10 April – weblog 2 of two
Astronomers complain in regards to the climate. That is simply what we do. Clouds are our archnemesis however we prefer to gripe about transparency, seeing and nearly each different atmospheric impact, too.
This astrotrip the climate left little to be desired throughout daytime, however nights have been a special story. Clouds aplenty and infrequently not even a promise of clear skies. That was unlucky, however because it goes for each cloud, there was a silver lining: actually 1000’s of information for CSOG 3.0 required enhancing. Nothing fancy, simply work required to tidy up a publication that’s anticipated to strategy (if not exceed) 50,000 pdf’s. For that objective I dragged alongside a display screen to transform the kitchen of the gîte into a short lived workplace area. The result’s that I managed to finish all work that I supposed to finish and extra… and I now want I had a hearth in my house workplace, too.
The environment of the gîte are typical for this area of France. Forests, rocky rural roads and no scarcity of beautiful views. This time of yr the deciduous timber have been changing into inexperienced and even the cat on the native grocery store shifted coloration.
The await clear skies lasted till the ultimate evening. That night on 10 April the clouds promised to remain away till effectively after midnight. Confidently, I’d have been in a position to squeeze in about 4 hours of observing earlier than getting not less than a couple of hours of first rate sleep with the homebound drive forward of me. The tip of night astronomical twilight that evening was when the clock stroke ten and 20 minutes previous to that I used to be all set to kickoff the session with some double stars in Hydra. The Moon was nonetheless up however solely a really skinny crescent and about to tuck away behind the hills to the west.
Did I point out astronomers at all times encounter one thing that is detrimental to their endeavors? I could have left one out: desert sand, within the ambiance. I knew it was there as rain deposited loads of it on my telescope’s tripod plate, however not having had the chance to stare upon any stars through the week previous, I had not but encountered its optical results.
First double 17 Hydra a.ka. STF1295 was good. WDS lists spectrum A for each parts however I discovered them clearly contrasting with A vibrant yellow and B white.
STF1302 is nearly 10 levels farther north, however centering the double in my eyepiece I may inform one thing was off. The view altered from a second when parts A and B have been clearly discernible as particular person stars, to a single, wooly elongated smudge and again. Different stars within the discipline displayed the identical impact. Bizarre. I had little doubt that sand in that a part of the ambiance, nearer to the southern horizon, was accountable. It undoubtedly wasn’t the seeing because it was not a tremble however intermittent, irregular fuzziness as an alternative. Simply one other phenomenon stargazers should cope with. I recalled an evening in April 2015 when there was such an abundance of Sahara sand within the sky I made a decision to not uncover the scope altogether.
17 Hydrae (STF1295)
16mm Nagler T5: AB cut up. A pleasant double.
A is vibrant yellow, B is white, clearly contrasting.
9mm Nagler T6: Utilizing this magnification A is yellowish. The spectra in WDS2023.12 for A and B are A2 and A7 respectively, however with use of 16mm, too, A is clearly yellow, not a deep hue however clearly contrasting.
STF1302
16mm Nagler T5: AB simply cut up, C is seen with AV, ABC cut up.
A and B are each yellowish.
The celebs are remarkably “wooly” at occasions, suspected to be because of desert sand within the ambiance; it is clearly not as a result of seeing. At these moments AB is elongated on the PA however not cut up and no particular person stars may be discerned.
9mm Nagler T6: AB cut up. The view ‘jumps’ notably from good to unhealthy and again. All stars within the discipline turn into ‘wooly’, it isn’t ‘trembles’ from the seeing.
With solely these two observations I left Hydra alone and shifted my consideration to the nice bear within the zenith as an alternative. Of the 37 galaxies in CSOG’s 12-14″ Gx-12 information, 17 have been on my wished record for first time observations. The remaining 20 have been faint fuzzies I noticed solely below Dutch skies and again within the yr 2011.
Each NGC3191 and MCG+08-19-017 (PGC30128) are small galaxies that lack element, however seeing them collectively made for an above-average view. The pictures under – as all CSOG photographs on this weblog – are from upcoming new or up to date CSOG 3.0 editions.
Each galaxies are seen.
