#61 Sagitta: Deep Sky Objects Report

     To get a quick look at what Sagitta has to offer, see my blog entry for July 27th, 2014.  All objects listed there are covered here in detail, except for double stars.  I covered about half of the objects on the night of September 22nd.  The constellation highlight is M 71, a globular cluster that resolves well in a 12" mirror.  However, there are a few minor gems, too.

pn 6886 (10"; V. 11.4 mag.; Cent. * 18 mag.) was identified at 120x with a Skyglow filter.  200x and 250x show it as bluish in color, and bright, with a very small circular disc.  It is accompanied by two bright stars, each one a double with a faint companion in opposing position angles.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

 

pn I. 4997 (13"; V. 10.5 mag.; Cent. * 14.4 mag.) was also identified at 120x with the filter.  It was the northernmost of two bright stars.  It was slightly bluish.  It was very bright at 250x. The central star could not be seen clearly due to the brightness of the nebula, which is slightly larger than stellar.

pn 6879 (9"; V. 12.5; Cent. * 14.8) was identified at 120x using the Skyglow filter.  At 200x and 250x it shows a tiny, fairly bright disc.  The central star is seen steadily at 250x without difficulty.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

oc 6839 (4'; 12 *s) was new for me.  It is listed as an asterism (a chance lining up of stars).  Even so, I saw 15 stars at 100x, preceding a lovely bright star chain.  The brightest four members resemble an asterism, but some are double.  Adding on a faint group in the south end adds up to an open cluster in my estimation, though a minor one. 

http://www.ngcicproject.org

 

oc Harvard 20 (8'; V. 7.7; Br. * 8.9 mag.; 28 *s) is mostly resolved at 60x.  It was quite lovely at 100x, with two bright stars involved.  At 125x 35 stars were counted, several very faint. Members are fairly scattered.  It appears in a low power field with M 71.

gc 6838--Messier 71 (7'.2; V. 8.4; Br. * 12.1) already is resolving well at 43x.  Oc Harvard 20 is in the same field, south.  At 60x the globular cluster's center seems offset, south preceding. 100x shows resolution all across the object, plus some core detail.  At 125x the south preceding side is brighter, with the north following side darker (though still busy with stars).  187x shows dozens of stars, along with plenty of core detail.  The cluster now appears elongated.  I went as high as 375x, almost resolving the entire cluster!  Only a tiny bit of core haze remains!  This is a great object in a 12" mirror, and it appeared outstanding at all magnification ranges.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

     I completed work in Sagitta on September 24th.  I was unable to locate gc Pal 10.  Four small clusters finished up my work here.

oc Ro 1 (3'; 15*s) was located at 60x.  100x shows three bright stars leading into a hazy center. At 150x the 3-star chain expands to 6, several of them double.  187x shows 15 stars in a very tight group.

oc Ro 3 (5'; 20*s) was a circlet of 9 stars at first, including four in a tight knot.  Only two stars could be seen in the dark center.  187x shows about 25 stars, including faint companions to a few of the brighter members.  The north one is multiple.

oc Be 44 (2'; Br. * 16 mag.; 30*s) was located at 125x.  It was a small, faint hazy patch preceding two very faint stars.  There is not much to see here in a 12" mirror.

oc Be 47 (3'; Br. * 16 mag.; 20*s) was observed at 200x as a tiny, faint haze near a triangle of faint stars, all preceding a bright star (mag. 9.5).

