Monthly Summary # 8: October/November 2013

It's now been one year of observing with the 12".  When I first set out to find all the NGC objects I could from my location, I thought it would be a daunting and difficult task.  I had no idea.  I figured that pointing a 12" Dob into the overhead sky would reveal anything and everything I wished to see.  It did, but what a task!  I expected (and got) trouble low on the horizon (see my previous post), but did not expect that much difficulty with overhead skies.  Finding some of these little faint objects from the NGC list has been really, really hard!  However, the experience I have gained in the past year has been impressive.  Knowing the limitations of one's scope (and eyes) is so important to observing.  It has been a lot of fun finding my limitations.

The good news is that I have seen every NGC and IC object in Lyra and Cygnus, and I am nearly done with Cassiopeia!  Last lunar cycle did not produce a bonanza of clear nights.  There were three that worked for us.  My biggest conquest (well, one of them) was locating the final unseen NGC galaxy in Lyra.  I saw it 45 minutes after sunset in one of the clearest skies I have ever experienced.  What makes eg 6686 so hard to see is its faintness (obviously) and its proximity to a bright star (mag 7.5, which looks like a streetlight in a 12").  I tried a number of times this summer.  However, the sky on this night was as perfect as it gets, and "bingo," there it was, in all its faint fuzziness.

Other impressive accomplishments include locating (just barely) eg 45 in Cetus, and enjoying my best view ever of pn 246, not far away.  The three sessions saw us observe for 11.5 hours.  I snagged 21 new NGC objects and one IC, plus 9 open clusters from other catalogues.  I give the facts below.

LYRA

eg 6686:  Mag. 14.45.  Very faint and elusive, but visible at 125x and 150x.  Small and round.  This completes my work in Lyra!!

CASSIOPEIA

gn 896:  These two nebula appear together, separated by a small black lane.  896 is quite good with a filter, and is the brighter of the two.
gn I 1795:  Appearing with 896 at low and medium powers, it is involved with a mag. 9 star.  Both easy objects with the ultrablock filter on a very fine night.
eg 1343:  Mag. 13.5.  Located at 125x, and observed at 150x and 200x.  Faint overall, but showing a brighter middle, and noticeably elongated.  2 faint stars lie immediately north.

CETUS

eg 45:  Mag. 12.5.  One of the biggest challenges in Cetus for northern observers is this large, very low surface brightness galaxy.  After many tries, I saw it on this one superb night.  6.9 mag. and 9.9 mag stars make this even harder to see.  Expect faint patchiness, in at least two locations.  Located at -23 degrees.  Good luck.
eg 113:  Mag. 13.3.  Oval and faint, a brighter center was noted at 200x.
eg 114:  Mag. 12.9.  Paired with 118, this was smaller but somewhat brighter.
eg 117:  Mag. 13.8.  Difficult object.  Seen at 125x and 150x.  Round.
eg 118:  Mag. 12.95.  Larger than 114, but seen with it at medium powers.  Large and fainter.
eg 120:  Mag. 13.35.  Threshold object at 125x.  Noticeably elongated at 150x.
eg 124:  Mag. 13.1.  Tricky to locate.  Big and oval, best with a.v.  Close to 114, 118.
eg 132:  Mag. 13.2.  Easy to spot at 60x!  Round and ghostly at 100x.  Much brighter at 200x, and quite large.  Sits amidst three faint stars.
eg 145:  Mag. 13.15.  Oval, faint and best with a.v. at 100x, 125x.
eg 161:  Mag. 13.35.  Like a star out of focus at 125x.  Very small.  150x shows elongation.  200x shows a stellar core.
eg 173:  Mag. 14.1.  Ghostly at 125x, it was acceptable at 150x and 200x.  Very large with a low surface brightness, I wish to return here for a 2nd look.
eg 179:  Mag. 13.05.  At -18 degrees.  Spotted at 100x.  Oval with a bright middle or perhaps a star within.  125x and 150x shows well.
eg 209:  Mag. 12.95.  1 degree S of 179!  Small, round and very faint.  Appears to have a stellar core.
eg 255:  Mag. 12.9.  Lying at -11 degrees, 28', this one has proved impossible up till my one fabulous night.  Easy tonight!  Round and ghostly, like a planetary nebula.  Large at 125x (though considerably smaller than nearby pn 246).
eg 1070: Mag. 12.75.  Seen at 60x, 100x, 125x and 150x.  Round, faint but large.  Oval at 150x.
eg 1085: Mag. 12.8.  Small and faint.  Should be brighter.  Will return for a 2nd look.
eg 1137: Mag. 13.  Views improve at 125x and 150x.  Considerably elongated using a.v.
eg 1153: Mag. 12.35.  Small and faint.  Oval at 150x, with a brighter middle.

CLUSTERS FROM OTHER CATALOGUES

Cassiopeia

oc Be 4:  15 faint stars around a bright one.
oc Be 61:  Small, hazy patch at 60x.  Resolves at 125x upward, but very few stars. 
oc Be 62:  A dozen faint stars involved with a 5-star asterism.  Use high power.
oc Be 104:  S of star V639.  6 stars resolved at 250x, hampered by the variable.
oc Do 13: Large and widely scattered group.  About 40 stars at 100x, many of them bright.  Attractive group.
oc King 1:  Very faint at 60x.  150x shows 16 stars in 2 groups.  A bright group is adjacent.
oc Skiff j00584+6878:  125x begins to show a dozen stars, widely scattered.  Out of the way.
oc St 18:  Line of 5 bright stars.  2nd from west surrounded by faint stars.
oc St 21:  A 'V'-shaped group was noted, open end to the NW.  The line of stars in the S (running E-W) has a compact group of very faint stars around it.  The whole 'V' is attractive.

Mapman

How Low Can You Go?

This short entry will discuss observing NGC objects near the horizon; in my case, towards the south and east.  My latitude is 42 degrees N, so that limits how far south I can see on a good night (it is next to useless to attempt low objects on a less-than decent night).  The fainter the object, the more difficult it is to see when it is down low.  A few objects recently attempted in Cetus have seen my scope pointed nearly horizontal.  If I were attempting to split a bright, wide double star, this would not pose too much of a problem.  Neither would locating a large, bright open cluster, or a large and bright globular cluster.  M 7 is way down there at -35 degrees, though it usually looks pretty fair from my site.  I have successfully observed down to -42 degrees, glimpsing oc 6231 in Scorpius one time with my 8".  That time the scope was flat out horizontal, and the cluster was at its highest point.  Omega Centauri, the globular cluster everyone wants to see at least once in their lifetime, has reportedly been seen from Point Pelee National Park by a member of our club, just a few miles from my location.  It lies below -47 degrees!!  Our local club (Windsor RASC) sponsors dark sky nights there once a month, and the south horizon view over Lake Erie can be very good.  This is the southern-most tip of mainland Canada, and lies at 41 degrees 55 minutes N latitude.

So those are the extremes.  For me, -42 degrees.  From my county (and country), -47 degrees.  But what about "normal" low horizon deep sky observing?  As mentioned, M 7 is getting pretty low, at -35 degrees.  Everything above that can be seen on a good night, with exceptions.  Below that, views can get very unsettled.  Very faint globulars are a problem, and then there are galaxies.  I have been researching my lowest easily obtained galaxies of late, and find that I must be pointing up pretty high to see the really faint ones.   Using Cetus as my example, here are some interesting tidbits.

Cetus drops to nearly -25 degrees.  I am not happy when I am observing galaxies down there, faint or otherwise.  Not only am I looking through a lot of atmosphere when my scope is pointed down that far, but southern sky light pollution turns that part of the sky a milky hue, making it impossible to see galaxies.  I have glimpsed eg 253, the Sculptor Galaxy, which lies just below -25 degrees.  It was not a showpiece sight, but it was viewable.  I have (barely) glimpsed eg 45 in Cetus.  This would be a tough object even if overhead, but its position at -23 degrees makes it a formidable task, even for a 12".  I have tried for years to glimpse this object, finally having success last month on a truly spectacular night.  My life is now nearly complete.

