appearance. (New)
Also known as
ESO 597-23 (Capricornus, lenticular galaxy, mag=12.5~, size=1.4’x1.1’, SBr=14.3):
ESO 597-26 (Capricornus, barred lenticular galaxy, mag=12.5, size=1.0’x1.0’, SBr=12.4):
This was a pair of very similar looking galaxies in terms of brightness and size. At 110x both were rounded and homogeneous to the eye, with both being a little bright. ESO 597-26 was slightly smaller but there was little difference in them. At 198x they remained, while not exactly twins visually, very similar to the eye. (New-2)
Initially unseen at 110x it was picked up at both 152x and 198x where it was a small and subtle homogeneous oval just northwest of a small grouping of 11th and 12th field stars. I then dropped back to 110x and could just make out its presence after affixing its position at higher magnifications. (New)
Not seen at 110x and only suspected at 152x and 198x. Using 283x it was confirmed as a small and homogeneous dim oval. I found this one a bit tough. (New)
Picked up at 110x it presented a small homogenous dim oval. Though easier at 198x it remained a weak object in the field.(New)
Seen at 110x as a small and dim homogeneous rounded glow. As with the previous object it was slightly easier to discern at 198x, it remained a weak player. (New)
Moving over to the celestial triangle, I found this small homogeneous oval to be a little bit bright to the eye at 110x. Using 198x an intermittent stellar core was spotted, and overall the galaxy was a strong player in the field. (New)
Since it was nearby I visited this previously observed object. At 110x it was small and round, homogeneous to the eye and somewhat bright.
These two spirals were found in the same field of view and both presented at 110x as slightly bright and small.
UGC 1125 (Triangulum, spiral galaxy, mag=13.4, size=0.7’x0.6’, SBr=12.3):
At 110x this spiral was small and dim. Oval in shape it was homogeneous to the eye. Viewed with 198x it was easier to pick up but remained weak within the field. (New)
Found with 110x it was small and elongated. Slightly bright it was generally homogeneous to the eye. With 198x it displayed a broadly brighter core area that was intermittently stellar. (New)
This edge-on spiral was swept up at 110x and presented as a little bit bright, elongated and homogeneous. Viewed with 198x, it revealed an obvious elongated edge-on disk with tapered ends. The core revealed broader brightness, with just a fleeting indication of a stellar core within. (New)
Located using 110x, it presented a small and out of round diffuse dust mote. Even at 198x it remained a weak presence immediately north of a dim 14th mag field star. (New)
Within the same
Small and oval at 110x, it was a little dim and just south of a 14th mag field star. With 198x it was more obvious, but remained a little weak for its listed magnitude. (New)
Very small and slightly dim to the eye, it was a homogeneous oval at 110x. It lay just east of a wide pair of 14th mag field stars. Viewed at 198x it remained weak and diffuse, but more obvious to the eye. (New)
Fairly bright and quite elongated at 110x. Overall it was somewhat large and homogeneous to the eye. Viewed with 198x it was strongly obvious as a large and ghostly spindle of light. (New)
That is the wrap on my first evening of three. I hope you enjoyed traipsing along with me through a dark rural sky as I hunted and found my favorite type of deep sky objects – galaxies. They are far and away the most numerous class of
