I spent the waking hours of the day just resting up predominantly. Though I did get some exercise by getting out the vacuum cleaner and going over the floors and sucking up some webs which always accrue due to the fact the house is unoccupied most of the time. I spoke with Mary over the phone a couple of times, thought a little bit about what I was going to do come dark, and put out my gear a little earlier this time. Again I headed out just a little after 1830 to allow my eyes to adjust. The air was cool as expected, the sky clear and I was ready to get back into the fray.
While I was planning to head back into Cetus once more to continue doing battle with the famed sea monster from Greek mythology, I decided to start out for a little bit in Perseus in honor of the great hero who subdued Cetus to save the fair princess, Andromeda. Both constellations still possess a great number of galaxies that I have not yet seen, and I wanted to grab as many as I could before my energy waned. Once it was fully dark I checked the brightness level in the sky with the
(Equipment used)
17.5 inch
Ethos 13mm (152x, 0.7° TFOV, 2.9mm exit pupil)
XW 10mm (199x, 0.4° TFOV, 2.2mm exit pupil)
XW 7mm (283x, 0.2° TFOV, 1.6mm exit pupil)
Uranometria All-Sky Edition (+ red light)
Sighted in on Algol and the 13mm (152x) in the focuser, I used the 8x50
I picked it up using 152x as a small but subtly bright oval disk that exhibited a broadly brighter core region. Viewed with 199x the core was now intermittently stellar in appearance. It was quite obvious within the field. (New)
Within the field of view with
Next up was this spiral, about 17’ east of the previous pair. Easily picked up with 152x, it revealed a somewhat large oval envelope, that was subtly bright and having a lower surface brightness. It had a very diffuse appearance. Using 199x it was very obvious to the eye, and remained a smoothly illuminated oval disk. (New)
Another 15’ east of the last object I picked up another. However, this one was noticeably dimmer than the preceding galaxy. At 152x it presented a small and dim oval disk that was homogeneous to the eye. Then at 199x I was picking up hints of a fleeting stellar core, while overall the galaxy remained dim and a weak visual target. (New)
The next galaxy is almost half a degree NNE of
This object also carries the second identification of
A little over 40’ southwest of the last object I found this barred spiral. Easily located using 152x it appeared as a small, thick disk that was slightly faint. A stellar core was seen at its center, as well as a 13th mag field star off its northwestern tip. Viewing with 199x it was an obvious little oval disk in the field. (New)
Nudging 37’ to the northwest I located my next target. Using 152x revealed a very small and dim rounded disk that was evenly illuminated. A little more apparent at 199x, it remained dim and small, with no other details visible. The mag 7.7 star HD 18528 lay less than 7’ to the southwest. (New)
UGC 2470 (Perseus, spiral galaxy, mag=13.7, size=1.3’x0.5’, SBr=12.5):
My next object was this spiral, about 9’ SSE of
Almost 38’ to the northeast of
This barred lenticular was swept up about 39.5’ west of the aforementioned star HD 18528. At 152x it appeared as a small out of round disk that was subtly bright. It was diffuse in appearance, and formed a triangle with a pair of field stars (12th and 13th mag). Taking a look at 199x, I was picking up an intermittent stellar core in the center of the galaxy’s quite obvious envelope. (New)
Next target was this galaxy, just over 1° southwest of the previous one. The mag 6.8 star HD 17756 was obvious about 12’ to its southwest. The galaxy at 152x was somewhat bright, a small rounded or thick oval disk that was homogeneous in appearance. Looking at 199x it was a very obvious entity in the field of view, but remained a smoothly even disk. (New)
My final galaxy in Perseus this evening before heading into Cetus was this lenticular. It was spotted about 28’ southwest of HD 17756 (from previous object) as a small and somewhat bright rounded disk. A dim field star lay at the western edge of its envelope giving it the appearance of very slight elongation. Using 199x it was a very apparent object and remained smooth and diffuse across its envelope. As an aside, I noted the bright open cluster
Shifting over to Cetus to round out the evening my first target (victim?) was this elliptical that was scooped up using 152x 1.5° east of mag 2.5 Alpha Ceti (Menkar). My initial impressions were of a small though somewhat bright thick oval disk. There were hints of a stellar core from time to time as seeing shifted. Looking at 199x this galaxy was very obvious in the field and the stellar core became steadier as well. (New)
Nudging a little over 1° to the northeast I encountered my next little fuzzy. It was larger to the eye than the previous galaxy, but dimmer. Another thick oval envelope, this one was more evenly illuminated. At 199x it seemed a little ghostly and of lower surface brightness. However, it was still easily apparent to the eye. (New)
Going back to Menkar, I looked about 1.5° to the southeast to locate a small scalene triangle of three field stars (one 8th mag and two 9th mag stars). I pinned down this spiral just south of this little triangle. Using 152x I found it a very ghostly small oval disk. It remained a little weak visually at 199x but not difficult, remaining a small homogeneous ghostly oval. (New)
I returned to Menkar, and then nudged just over a degree to the southwest where I located this lenticular. Using 152x it was a small and slightly bright round disk, its center showing a stellar core. It was very obvious in the field at 199x, and its stellar core was now prominent within the disk. (New)
UGC 2446 (Cetus, spiral galaxy, mag=13.8, size=0.7’x0.4’, SBr=12.3):
In the same field of view with
Just over a degree to the southwest of the previous duo, I picked up this spiral. At 152x it was a small and slightly bright oval glow with a broadly brighter core region. Very obvious at 199x, its core brightness was strong. As the seeing shifted, I would pick up flickers of a stellar core set within its lens shaped core brightness. (New)