On that same night I also had my first really satisfactory view of pn 246.  It has a low surface brightness and lies at -12 degrees.  However, despite seeing perhaps a dozen brighter galaxies down there, it is hardly worth it.  It usually takes several attempts, and not much is seen except a ghostly haze.  Things begin to get more comfortable for me at around -8 degrees.  From here on up, even the dim galaxies begin to pop out.  From -6 degrees up, I am finally back to 100% certainty of locating almost any NGC object!

Finding out my low sky limitations has been enormously helpful.  I no longer waste precious time on cold nights trying to locate objects that are all but impossible from my location.  I have not given up on the more southerly objects, but will save them for a planned expedition to New Mexico next autumn.  Observing from 32 degrees N should make the job reasonably promising, along with darker skies.  Do you know your low sky limitations?  Try some brighter objects down there, and then slowly try for fainter and fainter, until there is... nothing.  Like me, you just might learn something!

Mapman Mike

September/October 2013: Summary of Observing #7

It was quite a month of clear skies!  Of course there were 6 cloudy nights centered around new moon, an all-too familiar pattern around here.  But we managed 12 observing sessions beginning just before last quarter moon and continuing till first quarter.  That enabled me to finish up Cygnus, a project I thought would take at least two years.  I am also deep into Cassiopeia now, and beginning to flirt again with Cetus.

Deb and I have been observing a lot at the club's observatory location near Comber, ON Canada.  Though far from perfect, especially in the south and the northwest, overhead skies are superior on good nights.  For example, I was able to finally see the central star of the Ring Nebula in the 12"!  I was mighty pleased about that.  I was also able to glimpse the illusive IC galaxy 1296 for the first time, very close to M 57!  And I helped out a fellow member, whose 20" mirror is in for service, observe a 15.2 mag. variable star.  So it is no surprise that I located every object I went after except for one, a faint Berkeley cluster.

Here is what I accomplished in the past month.  If it seems like a lot, it is, but we put in hours and hours of observing.  12 sessions, with more than 48 hours at the eyepiece!  I observed 137 objects in Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Cetus and Lyra (only 2 in Lyra).  This includes:

20 double stars
66 NGC/IC objects (24 of them brand new to me)
51 clusters from other catalogues.

If that sounds like a lot, it is.  However, that's less than 3 objects per hour, so I am staying pretty true to my goal of not rushing through things.  Some faint objects take more time to hunt down than to observe and make notes about them, but the good ones deserve and get plenty of observing time from me.  I added 10 new sketches to my collection, too.  That's not nearly enough, but I already plan on revisiting certain objects next summer with the hope of drawing them at the eyepiece.

What were the highlights?  For Cygnus, see the previous blog entry, which summarizes the best of the whole constellation.  The two things I saw in Lyra were major accomplishments for me and my scope.  One was that central star in the Ring Nebula, M 57.  I have tried before, but on that one night everything clicked.  I saw it three separate times, mostly winking in and out, and best with averted vision.  I also saw the faint, nearby galaxy I 1296, which I had tried to see all summer.  Very faint and elusive, but unmistakeable at last!  There is only one NGC galaxy left in Lyra for me to see.  Maybe next year.

So I will mostly discuss Cassiopeia in this blog entry, and a bit of Cetus.  Cassiopeia is a truly amazing constellation, filled with some fine nebulae (though not on par with Cygnus), galaxies, planetary nebula and clusters.  Oh, those clusters!  Several of them are better than anything in Cygnus.

Cassiopeia Highlights

oc 457:  Stunning object in virtually any instrument, this one does require a low to moderate power.  For my scope 83x was the ideal range.  I also saw it well in the 6" at 84x.  Highlighted by 3 bright stars, it is a moderately rich group.  Worth coming back to often.  Makes a nice showpiece for star parties or beginning observers.  oc 438 is very close by, showing about 30 stars at higher power.

 oc 581--M 103:  Not an object to hurry over, especially with a 12".  Not as instantly likeable as M 52, nor as many stars, it is still beautiful and quite rich.  The cluster remains bright, even at higher powers.  A yellow star on one end, an orange one near the middle and a triple on the opposite side of the yellow one make a nice beginning.  The cluster is quite dense but don't be put off.  Even a 6" shows the group well.

oc 654:  Already rich and dense at 60x, the stars swarm around a yellow 7.5 mag. star.  This reminds me of a Berkeley cluster on steroids!  High power shows 30 faint members.

oc 663:  An outstanding cluster in my 12" mirror!  Large and bright, I viewed it at 60, 100 and 125x.  Though a major showpiece in my scope, it is bright enough to be appreciated in almost any aperture.  A rich cluster, highly recommended.  Two pair of double stars, one on either side of the group, add interest.

oc I 166:  A cloud of extremely faint haze was noted just preceding a mag. 9 star.  Stars begin to resolve at 200x.  This looks like a job for a 16"!

oc St 2:  On the border with Perseus, this group is an utter wonder at 43x!  The eyepiece is filled with bright stars in a dense field.  Great in the 6" scope, too.

oc St 5:  Another large, scattered cluster good at low to medium power.  Contains a star circle, and V781, an orange star.  Fine for all apertures.

oc Cr 463:  A huge group, best at 43x.  Widely scattered but rich in bright stars.

oc King 14:  The best of three clusters, all appearing in a 100x field.  Largest of the three and most interesting to view.  150x shows 30+ stars.  oc 133 is hard to identify.  Look for 4 bright stars in an uneven N/S line.  The 2nd star from the N is a close double.  13 stars seen at 250x.  oc 146 is just preceding.  An 11.6 mag. star lies at the center of a faint, hazy cloud at 60x.  25 stars resolve at 150x.

oc King 21:  An impressive number of stars can be seen at 125x and 150x.  The cluster is near a bright triple star.

I must mention one triple star.  Iota Cass. is not to be missed, looking splendid in both the 6" and the 12"!

Cetus

Six galaxies were observed in the lower part of Cetus, a difficult project for me.  Southern light pollution is a problem at the observatory, plus the fact that my scope is pointing just a bit higher than horizontal.

eg 47:  A bright star adjacent hampers views.  Best seen at 150x, when the star is out of the field.
eg 50: Noticeably elongated at 125x and 150x, especially using averted vision.
eg 54:  Very elongated at medium power.  Use averted vision.
eg 59:  Large and fairly bright, I only saw it one night, despite trying again a few times.
eg 61 A/B:  Seen as one big blob, I was expecting two separate galaxies.  Look for two "bright" centers, slightly apart but at different angles.

Clear skies to all!
Mapman Mike

Cygnus--A "Best Of" Summary

Like Lyra in early summer, I have observed Cygnus a few times before, beginning with my 4.5" Tasco Lunagrosso Reflector back in 1971.  Along came the Edmund 8" in 1978, and another look at Cygnus, in much more detail.  Fast forward to 2013.  It was high time for a complete review of all the deep sky objects in this amazing constellation, lying overhead for much of the summer and early autumn.  Due to a historic lack of map detail and all-inclusive books, I had missed a lot of named objects during my previous visits.  This time, armed with the newest version of Uranometria (all-sky edition), I went in search of everything I could find with my 12" reflector, as well as a review of previously seen objects.  I did not review double stars this year, though added several I had missed.

All in all, I went in search of 157 objects in Cygnus.  This included all 56 NGC objects, all 18 IC objects, and 60 other-named clusters.  This list included some 35 NGC and IC objects new for me.  Most of the "other" category had never been seen by me, either.  I never expected to complete this project in one season, but due to fantastic sky conditions in July through early October, I did complete it!  I will now have to painstakingly prepare a new summer project for next year (Draco?).

From a total of 134 NGC-type objects, I have come up with a list of the best of them; these are recommended viewing.  A very few are excellent.  Keep in mind I am using a 12" scope, so if yours is smaller or larger, I cannot say if the recommendation stands.  Many objects that were not seen that well in the 8" look pretty darn good in the 12".  Some of the recommended clusters are large, too large for a 16" scope, for instance, since very low power is required to see all of the object at once.  I can manage 43x and 60x with my scope, and I use them a lot for big clusters and bright nebulae.  Higher powers are used for galaxies, planetary nebulae, and smaller clusters.  Some of my faintest discoveries probably look quite nice in a 16" or larger.