The japanese galaxy NGC3191 is bigger and brighter than the western galaxy MCG+08-19-017 (PGC30128) is, with out AV virtually spherical, with AV a faint, barely north-south elongated glow, steadily brighter within the center, no nucleus seen.
The western galaxy MCG+08-19-017 is a small, faint, spherical glow, no element seen. Nearer to NGC3191 than MCG+08-19-017 is, is a magazine. 14.5-15 star.
The galaxy that adopted, NGC3198, did reveal numerous element. No arms might be discerned however irregularity was notable.
Fairly a big, fairly vibrant, NE-SW elongated glow. With AV irregular and clearly brighter within the SW-2/3 half. With AV a small, even brighter a part of the galaxy is seen centrally within the galaxy, barely elongated NE to SW containing the small, stellar nucleus of the galaxy. With AV the galaxy is most irregular to the SW of nucleus. The irregularity is notable however no arms are discernible.
The galaxy steadily faints in the direction of the SW and extra abruptly in the direction of the NE.
The primary of three KPG pairs noticed on this session (really 4, however the pair that kinds NGC3406 is a part of Holmberg 217) was KPG 242. This vast pair of elongated streaks is separated by a magazine. 10.5 star.
Each galaxies are seen.
The WNW galaxy A – MCG+08-20-004 (PGC31697) is clearly brighter than the ESE galaxy B – MCG+08-20-011 (PGC31720) is, a NE-SW elongated little streak, steadily brighter within the center, no core and no nucleus seen.
The ESE galaxy B – MCG+08-20-011 (PGC31720) is elongated in the identical course as A – MCG+08-20-004 (PGC31697) is however is clearly fainter, even in brightness with out AV, with AV steadily barely brighter within the center. To the east is a magazine. 14 star.
In between the galaxies and barely in the direction of the north is a magazine. 10.5 star.
Simply over half a discipline of view to the south of the KPG is NGC3320. One other good one, comparatively vibrant and sporting a star on its southwestern edge.
Fairly a vibrant, NNE-SSW elongated glow with a magazine. 13 star (4UCAC687-052792) on the SW edge. The galaxy is clearly brighter SSW of the center, the SSW-2/3 of the galaxy is the brightest. With AV the transition to the brighter SSW half is barely extra sudden and the brighter half is irregular. No core and no nucleus seen.
Subsequent up was MCG+08-20-033 (PGC32536) and that smudge contained a shock. It is a small one however its core may be very vibrant and the transition from the outer areas to that brighter core may be very sudden.
With out AV a barely east-west elongated glow, steadily brighter within the center with a vibrant nucleus that’s clearly seen with out AV. With AV the galaxy is extra elongated and immediately brighter in a vibrant, notable core that’s elongated in the identical course. The sudden transition to the core is notable. The nucleus is only a bit west of the center.
The galaxy is in the correct angle of proper angled triangle with a magazine. 11 star to the south within the shorter leg of the triangle and one other magazine. 11 star 2 1/2 occasions that distance in the direction of the west within the longer leg of the triangle.
I figured it will make for a pleasant Object of the Week on Deep Sky Forum, therefore the pictures for the OotW information for week 17 above.
Aforementioned Holmberg 217 revealed its galaxies. Two galaxies type NGC3406 and whereas I didn’t see them individually, I may decide there have been certainly 2 of them. A lot fainter NGC3410 to the east-southeast was seen too, however very faintly and solely with use of averted imaginative and prescient. Close by PGC2386525 didn’t reveal itself.
The galaxies that type Holmberg 217 are seen.
The 2 galaxies PGC32580 (KPG 253A, SW) and PGC93106 (KPG 253B, NE) that type NGC3406 (Holmberg 217A) are seen, with out AV an irregular glow, with AV much more irregular and brightest within the SSW half the place the glow is wider east to west and by which a nucleus is seen. The NNE a part of the glow is clearly fainter and is elongated NNE to SSW: with that it is clear that there are two galaxies.
To the ESE of the galaxies that type NGC3406, NGC3410 (Holmberg 217B) is seen, a faint, spherical glow, solely seen with AV, no element seen. To the ESE of NGC3410 is a magazine. 15 star, farther to the SSE is a magazine. 13 star.