Again using Menkar as a starting point I star hopped WNW for just over 3.5° to pick up this previously observed galaxy. I observed it from this same location with the same scope about 5 years ago. In this case it would be used as a marker to locate another nearby galaxy, which according to my notes I failed to pick up when I observed
Now that I had settled on the old acquaintance
Moving to mag 3.5 Gamma Ceti (Kaffaljidhma) as my next jumping off point, I now delved into a cluster of galaxies surrounding previously observed elliptical
This second elliptical in the group was also observed 7 years ago at the same time as
Now with the two primary galaxies of the group being re-observed, I now concentrated on the others surround them. About 14’ NNW of
Just over 6’ to the ESE of the previous object I picked up this small and fairly dim thin oval glow using 152x. It was smooth and a little flat in appearance. At 199x it was a little more apparent but weak overall. (New)
This pair was picked up about 8.5’ southeast of
Moving a little west of the main group I picked up this elliptical about 14.5’ WNW of
Now moving to the southeast of
Moving back to
About 4.5’ south of
In the 8x50
Almost 6’ southeast of the previous object and in the same field of view I easily spotted this other spiral using 152x. It presented a small and subtly bright thin oval with a 12th mag star involved. Taking a look at 199x it was very obvious and exhibited some non-stellar core brightness. (New)
I studied the field southeast of the previous object for a bit until I finally located this dim fuzzy. It lay about 14’ southeast of
From the previous field I nudged nearly a degree to pick up a bright wide pair of stars mag 7.6 HD 16835 and mag 6.7 HD 16786. Immediately south of this pair of stars I easily spotted this previously observe galaxy. I last observed it in Oct of 2016 at home with the 12 inch. Since it and
Just over half a degree SSE of
About 21’ east of the line between
From the previous object I slid nearly half a degree to the southeast to pick up a very wide north-south pair of field stars in the finder, mag 8.8 HD 17130 and mag 8.2 HD 17142. About 23.5’ east of the latter star I located this nice object. Using 152x it displayed a slightly large and somewhat bright oval disk that was homogeneous in appearance. Viewing with 199x it was very obvious in the field of view, remaining a smooth oval disk. (New)
About 15’ south of
Using both
MCG 0-8-14 (Cetus, spiral galaxy, mag=15.0, size=0.5’x0.2’, SBr=12.6):
While I was observing
Well that was indeed a nice run through some of Cetus’ possessions. But it was just after 2200 hours again, and I was feeling the pinch of fatigue as well as the chill of the air. It was about 29° F (-1.7 C) and I felt I had accomplished a very good evening and could retire for the night with high spirits. I wish to thank you for coming along with me on my journey over the last two nights. This will be my last for the year 2023, a bit of an off year that closed out on a high note!
A note of interest I would like to share with you all. I had forgotten all about the Geminid meteor shower. My mind where has it gone?
Anyway, while I was observing this evening, I of course look up periodically to re-aim the scope or just a general look around to allow my observing eye to rest a bit. I had noticed a higher than typical number of meteors toward the ENE when I would look up at the sky. It finally dawned on me that yeah, it was the Geminids peak tonight! I went on about my observing, but when I was ready to quit, I was ready to quit and decided not to stay out any longer to watch for meteors. Fast forward to around 0400 hours, I woke up got up to look out the window and got the itch! So I put on some layers, went out through the garage, grabbing my observing chair on the way and settled into the driveway next to my truck. I was facing west where Gemini now floated in the dark country sky, M35 was visible to the naked eye and M44 in Cancer was very prominent without optical aid as well. So from about 0430 to 0500 I sat there mostly looking at Gemini, with occasional head turns to check other areas. Well, the meteors were still flying. Over the half hour I saw about 25, mostly in and around Gemini of course. There were also a few others to the east that I could trace back to the radiant point. I saw a really bright one in Corvus that left a visible trail after it burned up. Then there was another way down in Antlia that I caught in my periphery that went out with a big flash as it gave its all to the upper atmosphere. So even though I only stuck with it for half an hour in a bit of a lazy man’s outing, I was quite pleased to share in the beauty of this shower, even if in a small way.
There is one more thing on a personal level I wish to mention if I may. I have had sort of a bench mark in my observing, a personal goal one could say. As I’ve stated many times over, I have been observing off and on since the early 1960’s, but for a long, long time I never kept track of what I observed, either in notes or a formal log. I deeply regret that gross oversight on my part. I have no history, no way to go back and reminisce, to see where I’ve been and how I’ve grown as an observer. Sure I can remember a great number of objects, but many and/or details get lost to the ravages of time and the mind. That was indeed a supreme mistake on my part.
Therefore around 2010 or so, I began to formally keep track of my sky journeys through notes and a log, basically starting over. But this night I finally achieved a benchmark that I had been working toward for a while now. I didn’t consider a goal in the beginning. Rather it began to take form over the past three or so years as I saw the number of objects I was starting to accrue in my log. So this night I finally crossed a line that I had set for myself – that of 5,000
I was hoping at the beginning of the year to reach that mark, but with all the things going on this year, I began to have doubts. So this particular trip to the dark site house was also driven by my desire to reach my personal goal this year, as a bit of celebration for an erratic and poor year in terms of observing. Attaining my goal turned a poor observing year into a fantastic one for me personally. Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you all, my friends in astronomy and on
And the part about the Geminids, good for you!