Here they are, in order of visual appeal in my scope, by category.  First I list the NGC and IC, and lastly the other clusters from various catalogues.

NGC/IC Cygnus--The Best Ones

gn 6992, 95:  The Veil Nebula is one of my very favourite things to view in the entire sky!  Seen in the Tasco (no filter) and in the 8" (with filter), nothing beats the view I get at 43x with an ultrablock filter in the 12" from a dark sky.  I spent lots of time here, sweeping and following the outline of the giant circle, all the way over to 6960 and back.  Truly glorious!

gn I 1340:  Southeastern portion of The Veil.

gn 6960:  See 6992, above.  Not as bright, but still amazing, especially how it trails off to the N.

oc 7082:  What is the finest cluster in Cygnus, a constellation rich in them?  Of course it is a matter of opinion, but I nominate this one, a very large group with one of the richest Milky Way backgrounds I have ever seen.

pn 7008:  This large, bright planetary nebula shows a wealth of detail to a 12" scope.  A showpiece!

oc 7092, M39:  I often use this cluster as a "first object" at star parties.  Not only good for newbies, but a bright, mini-Pleiades for experienced viewers.

gn 7000:  The North America Nebula has its moments in a 12", with filter.  Head for Mexico, Florida and the Gulf.  You will not be disappointed.

oc 6997:  One of three significant open clusters in the North America Nebula.  A fine cluster, sitting between two bright stars.  Watch for a curving line of stars passing through the center.

oc 6866:  3 dozen stars at 100x, not counting the denser, interesting central area.  It has wing-like extensions, and seems to dazzle in a 12".

eg 6946:  The best of several fine galaxies in Cygnus, watch for the faint stars within its large area.  Nearby is oc 6939 in Cepheus, a "do not miss" object for a 12".

pn 6826:  The Blinking Planetary Nebula is a lot of fun for all kinds of apertures!

NGC/IC Cygnus--Best of the Rest

gn 6888:  The Crescent Nebula.  Use a filter and enjoy a lovely emission nebula.

oc 6910:  Sometimes we are partial to an object for sentimental reasons.  This was the first cluster I saw with the 8" from a truly dark sky.  It impressed me then, and it still does.  Very near Gamma.

oc 6811:  My first cluster viewed in Cygnus this time around.  After viewing so many faint galaxies in Lyra, I instantly fell in love with this group.  Watch for a larger, brighter cluster-like group just north preceding.

oc 6819:  My 2nd cluster in Cygnus.  Smaller than 6811, not as rich or dense, but each magnification range offers a new perspective on this minor showpiece.

oc 6871:  A low power beauty!  Perfect at 83x.  Lots of doubles.

oc 6883:  The rich Milky Way background is more impressive than the cluster.  Way too many stars!!

eg 7013:  A large, bright galaxy, good at 125x, 150x and still bright at 200x.

oc 7086:  2 circles of stars, stacked atop one another, one much richer.

oc I 1369:  A major cluster of very faint stars, beginning at mag. 13.

oc 7039:  Large, loose cluster best at low power.  70 to 80 stars.

pn 7048:  Large and faint, like a hazy flare coming from a nearly attached star.  Use high power.

oc 6913, M29:  Not too shabby with a 12" at medium high power.

Open Clusters from Other Catalogues:  The Best from Cgynus

oc Do 3:  A fine cluster, though bright star 29 should be left out of the field.  I enjoyed great views at 125x, resolving almost 50 stars.

oc Do 10:  10 bright to very bright stars, and more than 30 faint ones at low power.  A gold star on either end.  Within lies star D 22, a triple star.

oc Do 39:  One of six open clusters near star 34, south following Gamma Cygni.  Check out the others, too.  This is the largest of the six.  Use moderate power to resolve it all.

oc Do 45:  A large, "G" shaped group, it is bright with about 30 stars.  Good for smaller scopes, too.

oc Anon Platis:  Yup, that's its name.  Very close to M 39.  Drop in next time you are there!

oc Collinder 428:  The 3rd cluster within the North American Nebula.  Large, bright and loose, I counted 35 easy, bright stars.  Look for a backward "S" in there.

oc Ro 6:  Large and bright, and good for all apertures.  More than 50 stars at 100x.

oc Be 87:  Cygnus is loaded with Berkeley clusters, most of them extremely faint and difficult for small telescopes.  This one is large and reasonably bright, nice in a 6".  This marked my final cluster in Cygnus!

Don't see your favourite Cygnus object listed?  Let me know.  And drop me a line and tell me your favourites.

Mapman Mike

Keeping Records of Observations

Where has Mapman Mike been of late?  Losing interest in the blog?  Hardly.  We have had such a run on clear nights the past two months that I have been putting excessive amounts of time into astronomy.  Even though I am an adult and retired and can pretty much do as I please, there are still other aspects to my life that I try to honour occasionally.  Despite wanting to keep the blog updated on a more regular basis, I have been unable to do it.  Cloudy months will see plenty of activity here, but when new posts are absent, assume that I am out with the telescope.

Not only have I been observing more than ever (19 clear nights over the last two dark sky lunar cycles), but I have been trying to keep up with my notes and sketches of what I recently saw.  The logbook of my observatory has over 720 pages since I began recording back in 1968.  Every object I have ever seen is in there, including sunspot observations, fireball sightings, single stars, double stars, variable stars, multiple stars, clusters, nebula, galaxies, and on and on.  My note taking has several purposes.  The first is that next day as I write up the notes in good form from my rough pages scribbled at the telescope, I get to review and remember things that I saw, reflecting a bit on the sublime, the good and the bad.  If I sketched the object (something I don't do enough) I get to redo it in better light and better technique.

The second reason I keep detailed notes is that I like to go back and read some of the descriptions, even years later.  I am endlessly enthralled by reading my notes of objects seen with my previous scope, the Edmund 8", as well as the Tasco 4 1/2" and compare them to what I saw more recently with the 12".  Plus it's just plain fun to skip back through neat and organized notebooks and be amazed at what I have seen over the years.

The third reason is that I like to compare what I saw to what others have seen.  Whether it's a description from an official publication like a book or magazine, or from a fellow amateur astronomer, it is endlessly enthralling to compare my notes with those of other observers.

The fourth reason I keep a logbook is that it makes me observe more carefully, knowing I will be writing down what I see and it is available for others to read and compare.  Without that notebook awaiting me next day to record my previous night's session, I might be tempted to skim over an object too quickly at the eyepiece, or just leave it without any hope of remembering what I saw, or even if I saw it!

Another reason is that I have a pretty good record of weather and weather patterns over the years, including special occurrences and major volcanoes like Pinatabo (remember that one?) and how they affected observing.

None of these reasons would have much meaning if the notebook was disorganized to the point where finding an object within its (700+) pages was nearly impossible.  Have I ever seen oc 133?  How can I find out?  I have a few methods, and I'm certain you can think of a few yourself.  If keeping notes, don't overlook this important fact.  Just recently I began to expand my ability to find an object in my notes.  With my newer method it is much easier for me to locate NGC and IC objects in my notes, whenever they have been seen by me.  However, I still have poor access to non-NGC deep sky objects, though that is being rectified.  Likewise, I would have had trouble finding details on a particular double star from years or even weeks back.  I am now well advanced in being able to quickly locate my notes on such objects.  Since my focus is mainly the NGC catalogue and double stars, those are getting organizational priority just now.

What should one use for a logbook?  I use 200 page, lined subject notebooks.  My wife uses her own template on Microsoft Word.  She uses photoshop to do her drawings.  I'm old-fashioned. 