PGC2386525 to the SE of NGC3410 shouldn’t be seen.
Two extra KPG’s made it into my eyepiece this session: KPG 260…
Each galaxies are seen.
The NNE galaxy B – MCG+08-20-063 (PGC33138) is brighter than the SSW galaxy A – MCG+08-20-061 (PGC33126) is, a rond glow, fairly immediately brighter in a small, spherical core with fairly a vibrant nucleus that’s simply seen with out AV.
The SSW galaxy A – MCG+08-20-061 (PGC33126) is fainter than the NNE galaxy B – MCG+08-20-063 (PGC33138) is, with out AV even in brightness and barely elongated east to west, with AV barely extra elongated and steadily brighter within the center, no nucleus seen.
To the SW is the fainter galaxy MCG+08-20-060 (PGC33107).
… and KPG 262, that additionally goes by Vorontsov-Vel’yaminov 1408.
Each galaxies are seen.
The SSW galaxy A – MCG+09-18-075 (PGC33342) is barely brighter than the NNE galaxy B – MCG+09-18-074 (PGC33357) is, a spherical glow, with out AV the nucleus is on the restrict of visibility, with AV the galaxy is steadily brighter within the center.
The NNE galaxy B – MCG+09-18-074 (PGC33357) is fainter than the SSW galaxy A – MCG+09-18-075 (PGC33342) is, barely elongated NNE to SSW and even in brightness, no element seen, no core and no nucleus seen.
A pleasant pair of galaxies to match spherical (A) with elongated (B).
1/4 FoV to the SSW is the galaxy MCG+09-18-073 (PGC33325).
Observing NGC3595, I observed the magazine. 8.5 star to its north-northeast to play just a little optical trick. It was at occasions creating spikes in the direction of the north and south. Desert sand on this a part of the ambiance, too, or..?
A north-south elongated streak, steadily brighter within the center, the nucleus is seen with out AV. With AV the galaxy is extra elongated and extra of the fainter outer areas of the galaxies is seen.
To the NNE is a vibrant white magazine. 8.5 star (SAO43659).
The galaxy that exposed essentially the most element of all of the galaxies noticed on this session and with that the spotlight of the session, was NGC3583. Its core is offset and that core clearly confirmed irregular construction. Arms couldn’t be discerned, however there was a touch. A really pleasing remark.
Fairly a big, irregular glow, immediately brighter in an ENE-WSW elongated core that’s clearly irregular with AV and that’s brightest WSW of the center. In that brightest WSW half clearly irregular construction is discernible with AV. With AV the glow of outer elements of the galaxies in faintly seen on the SE facet, on the north facet, a faint, smaller half is seen utilizing AV that curves in the direction of the west, however that is not clearly discernible as an arm of the galaxy. A pleasant galaxy.
PGC2315061 to the NE shouldn’t be seen.
To the SSE is a magazine. 14 star, 5 occasions that distance to the SW is a magazine. 12 star with the galaxy NGC3577 NW thereof.
MCG+09-19-060 (PGC34971) surprisingly didn’t make it into the NGC or IC record. It is not too faint and its elongated form is sort of good.
A faint, clearly NW-SE very elongated streak, even in brightness with out AV, with AV steadily subtly brighter within the center. No core and no nucleus seen. The elongated form is notable.
It was then when the God’s of the heavens touched the dimmer. The galaxy actually light in entrance of my eyes. I leaned again from the eyepiece to see solely the brighter stars of Ursa Main clearly seen, and little Alcor struggling to stay seen. The clouds have been again, a lot sooner than anticipated.
It was the tip of the session and with that the tip of this astrotrip. The subsequent morning I packed the automobile and set out for the return journey. 1000 clicks to drive, however nothing in comparison with the mouse clicks of the week previous, enhancing CSOG content material. Time effectively spent in splendid environment. V3.0 is effectively on its method.
Observations
28 galaxies
2 double stars
Complete: 30 observations
First time observations: 16 objects
Particulars of the objects noticed on this session are within the desk under.
click on right here for my observing log