     These six recent blog entries describe my major summer work in Aquila, Delphinus and Sagitta.  Last year I completed work in Lyra and Cygnus.  Work in Sagittarius has begun, but may take all of next summer to complete.  I am also working in Pegasus, Perseus, Cetus, Cepheus, Lepus, Monoceros, Leo and Bootes.  When each is completed, I shall report my findings here. Cassiopeia was recently concluded, and will likely form the next major segment of the blog. Cepheus is nearly done; two good nights in November should see me complete studies there.
Mapman Mike

#60 Delphinus Deep Sky Adventures, Part 2 (Conclusion)

     Welcome to the exciting conclusion to the deep sky objects of Delphinus, as seen through the eyepiece of a 12" reflector.  Well, maybe not exactly exciting.  Delphinus does not have a big showpiece object, but there are a few minor treasures.  Here is one of them...

gc 6934 (7'.1; V. mag. 8.9; Br. * 13.8) was located at 60x, in a line of four bright stars.  The first night I observed this object, it was just getting quite damp.  100x resolved a very few stars, and the globular cluster was very granular.  187x began to give fair resolution of the outer haze. The now stellar core is very bright, with a massive amount of less bright haze surrounding it. Lastly, a large area of even fainter haze surrounded all.  Having said that, the cluster is compact and tight, not easily giving up its stars.  More resolution comes at 200x, and the core still blazes with brightness.  I observed it again the following night, which was much drier.  It was now quite magnificent!  Stars resolved to the core, and up to 250x was used to very good effect, showing many more stars than last night.  A decent object in a 12" mirror.
eg 6944 (1'.5 x 0'.6:  V. 13.8; SB 13.4) was an easy object to view at 125x, even though it lies close to a bright star.  It is pretty large, elongated strongly NE to SW, and 187x shows a bright, stellar core.  More difficult is its nearby partner, eg 6944A (0'.9 x 0'.7:  V. 14.1; SB 13.5).  It was very elusive, even on a fine night.  Like its parent, it lies close to a bright star (even closer, in fact).  Only the core area is glimpsed with averted vision at 187x, so look for something much smaller than its stated dimensions.
eg 6988 (0'.5 x 0'.5:  V. 14.6; SB 13) is very faint, small and round.  This elusive object was seen with averted vision at 200x.  I also used a pinpoint hand-drawn chart to locate it (see my recent entry on using strategy to find faint galaxies).

pn 6891 (21"; V. mag. 10.5; Cent. * 12.4 mag.) is small, but easily located at 60x.  It was then confirmed at 120x with a Skyglow filter.  At 250x the object is very bright and bold, the central star being surrounded by a bluish-grey haze.  Two faint stars precede it, and another follows.
pn 6905 (72"; V. 11.1; Cent. * 15.7 (?)) was located at 60x, nestled in a loose, bright field of stars.  At 187x the central star appeared.  There is wispy detail in the nebula, too.  It was seen best with no filter.  Up to 375x was used tonight with success.  This is an unusual and recommended object, due to its large size and apparent brightness.  I question the given central star mag., as it was even seen back in the day with my Edmund 8".  Perhaps mag 13.7??
oc 6950 (14'; 60 *s) was swept up at 60x, being a large, loose group.  However, it does have a somewhat dense center.  Fully resolved at 100x, it is a bright and cheerful-looking group of stars.  There is superb sweeping in the immediate area. It is easy to hop to Alpha from here, and the rest of the dolphin shape.  At 43x (2" eyepiece) it is a noteworthy cluster, recommended for 8" or higher.  It is the only NGC open cluster in Delphinus.
eg 7003 (1'.1 x 0'.8:  V. 13; SB 12.7) was located at 60x, at the south preceding end of a string of four bright stars.  Confirmed at 100x, using up to 200x shows a large, oval patch of faint haze. A faint star is following the object; another one is south.  This is one of the less dim galaxies of Delphinus.  A good 8" scope should find it.
gc 7006 (3'.6; V. 10.6; B * 15.6 mag.) was located at 60x.  It was pretty large, round and ghostly, reminding me of a giant planetary nebula.  Up to 250x was applied, but no stars resolved.  It was still pretty bright, though.  Two very faint stars are south.
oc French 1  (13'; Br * 8.8 mag.) provides a nice little surprise, being a bright, large cluster observed at 60x and 100x.  There are about 25 stars, half of which are very bright and white. Four stars are plotted within its boundary on Uranometria Chart 83.  This is a pleasant stop, and it was also observed successfully in the 6" reflector.  It is easy to find with a push-to computer, as it is adjacent to eg 7025 (see below).
eg 7025 (1'.9 x 1'.3:  V. 12.8; SB 13.6) is not difficult to find.  A mag. 9.7 star is on the west edge of the galaxy, within oc French 1 (see above).  Spotted easily at 100x, it also looked fine with the aperture stopped down to 8".  In fact, we managed to glimpse it in Deb's 6" scope at 125x, once we knew where to look!  It was an exceptionally fine night.  The galaxy was oval and pretty bright, and had a bright center.  Despite the attached bright star, it is an easy object.
eg I. 1359 (1'.2 x 0'.4:  V. 13.9; SB 12.9) was located at 100x and confirmed at 125x.  It was a long, thin slash following two faint stars.  The view improves at 150x and 187x, but the oject is very faint at 200x.