What should one record in an official logbook?  I begin with the observation number (I am up to #587 since 1968) and date, the instrument used, the time I was out, the temperature, the humidity and what the seeing was like (I use poor, fair, good, very good, excellent).  I record objects in the order seen, which for me is usually by constellation.  I put a subheading (Cygnus) and then record the objects I saw the night before.  If it is an NGC or similar object, I record any details available, such as size, magnitude, etc.  I try not to view photos or sketches of objects until after I have seen them and written my notes.  I like to be surprised.  This is followed by an object description.  Here is a recent example from my logbook:

Cassiopeia
oc 110:  19'; Brightest * mag. 9.7:  Located at 60x.  83x shows 60+ stars in this large, bright group.  There is a bright orange star following, and a wide double star south of the orange one.  The double is yellow and mauve, with the primary star about mag. 8.  The group is widely scattered, with many bright stars in the 12" mirror.  Despite observing during 1st quarter moon, the cluster is still medium rich in stars, and definitely worth a stopover at lower magnification.  It must be even more impressive under a dark sky.  It is a bit isolated, way up there at 71 degrees declination."

That is a very brief description from a busy night of observing, but it gives me enough info to decide if I wish to see it again (I do, under a dark sky).  Interestingly enough, photos for this cluster do it no justice whatsoever.

So whether you casually observe once or twice a year, or whether you are an avid observer, keeping permanent records of what you have seen is rewarding, entertaining, and possibly of some value.  It will make you look more closely at your objects, too.  Enjoy, and clear skies!
Mapman Mike

Monthly Summary #6B: Aug/Sept 2013 Part 2: Cassiopeia

     My late night constellation has been Cassiopeia.  Rich in clusters and nebula, I have also been surprised by some impressive galaxies.  I will begin with NGC objects observed this past session, followed by any IC objects.  Lastly will come clusters from other catalogues.  Underlined objects are personal favourites.

NGC Objects Observed During Past Session

oc 0103:  5'.  Brightest * mag. 11.  30 stars on a stem with a branch.
oc 0129:  12'. Brightest * mag. 11. Large group seen well at 60x and 83x. 35 stars near a triangle.
oc 0136:  1'.5.  Brightest * mag. 13. 8 stars resolved at 250x.
oc 0189:  5'. Brightest * mag. 10.9.  Medium rich, dense.  Near a mini-Cepheus, and oc 225.
oc 0225:  15'. Brightest * mag. 9.3.  40 stars at 83x.  Good for 6" and up.
eg 0278:  2'.1 x 2'. Mag. 11.4.  Bright, oval.  Try with 6".  Seen on a very dewy night.
gn 0281:  35' x 30'.  Seen best at 60x with filter.  Very large.
oc 0358:  3'. Asterism of 4 stars.  Faint group south, involved with a 2nd asterism.
oc 0366:  4'. Brightest * mag. 10. 4 bright and 4 dim stars.
oc 0381:  7'. Brightest * mag. 10. 30+ stars at 150x, resolved well.  Dense group.
gn 7635:  Bubble Nebula.  Some nebulosity near bright star.  Disappointing.
oc 7654/M52:  16'. A deep sky wonder!  60x shows well. 125x resolves all. Also see Cz 43.
oc 7788:  4'.  Cone-shaped.  Pair with larger 7790.
oc 7789:  25'.  One of the finest ocs!  For 6" or higher.  Do not miss!  Uncountable stars in 12".
oc 7790:  5'.  A must with a 12".  Middle of 3 clusters, including 7788.  Medium rich at high x.

IC Objects

eg I 10:  6'.4 x 5'.3:  Mag. 12.95.  Seen at 60x and 100x.  Large, faint, oval.  Star near center.
gn I 59:  10' x 5'.  Fairly large, solid block of nebulosity, near faint circlet of stars.
gn I 63:  10' x 3'.  More clumpy, but just as faint as I 59.  Bright star hinders views.
oc I 1590:  4'. Within gn 281!  At 200x a few faint stars around a close triple star.

Other Clusters

oc SkiffJ23302+ 6015:  Small, very faint cloud.  6 or 7 faint stars.
oc Be 02:  2'. Brightest * mag. 15.  Very very small, very very faint.  4 stars at 250x.
oc Be 01:  5'.  15 stars at 150x.  Pendant on a necklace!  Pendant is the cluster.
oc Be 58:  8'.  3rd member of group with 7788 and 7790.  25 stars along a zigzag line.
oc Be 60:  4'. Barely noticed at 60x  250x shows small circle, about 6 very very faint stars.
oc Be 102:  5'. 8 stars in faint cloud N of triple star.
oc Be 103:  4'.  Threshold group begins to resolve at 150x.
oc Cz 01:  4'. 8 tiny, dim stars at end of brighter line of slightly curving stars.
oc Cz 02:  10'. Mostly resolved at 100x.  25 stars at 150x.
oc Cz 43:  6':  Double cluster with M 52, but fine on its own.  Low x shows both.
oc Do 46:  12'.  Brighter white star surrounded by a large cloud of very faint haze.
oc Fr 01:  Brightest * 10.6.  5 bright stars and a dozen faint ones.
oc Ha 21:  3'. Mag. 9.  Seen well at 125x. 5 bright stars with some very faint ones.
oc King 02:  4'. Brightest * mag. 17.  3 stars at 200x. Small, faint haze near bright, compact group.
oc King 12:  3'. Brightest * mag. 10.  A true cluster. 200x shows 15 stars around a close double.
oc King 13:  Very small, very faint.  About 12 stars near a brighter one.
oc King 15:  3'. Brightest * mag. 18.  I saw a moderately rich group at 125x, surrounding a gold star.
oc King 20:  4'.  4 11 mag. stars amidst small cloud of mag. 13 and 14 stars.
oc Mayer 01:  8'. Curving line of stars, S-shape, about 25.
oc St 11:  10'.  10 white stars.  Triple star within.
oc St 12:  30'. Very large.  15 bright stars on Uranometria.  I saw 40 bright ones at 43x.
oc St 19:  3'.  6 stars seen.
oc St 24:  5'. Brightest * mag. 13. 200x shows 9 faint stars.  Very close double involved. 

     Clusters dominate Cassiopeia, with 7789, 7790, 7788 and 7654 (M 52) dominating the group.  Both galaxies viewed this month are also of interest with large mirrors (278, I 10).  Lots and lots of fine sweeping at low power.
Mapman Mike

Monthly Summary #6A: Aug/Sept 2013 Part 1: Cygnus

    Eight observing sessions.  33 hours of deep sky observing.  100 objects.  My observing friends, it was quite a time!  For the first time since getting my scope nearly one year ago, I had a plethora of observing nights within last quarter moon and first quarter ("Just what is a plethora?"--any Three Amigos fans out there).  50 NGC and IC objects, and 50 other open clusters from different catalogues were bagged.  3 objects per hour, on average, which is just about perfect for me.

     21 NGC/IC objects were new to me, and 29 were reviews from my days with the Edmund 8".  However, as it had been over 20 years since most of these review objects have been seen, and since viewing them in a highly reflective 12" mirror is not really comparable to viewing them in an older 8" one, they seemed all new to me.  My nights were split between observing in Cygnus (up to midnight) and then Cassiopeia (later hours).  Since both constellations are deep in the milky way, there are many of the sky's finest objects mixed in with some pretty faint ones.  There are galaxies, planetaries, open clusters galore, and nebula, too.  No globulars, though.  Here, then is the list of objects seen this past cycle in Cygnus, beginning with NGC, then IC, then other clusters.  Underlined objects are my personal favourites.