     Last, and certainly least, I returned to the area of eg 6927 to hunt down its tiny, very faint companion eg 6927A (0'.4 x 0'.2:  V. 15.5; SB 11.8).  This one is tricky, and for experienced observers only!  Using a hand-drawn pinpoint map to help me identify it, this tiny, faint object was seen with averted vision at 200x, just south of 6927 (see previous blog entry).  While here I also reviewed 6927 (not that difficult tonight), 6928 and 6930 (always difficult).  All four galaxies were seen at 200x.

This concludes deep sky studies of Delphinus with my Orion 12" Dob.  Next up is a brief look at Sagitta.
Mapman Mike

#59 Delphinus Deep Sky Adventures, Part 1

     To get an overview of what there is to see in Delphinus, see the blog entry for July 27th, 2014.  Outside of numerous faint galaxies, there is not a whole lot to see.  Delphinus lacks a major deep sky object.  At least it is well placed in the sky for northern viewers.  I spent parts of six observing nights in the constellation, spending a lot of time hunting down some very faint galaxies.  With perseverance and good maps, I managed a 100% score with NGC objects.

eg 6954 (1' x 0'.6:  V. 13.2; SB 12.5) was spotted at 125x, being small, faint and oval.  The view was much better at 150x and 187x.  200x shows a 14.5 mag. star closely preceding, though the galaxy itself fades in this range.
eg 6955 (1'.4 x 1'.3:  V.13.6; SB 14.1) is one of the most difficult galaxies I have ever seen.  It should not have been, with a combined mag. of 13.85 and a standard shape that is usually easiest to see.  However, a photo of the object shows that only a tiny, bright portion of the object will be seen in backyard scopes, so the size given is greatly overstated.  I had been looking for a much larger object.  It was finally spotted at 200x, being very faint and round.
eg 6957  (0'.5 x 0'.4:  V. 14.4; SB 12.5), on the other hand, was difficult but not impossible.  It was ghostly and dim, seen only at 200x with averted vision.  My final object in this first session was I. 1320 (1' x 0'.6:  V. 13.6; SB 12.9).  A mag. 6.6 star is 4' NW, so I expected a very difficult task.  It wasn't!  At 200x it is small, but the star can be kept out of the field.  The galaxy was distinctly oval.
     