NGC Objects Observed in Cygnus (August 28th-Sept. 10th/11th)

eg 6798:  1'.6 x 0'.9. Mag. 13.35.  New for me.  Near Kappa (1).  Easy at 60x.  Oval, bright middle.

eg 6801:  1'.3 x 0'.7. Mag. 13.75.  New for me.  Good elongation at 150x.  Spotted at 100x.

eg 6824:  1.9 x 1'.4.  Mag. 12.65.  New for me.  Bright, round, bright middle.  Try with a 6"?

pn 6826:  0'.6. Mag. 8.8.  The Blinking Planetary, a great object for a 12"!

pn 6833:  0'.1. Mag. 12.1.  Easy to locate, but virtually stellar.

oc 6834:  6'. Mag. 7.8.  Well worth a stop, even with a 6"!  Lots of faint stars.

oc 6846:  0'.8. Mag. 14.2.  New for me.  Just faint haze.

oc 6856:  3'. Stars mag. 12--16.  New for me.  Resolved at 200x.  Few stars.

gn 6857:  0'.6 x 0'.6.  Seen well with and without ultra-block filter, up to 150x.

oc 6866:  7'. Mag. 7.6.  30 stars at 150x.  Fine object for 12".

oc 6871:  30'.  A low power beauty.  Great at 83x.

oc 6874:  7'.  New for me.  50 stars at 200x.  Cone-shaped. 

oc 6883:  Very rich area of the Milky Way.  Bright, wide pair in center of cluster.

pn 6884:  25".  Mag. 10.9.  Bright, round, small. 

pn 6894:  55".  Mag. 12.3.  Ghostly, large.  Good for 12", though 8" will show it.

eg 6916:  1'.8 x 1'.2.  Mag. 14.45.  My faintest galaxy to date!  Elongated at 200x.

eg 6946:  11'.5 x 9'.8.  Mag. 11.5.  On border with Cepheus.  Huge!!  0c 6939 close by!!

gn 6960:  70' x 6'.  Westernmost part of the Veil.  See separate entry below.

gn 6974:  6' x 4'.  Part of the Veil.  See separate entry below.

gn 6979:  Part of the Veil.  See separate entry below.

gn 6992:  60' x 8'.  North eastern part of the Veil.  See separate entry below.

gn 6995:  12' x 12'.  South eastern part of the Veil.  See separate entry below.

pn 7008:  1'.43.  Mag. 10.7.  Exceptional planetary in 12".  Lots of detail to see.

eg 7013:  4' x 1'.4.  Mag. 12.2.  Large, bright, very elongated.  Try with 6".  New for me.

oc 7037:  7'.  3 stars at 60x.  New.  Higher x shows a "pistol" shape, more stars.  Impressive star field adjacent.

IC Objects

eg I 1302:  0'.9 x 0'.4. Mag. 13.2.  Involved with stars and quite tricky.

eg I 1303:  1'.3 x 0'.8. Mag. 13.85  Close to I 1302.  Good sky needed for both.

oc I 1310:  3'.  Brightest star mag. 14.  6 stars resolved at 200x.

gn I 1340:  25' x 20'.  Part of Veil Nebula.  See separate entry below.

The Veil Nebula (also known by many other names) consists of gn 6960, 6974, 6979, 6992, 6995 and I 1340.  With or without a nebula filter, this is one of the finest sights in the heavens.  I held my 11/4" ultrablock filter overtop of my low power 2" eyepeiece (43x), sweeping the area again and again.  This is a spectacular area, especially if you learn the area well enough to "nebula-hop" from one to the other.  The entire supernova remnant can be traced, even in a 6" scope.  In a 12" it is breathtaking!  6960 is bright north and south of star 52.  6974 and 6979 are both much fainter.  I 1340 is the southeast part of 6995, the part that drifts off into tendrils pointing back towards 6960.  A real showpiece for the patient viewer, this is one of my favourite parts of the sky.

**Other Clusters

oc ADS 13292:  A multiple star with 8 members!
oc Om-2 Cyg:  19'.  Large, southeast of star 32.  12 bright stars.
oc SkiffJ1942.3 +3839:  Fine little cluster, worth a look.  Nice double star, too.
oc sswz94-6:  Small, very faint haze.
oc Be 49:  3'.  Brightest * mag. 16.  200x shows 6 stars.  Not noticed until 100x.
oc Be 51:  2'.  Brightest * mag. 15.  Very very faint.  200x begins to resolve.
oc Be 54:  4'.  Brightest * mag. 17.  Small, very very faint patch at 100x.
oc Be 84:  2'.  Brightest * mag. 16.  Comma-shape.  150x shows well, with 12 stars.
oc Be 89:  3'.  Brightest star mag. 15.  12 faint stars resolved.
oc Be 90:  3'.  Brightest star mag. 14.  10 stars resolved beneath 2 brighter ones.
oc Bi 01:  10'.  Within oc 6871.  Rich background.
oc Bi 02:  20'.  Brightest star mag. 16.  Large, with a stunning double in center.  3 dense clumps.
oc Do 01:  6'.  15 stars S of a bright, wide pair, which also has faint stars around it.
oc Do 03:  7'.  A fine cluster!  E of star 29.  100x shows 50 stars.  Recommended.
oc Do 04:  9':  20 stars at 125x.
oc Do 36:  14'.  Circular group of 25-30 stars.  83x is perfect.
oc Do 37:  8'.  Exact area shows 6 brighter stars.  S are two dense areas of faint stars.
oc Do 38:  15'.  83x  good for large, bright group.  Contains small, rich section.
oc Do 45:  18'.  Large, bright, shaped like a 'G'.  30+ stars at 100x.  Recommended.
oc Do 47:  5'.  17 stars counted, including bright, wide double star.
oc DoDz 10:  24'.  Good at 83x.  N/S line of bright stars with a branch on E side.
oc DoDz 11:  5'.  9 stars in small circle; attached to X-shaped asterism.
oc Ro 05:  50'.  Many doubles.  Sweep area at lowest power (43x for me).
oc Ru 172:  5'.  Brightest star mag. 12.  Within oc 6883.  Rich area of Milky Way.
oc Ru 173:  40'.  Circle of bright stars with faint middle.  2 clumps, in NW and SE.  60x.
oc Ru 174: 2'.  Brightest * mag. 14.  20+ stars at 200x.
oc Ru 175:  15'.  Rich, with many bright pairs.  'Z' pattern in N.  Very near Ru 173.  Fun pair!

** While many of these other clusters are too faint to do much other than locate, several are actually quite good.  Some are even better than some of the NGC objects.  I have underlined recommended ones.  All clusters are from Uranometria 2000, All-Sky Edition.

     I'll be back in a few days with Part 2, the Cassiopeia update.
Mapman Mike

An Observing Buddy

     I know it's been a long time since my last post.  Believe it or not there have been any number of clear skies lately, and I have been observing a lot.  I don't even know how I am going to handle the monthly reports, as there is now so much to report (over 100 objects).  Even though I've been travelling 40 minutes each way to the club observatory every time, it's been really quiet around there.  Of course being retired means I can get out there whenever I want, something my working friends can only dream of.  Seldom are there other observers out with me.  I use to be the only one some nights, listening to the coyotes howling and the cows mooing.  However, for a while now I have had an observing buddy on my late night expeditions.

     My wife Deborah has always been interested in the hobby, and for many years she sketched the objects at the eyepiece of the Edmund 8" for me.  I did the written notes and she loaned me her artistic skills.  But back in March we dusted off the old Astroscan (1982) and she began to use it on her own.  The mirror was in bad shape, so we sent it back to Edmund Scientific and had it cleaned.  We also bought Deb some new eyepieces, a tripod and a better finder.  Just when she was really beginning to get enthused, she became seriously ill.  No observing for five months (nor much of anything else, either).  She began feeling better by the end of August, and got right back into using the 4 1/4" reflector again.  In just over two nights she found 60 Messier objects with it!  She was bit by the astronomy bug.

     She became so interested that we decided to upgrade her scope.  She is now the proud owner of a brand new Orion 6" Starblaster Intelliscope.  It is a push-to just like my 12", and it really is a sweet little scope.  It's main disadvantage is that being a Dobsonian f5, it is so small it must be placed on a table to use it.  Fine for at home, or at a campground.  But what to do out at Hallam Observatory?  She decided on a small portable work bench, which cost less than $20 at the local hardware store.  And guess what?  It works perfectly!

Deb's new Orion Starblaster, atop

a portable work bench.  It's a 6"

Dob, and it's a real worker.

Another view of the new scope.

My observing buddy with her new scope.  What

an amazingly portable scope!  My 12" and her 6"

fit in the VW, along with two tables and all our

books and maps.



     I have looked through it at many objects, including double stars, Messier, NGC and others, and the views are fantastic.  It was easy to assemble, though the push-to components take some patience and dexterity to piece together.  We don't yet have the accuracy we want, but we are still refining things.  It's easy to collimate, and it stays that way, too.  So Deb is in 7th astronomy heaven right now, and eager to see all of the splendours of the galaxy and beyond.  It's fun walking back and forth to each other's eyepiece to see what's there.  Sounds like a fun marriage to me.

Mapman Mike

Cassiopeia Deep Sky: Prelude

     If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know by now that I am interested in observing as many NGC objects as I can.  The fact that I am in no real hurry, but will take my time observing each one, is a dead giveaway that I will never complete my project.  Even if I lived in New Mexico and had nearly year round access to great skies, my project would never be completed in my lifetime.  If I was interested in a mere glance at an object, and carried out marathon NGC observing sessions during clear nights, I might have a chance.  But as I have already indicated in an earlier post, this is not my idea of observing.  Of course there are many objects, faint galaxies for example, that do not require much observing time once located.  But there are so many wonders that repay long looks, using different eyepieces, and even involving some sketching, that observing more than 5 or 6 in one night is a challenging task for me.

     I have chosen several constellations to view as the seasons pass.  For late summer I will move on to Cygnus and Cassiopeia.  Later in the autumn I will return to studies of Cetus, then back into Lepus.  During the winter I will continue with Monoceros, then on to Leo once more in early spring, and Bootes later on.  I always have planned sessions ready at hand, though I often enjoy just wandering about up there, too.

     The deep sky objects of Cygnus were briefly discussed in the previous post.  Now it's Cassiopeia's turn.  Like Lyra (now completed) and Cygnus, my focus is on the NGC and IC objects.  However, since a 12" mirror can do so much more under a dark sky, I have also included clusters from other catalogues.  Many are very dim and small, but a few promise just as much fun and adventure as some of the better NGC objects.

     Cassiopeia has a grand total of 36 NGC objects, along with 11 IC ones.  These 47 objects are my main focus of interest.  29 of the NGC entries are open clusters, including M 52 and M 103 (and, of course, oc 7789!).  I can also look forward to 4 galaxies (2 already logged) and 3 galactic nebulae.

    The IC list adds 4 more open clusters, 4 nebulae, 2 planetaries and another galaxy. 

    In the "other" category come no less than 59 open clusters from catalogues besides the NGC.  It would appear that a few objects were overlooked back in the day by Dreyer and company!  Many of these, due to their faintness and small size, will get just a quick glimpse.  However, any special ones noted will get as much viewing time from me as an NGC object.

     I can therefore look forward to 92 open clusters, 7 galactic nebulae, 5 galaxies and 2 planetary nebulae in this wonderful constellation (100 deep sky objects!).  Using Uranometria All-Sky Edition, my clipboard notes are fully prepared, my mirror collimated and my eyepieces cleaned.  All I need now is a much later moonrise time and some great skies for observing.  Check back in mid-September to see how I am doing with my Cygnus and Cassiopeia project.

Mapman Mike

Cygnus: A Deep Sky Prelude

     With Lyra completed and summer constellations moving forward less and less each night due to shorter days, I have taken up the task of viewing the deep sky objects of Cygnus.  Later during the night I will switch over to Cassiopeia, but first I thought I would give an idea of what Cygnus has to offer for someone with a 12" mirror. 

     My first and primary goal is to view all of the NGC and IC objects.  However, Cygnus is loaded down with "other" objects as well, mostly open clusters from different catalogues.  I will briefly discuss each main category, beginning with the NGC.

     There are 57 NGC objects in Cygnus.  33 of them are open clusters.  While I have seen many of them with my previous telescope (8"), there are quite a few new ones for me to observe.  Things I have seen previously should look considerably different in my larger mirror.  In addition to the clusters, there are 9 planetary nebulae, 8 galactic nebulae and 7 galaxies.  M 29 and M 39 are also included in this NGC list.  Even this many objects could keep an observer happy for many viewing sessions.  It is doubtful I will get through them all this summer.

     There are 16 IC objects in Cygnus.  6 are galactic nebulae, 5 are galaxies, 4 are open clusters and 1 is a planetary.

     Finally come the other catalogues, mostly open clusters from Berkeley, Collinder and several others.  57 of these other objects are open clusters, many of them very small and faint, and truthfully probably worth just a quick glimpse.  There are 2 planetaries and 1 galactic nebula.  I have decided to largely pass on the PK planetaries, at least for this season.

     In total, I will be viewing 132 deep sky objects in Cygnus.  94 are open clusters, 14 are galactic nebulae, 12 are galaxies and another 12 are planetaries.  I have mixed in a number of double stars as well.  All of the objects are plotted and named on Uranometria All-Sky Edition, though the double stars are mostly unnamed in there.

     I already have a small start on Cygnus (see previous post), and am impatiently awaiting the time near last quarter moon when observations will get underway again.  With darkness falling a bit earlier now, even more time can be spent at the eyepiece if it is clear.  My next post will be a similar brief look at upcoming deep sky objects in Cassiopeia.
Mapman Mike

Monthly Update #5: July/August 2013

     At last!  Some clear summer nights with terrific conditions.  We even had a few such nights between last quarter and new moon, something that has been rare.  As a result, a large number of new objects were logged, and a few old classics.  During the observing month I managed to conclude my in-depth studies of Lyra.  I have now moved on to Cygnus and Cassiopeia.  While all three constellations have been examined in detail in past years with the 8", it is a whole new world up there with a 12".  Most of the fainter, previously invisible NGC objects are now available to me, expanding my viewing options significantly.  My earlier studies in Lyra saw me observe 4 NGC/IC objects.  This time around I went after 32 of them, plus one non-NGC open cluster!  Only two objects proved too faint or small.

     Searching for faint galaxies in Lyra (and now Cygnus) has the advantage of observing in overhead skies.  However, the disadvantage is the rich and bright star field surrounding many of them, making galaxy viewing quite challenging.  Of the 32 new NGC/IC objects observed this month, only 5 were non-galaxies.  Those consisted of a globular (M56), two open clusters and two planetaries (one being M57).  This entry will only deal with objects seen in the past month.  For the full Lyra details, see my two previous blog entries.

     For Cygnus and Cassiopeia, I have decided to not only search for NGC/IC objects not previously seen with the 8", but also to undertake a full but quick review of objects already logged with that instrument.  In some cases it's been 20-30 years since I have observed most of these objects, so it's likely time for a revisit.  While more time will be spent on the unfamiliar objects, I will try to spend some time with every cluster, nebula and other deep sky object in these constellations.  My to-do list is extensive, and it will take many sessions to complete.

     This past observing month I observed 25 new NGC/IC objects, as well as reviewed 8 others previously seen.  Most were faint galaxies, and most were in Lyra, but a few were also logged in Cygnus.  While none of the galaxies were outstanding, a few were well worth the hunt, and recommended objects.  The finest objects this past month were all ones I had seen years before.  I will list them in order of interest, beginning with the best and brightest objects newly seen and continuing on to the faintest of the faint fuzzies.  Then I will discuss previously seen objects.

NEW OBJECTS

eg 6764:  The brightest galaxy in Cygnus, and brighter than any of the ones in Lyra except for 6703 (see previous blog entry, below).  Worth seeking, likely making you one of the rare amateurs who know there is a pretty bright galaxy in Cygnus and have seen it!

eg 6702:  2nd brightest galaxy in Lyra, and a nearby companion to the brighter 6703.  Two for one.

pn 6765:  Lyra's "other" planetary.  10" or 12" recommended.  Unusual elongated shape.

eg 6688:  Involved with at least 3 very faint stars.

eg 6692:  Nothing special.

eg 6745:  Check out the Hubble Heritage photo of this object!  Easy with a 12"!

eg 6671:  An easy object, likely doable with an 8".

eg *I 4867:  Small, but bright and easy at moderate magnification.  Near two bright variable stars.
oc 6743:  Called non-existent in some sources, including my push-to computer.  It does exist, and exactly where Uranometria places it.  A bright star is surrounded by a faint cloud of very dim stars.  I counted 18 at 150x.

eg 6662; eg 6665; I 1289; eg 6710; eg 6743; eg 6740; eg 6700; eg6692; eg 6713; eg 6685; eg 6612; eg 6696; eg 6672; eg 6606; eg I 1289; eg 6783 (Cygnus); eg *I 1301 ( Cygnus).  All tricky.  Happy hunting!

*  A note about I 4867 (bright and easy for a 12") and I 1301 (very dim and extremely difficult, just south).  Some sources say they are the same object!  Not!!  Refer to Uranometria.

There you have it--25 new NGC and IC objects.  The only non-NGC object viewed this month was also new to me.  Ste 1 is a very large open cluster centered around Delta Lyra.  Bright and suitable for almost any aperture.  Lovely in the 4 1/4" Astroscan.  About two dozen stars with a 12".

PREVIOUSLY VIEWED OBJECTS

pn 6720--M 57:  Arguably the finest amateur object out there, except perhaps for M 42!  One of two objects I was unable to locate was a faint IC galaxy very close to M 57.

gc 6779--M 56:  Often overlooked in favour of more popular summer globulars, this one is not to be missed in a 12"!

oc 6791:  Resolving this open cluster is more difficult than many globulars.  A real beauty!

oc 6811:  A rich and lovely cluster, with a very fine field just preceeding.  Repays close viewing.  Plenty of brighter stars, and some very dim ones back there, too.  A 4" mirror just begins to resolve it!

oc 6819:  Smaller and not as rich as 6611, but not to be missed with a large mirror.  Unusual shape, and again in a very bright star field.  Use all magnifications, and then go back to lowest again.  Recommended!

eg 147:  A massive galaxy in Cassiopeia with a very low surface brightness, this one requires a great sky.  One of M 31's nearby cousins.

eg 185:  Very near 147, and also related to M 31.  Brighter, smaller and much easier to view than 147, but it is still huge!

eg 6703:  The brightest galaxy in Lyra and/or Cygnus, and a decent object for an 8" mirror.  6702 appears in the same field.

     It was a most enjoyable month.  I managed 7 observing nights out of the 14 available!!  Happy hunting!

Mapman Mike

Deep Sky Lyra, Part 2: The Galaxies

Over five nights this summer, I spent about 19 hours re-observing Lyra.  This was my fourth in-depth visit since first encountering the constellation back in 1971.  This time, equipped with a 12" Dob, I went really deep in an effort to view every single NGC object within its boundaries.  I managed to snag 28 out of 30, likely requiring a darker sky or better eyes to nab the final two.  In Part 1, I discussed my encounter with the clusters and nebula of Lyra, including 1 non-NGC object.  This time I will discuss the NGC galaxies.  There are 27 of them, of which 25 were successfully located and observed.  Despite the wealth of double stars in Lyra, most of which I have observed, they will not be discussed at this time.  I am now planning Part 3 to deal with them.

 

Before setting out on our exploration of faint galaxies, a few ground rules must be laid out.  Before observing, I have the following information at hand in my field notes:  size of object, including length and width, and the visual magnitude and surface brightness of the object (see my earlier essay on mag.).  To simplify matters, I combine the visual magnitude with the surface brightness, thus:  if a galaxy is assigned a visual mag. 11 and has a surface brightness of 13, then I list the apparent magnitude as 12, simply splitting the difference.  This generally works pretty well in the field, and if not completely accurate at least it provides a basis for comparison between the galaxies.  However, if things are the other way around (visual 13 and surface brightness 11), things don't work out quite so well.  In this case, the true answer usually lies much closer to the visual side of things.  While my 12" mirror barely showed some of these objects, perhaps in a very dark, dry sky a smaller mirror would accomplish just as much.

 

I will begin by listing and very briefly discussing the Lyra galaxies in order of brightness.  Note that there are no showpiece galaxies here, though there are a few of significant interest.  After the top 3, there are no more with a combined magnitude of less than 13!

 

6703: 2'.7 x 2'.5--Mag. 12.35:  A veritable beacon of light compared to most other galaxies in Lyra!  The only galaxy I saw previously, using my Edmund 8".  In the same 150x field with 6702.  Though bright, it is not all that interesting.  In a lovely star field.

6702: 1.'9 x 1'.5--Mag. 12.9:  Useful as a comparison with 6703, the 2nd brightest galaxy in Lyra is getting pretty faint!  In the same field with 6703.  More oval than 6703.

6675: 1'.8 x 1'.3--Mag. 12.9:  I could also see this one with the mirror stopped down to 8".

 

6646: 1'.6 x 1'.3--Mag. 13:  A significant number of the galaxies are within easy star hop of Vega.  This was the first galaxy in Lyra I saw this year, thus it is one of my favourites.  There are two IC galaxies very close by, one easy and one not.

6792: 2'.2 x 1'.3--Mag. 13:  Takes high power well, and at 200x it was still pretty bright, quite large, and very elongated.  Two 14 mag. stars at the N end.

6688: 1'.6 x 1'.3--Mag. 13.05:  Also takes high power well.  Stellar core.  3 faint stars beside it.  First seen at 60x.

6692: 1' x 0'.7--Mag. 13.05:  Spotted at 100x near a colourful, wide double.  Very near a 9 mag star, so averted vision gives best views.  200x appropriate.

6671: 1'.5 x 1'.3--Mag. 13.1:  Easily spotted at 60x, within a bright, rich star field, and directly amidst a short, curving string of stars.  Stellar core and fainter halo obvious.  Fine up to 250x.  Faint star N.

I-1288: 1'.1 x 0'.7--Mag. 13.2:  In the same 100x field with 6646, above.  Smaller and fainter than that galaxy, but not difficult on a good night.  Between two faint stars.

6606:  0'.9 x 0'.7--Mag. 13.25:  Located at 60x.  Good views up to 150x.  Again, it is in a bright field of stars.

 

There you have the top ten galaxies, by brightness.  Told you there was nothing special.  Still, I enjoy the hunt, and also surprising others when you say that you are observing galaxies in Lyra (lots of them)!  Here are the rest, in order of brightness.  For some of these I wish I'd used the astronomy club's 14".  For the two I did not locate, perhaps I will use it.  The following galaxies were all seen best using averted vision.

6695: 1'.1 x 0'.7--Mag. 13.3:  Located SF a string of 3 bright stars running N-S.  Faint, oval.
6640: 1'.1 x 0'.8--Mag. 13.35:  Observed at 120x and 150x.  Not small, but faint.
6657: 1' x 0'.6--Mag. 13.35:  A wide slash at 120x and 150x.  Near 6640.
6713: 0'.4 x 0'.3--Vis. Mag. 13.4:  Because of its tiny size, the surface brightness of this is listed as 11 mag.  Don't be fooled.  Small, though not as small as one might expect.  Best at 150x.  Elusive.
6685: 1'.1 x 0'.9--Mag. 13.45:  Seen at 125x and 150x.  Very faint star pair nearby.  Round.
6700: 1'.4 x 1'--Mag. 13.5:  Oval, not difficult.  Seen well from 100x to 200x.  Very faint star involved or adjacent.
6710: 1'.7 x 1'--Mag. 13.55:  Bright field stars makes this one a challenge.  Quite small and faint.
6745: 1'.3 x 0'.5--Mag. 13.7:  Spotted easily at 100x just NP V547 and close to a mag. 9 star.  Seen well at 125x, 150x, and 200x, and possibly the most interesting galaxy of the bunch.  Very elliptical, lying between two faint star groups.  3 galaxies are colliding, and there is a remarkable Hubble Heritage photo of this object!  Easy to find using Uranometria.
6662: 1'.5 x 0'.5--Mag. 13.75:  Located at 125x, the elongation was not noticed.  Central area appeared stellar at times.
6663: 1' x 0'.9--Mag. 13.75:  Close to Vega.  Near a lovely triple star.  Brightness of star hampers location of this very faint galaxy.  Viewed over multiple evenings for confirmation.
6665: 1'.1 0'.6--Mag. 13.75:  This took several tries, but once seen was not difficult to view.  Oval at 125x and 150x.  Just S of a curving star group.
6740: 0'.9 x 0'.8--Mag. 13.95:  Visual mag. is 14.2.  Threshold object at 125x.  Round and better at 150x.  Just S of oc 6743.
6612: 0'.7 x 0'.7--Mag. 14.05:  Visual mag. is 14.5.  Took several nights to locate.  Found on the best of nights without difficulty at 125x.  Also viewed at 150x and 200x.  What else can one say about excellent sky conditions?
I 1289: 0'.7 x 0'.3--Mag. 14.1:  Visual mag. is 15!  Took several nights of trying.  Seen at 125x, 150x and 200x.  Oval and very faint.  Nearby 6646 and I 1288 much easier.
6672: 0'.2 x 0'.1:--Mag. 14.1:  Visual mag. is 15!  Seen at 150x and 200x.  A tiny, faint threshold object makes a close triangle with 2 stars, mag. 9 and 12.  Huzzah!

Two objects remain unseen.
.
I 1286:  Mag. 14.15: Immediately NP M 57.  Located within a faint circlet of stars.
6686: Mag. 14.45:  Too close to a bright star (7.5 mag.).



I really did enjoy my five-night tour through Lyra!  Next up, a deep investigation of Cygnus.
Mapman Mike
 

 

 

 

Deep Sky Lyra, Part 1: Clusters and Nebula

     I have spent many happy hours observing in the constellation Lyra, first in July 1971 when I observed it over two nights from northern Ontario with my Tasco 4.5" Lunagrosso reflector!  I thought I had hit the jackpot when I found M 57, and again later with M 56, using those crappy .96 Kellner and Huygens eyepieces. 

     I returned with my Edmund 8" reflector in July 1978, also from a dark sky site in northern Ontario.  With such a big aperture and much better eyepieces, I enjoyed unrivaled views of both Messier objects, even resolving the outer edges of M 56 at higher powers. 

     In 1992, equipped with better books and maps, I once more found myself immersed in a study of Lyra, again with my trusty 8" reflector.  I was able to add two new NGC objects, the very challenging oc 6791, which the 8" managed to partially resolve at high power, and eg 6703, seen from my suburban backyard in Essex County, Ontario.  I was able to view the galaxy at up to 200x!

     Now comes July 2013.  Light pollution marches on.  Though I have doubtless observed the Ring Nebula many times since 1992, this marked my first official visit to Lyra in 21 years!  Equipped with the Uranometria Atlas, all sky edition, and a 12" reflector, this was a very different adventure.  There are a total of 29 NGC objects brighter than mag. 15 plotted on the atlas, along with 3 IC objects and one "other," an open cluster labeled Ste 1.  I also went after a few new closer and fainter double stars, and reviewed a number of old favourites.  However, this blog will only deal with the NGC and similar objects.

     Here is a breakdown of the NGC objects.  24 of them are galaxies, many of them very faint.  However, a small number of them are easily viewed in a 12" mirror, and should be better known by experienced viewers.  2 of the NGC located in Lyra are open clusters, including one that my object locator says does not exist (it does!).  There are two planetary nebulae, giving the famous Ring Nebula some company.  There is a single globular, an often overlooked showpiece (M 56).  The 3 IC objects are all galaxies.  For a mid-summer Milky Way constellation, Lyra has no less than 27 NGC-IC galaxies!  I was anxious and excited to locate them.  I only struck out on two, having success with the other 25!  I will continue for a few more sessions to try and locate the missing pair.  Details below.

     In this first of two blogs concerning deep sky objects in Lyra, I will discuss the non-galaxy objects.  In Part 2 I will tackle the galaxies.  

pn 6720--M 57:  This could possibly be the most famous Messier object of them all, and perhaps the most famous deep sky object of them all, too.  It is likely one of the most photographed NGC objects.  Since first seeing it with the 4.5" Tasco reflector, I have had a deep love for it.  It is stately, grand, strangely silent (it seems as if it should be accompanied by a low hum, or something similar), awe-inspiring and impressive in nearly any telescope.  Last night I observed it up to 300x in the 12", noting feathery texture on its huge surface.  I also had an opportunity to view it in a 4 1/4" Edmund Astroscan RFT reflector, at a much lower magnification.  It was tiny and certainly dimmer, but still majestic and impressive, especially with an ultrablock filter.  If a viewer is not impressed with M 57, then he is probably in the wrong hobby!   

 http://schickworld.com/Astronomy/Resized/M57-LRGBv2011S.jpg

pn 6765:  Located an easy star hop from M 56, Lyra's "other" planetary nebula is worth a look, at least with a 12" scope or larger on a dark night.  Located at 100x (15 mm eyepiece), at 67" and mag. 12.9 it is about 1/3 the size of M 57, though significantly dimmer.  At 125x (12mm) I used an ultrablock filter, getting good direct views.  Expecting a round or oval object, I was surprised to observe a slash, like an elliptical galaxy.  At times I thought I saw a central star, but this observation could not be repeated on subsequent evenings.  Located within a triangle of brighter stars (mag. 10-11), it was observed up to 200x, with better views using the filter.  The shape now reminded me of the body of an Astroscan telescope, being in two parts joined together, one of them round and larger, and the other much narrower, like a short neck protruding.  Is this a double planetary?  A puzzling but fun object to observe, and no doubt somewhat overlooked.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6765.jpg

     There are 3 open clusters in Lyra, 2 from the NGC, and one from Stephenson.  I will begin with the newest cluster.

oc Ste 1:  According to the newest edition of Uranometria, the area around Delta 1 and Delta 2 is now a very large and bright open cluster.  With a size of 40', use a low power eyepiece.  I loved the view with my 25 mm, giving 60x.  A dozen stars appear to be contained in a box by four brighter stars (Delta 1 is a deep, rich golden yellow), and another dozen lie outside the box.  I also viewed this at low power with the Astroscan 4 1/4", enjoying the views a lot.  The cluster is suitable for all apertures, even very small refractors.

oc 6791:  One of the best open clusters out there for larger scopes, so use at least an 8" mirror for this one.  Even the 12" does not fully resolve it, at least in my best sky.  First viewed in 1992 with the 8" scope, it took 150x back then to even begin to resolve it.  I can't wait to see this in my friend's 22" Dob!  At low power (and 12"), a large, hazy cloud of dim whiteness can be seen.  Official size varies between 10' and 20', depending on which information source is used.  I tend to go for the 20'.  There is certainly a very dense core to this cluster, but the haze spreads out beyond the main section.  At 125x it begins to resolve, and even more so at 150x.  Take your time and let your eye do its work, and very faint stars will pop out all across the object.  Think of it more like a tough globular and you will get a better idea of how to respond to it.  At 200x I enjoyed remarkable views, though there was still some haze back in there.  I observed it this year over many nights, and the cluster is a good indicator of how suitable the sky is that night for deep sky observing.  It is more difficult to resolve than many globulars, so be patient and wait for your best night.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6791.jpg

oc 6743:  Perhaps justifiably overlooked, nonetheless these are the objects I often enjoy tackling, for that very reason.  When I keyed in 6743 on my object locator keypad, I was informed it was non-existent.  Good thing Uranometria knows more than my keypad!  Though hardly a traditional cluster, and certainly not something you would proudly show your grandmother, the little group fits a familiar pattern for observing pros.  A bright star (mag 8) sits right in the middle of a very faint star cluster, dimming its members and hiding some, too.  Best at 150x, I counted 18 very faint stars surrounding the bright one.  I also used the cluster to star-hop to a nearby faint galaxy (eg 6740).

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6743.jpg

gc 6779--M 56:  The final non-galaxy deep sky object in Lyra is the 2nd finest object in the constellation (oc 6791 is 3rd).  Unresolvable in a 4", the 8" used to do a pretty good job with the outliers, but not so well with stars in the core.  This is a showpiece object, often overlooked by amateurs in favour of M 13 and other more popular globular clusters.  My 12" mirror gives a remarkable view, aided by an adjacent bright star that allows perfect focusing.  Up to 200x the cluster is still bright, and resolving all across the center, which breaks into uneven segments of stars and haze, with dark lanes separating them (the 8" showed some of this, too).  I found it harder to focus at 250x, though the object was still good at this range for an experienced eye.  It is a very compact group, but its overhead sky position gives it a huge advantage over brighter and larger globulars further south on the horizon.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6779.jpg

     This concludes Part One of my deep sky look at Lyra.  In the next entry, I will discuss the constellation's 27 galaxies!  Stay tuned, and come back often.

Mapman Mike