     Five new galaxies awaited me on the night of September 16th, though I began by reconfirming sightings of last night's faint ones.  Tonight's galaxies were much easier to locate and observe, with one exception.  I failed to locate eg 6988, setting it aside for further research and another time.
eg 6971 (1'.1 x 0'.9:  V.  13.7; SB 13.5) was spotted at 100x and confirmed at 125x.  At 150x it was very faint and slightly oval.  It was also seen at 187x, but became poor at 200x.
eg 6969 (1'.1 x 0'.3:  V. 14; SB 12.6) was glimpsed at 100x and confirmed at 125x.  At 187x a nice slash was seen with averted vision, with a wider center.  At 200x it was becoming very faint, but the full size can be glimpsed on occasion.
eg 6972 (1'.2 x 0'.6:  V. 13.3; SB 12.7) was located at 100x.  It was pretty bright at 125x, and had a stellar center.  It remained bright even at 250x, where the elongation was noteworthy.  It is not as elongated as 6969, though it is much brighter.
eg 6956 (1'.9 x 1'.9:  V.  12.3; SB 13.6) was spotted at 60x and confirmed at 100x.  At 150x two stars are noted.  At 187x there are three stars in the field.  Its appearance resembled a planetary nebula.  It was viewed up to 250x, where it became faint.  More of the galaxy might precede one of the stars, which is involved with it.
eg 6928 (2' x 0'.6:  V. 12.2; SB 12.3) was the best of them all tonight, an easy galaxy to locate and showing well at 125x.  More oval than long and thin, it still was pretty large.  eg 6930 is nearby, but not seen tonight.  I had a possible sighting of eg 6927, but I waited to try again to confirm the sighting on a different night.

     I was back in Delphinus on September 17th.  I returned to the area of eg 6928 for another search for three other nearby galaxies.  I found two of them!
eg 6930 (1'.3 x 0'.5:  V. 13; SB 12.3):  Much, much fainter than one would think from the statistics, this galaxy is tricky to view, and best glimpsed with averted vision.  At 187x and 200x it is a very faint slash, being very elusive.  It lies just south of 6928, and quite separate from it.
eg 6927 (0'.5 x 0'.2:  V. 14.8; SB 12.2) was glimpsed with averted vision at 187x and 200x, south preceding 6928.  It appeared ghostly, occasionally flaring into view.  There was no sign of even fainter eg 6927A, which will be attempted again.
eg 6917: (1'.4 x 1':  V. 13.9; SB 14.2) was very elusive and ghostly, but finally spotted at 187x.  It was also glimpsed at 200x, being oval and very faint.  Delphinus has far too many very faint NGC galaxies...

     Part 2 (conclusion) of Delphinus deep sky objects should be posted in a day or two.
Mapman Mike

#58 Finding Faint Galaxies: Using Strategy

     Readers of this blog will soon notice how many faint and very faint galaxies must be sought out, if all of the NGC objects are to be observed.  While it is theoretically possible to observe the entire list (at least the northern latitude ones, which were all discovered visually) with a 12" scope in good skies, it is not a task for the meek and mild observer.  William Herschel discovered most of them with his massive 18" reflector.  However, the coating on his mirror was not nearly as reflective as today's instruments.  One wonders how delighted he would have been with a light weight, modern 12" scope instead!

     The first step in locating faint galaxies is to try this limiting magnitude test.  It only takes a few seconds.  At 200x using a 12" mirror in normal condition, my limiting magnitude is 16.1. Finding faint galaxies is quite different from seeing faint stars, but this will give you some idea of your observing limits.

     The second step is to have a very good star atlas.  Never mind using your "go-to" or "push-to" technology.  That works for getting you to the general area, but it will not show you a small, very faint object.  It does help if a brighter object is close by, but the only certain way to find some of the faintest objects in the NGC list is to star hop.  I am going to use five galaxies in Pegasus as my examples, and detail how they were located.

     The five galaxies are 7146, 7147, 7148, 7149, and 7156.  All are located on Chart 103 in the All-Sky Edition of Uranometria 2000, just north of the border with Aquarius.  The first thing to do is to get familiar with the chart, as well as the specifics of each galaxy.  If you are star hopping, the nearest bright star is Alpha Aquari (not shown on map detail).  The brightest star on my map detail below is 11 Pegasus.  All five galaxies fit within a one degree field, but don't expect to see them at low power.

Uranometria 2000, Chart 103, detail

     Notice how few bright stars are near the galaxies.  All are in the 8.5 mag. to 9.5 mag. range. A small pattern of four stars south and following 7156 can be noted, and if this tiny pattern can be located, then the game is on.  Of course in a 12" scope at low power (60x), those stars look pretty bright.  In addition, an entire array of fainter ones are visible, too.  To confirm your location as the correct one, try hopping to star 11 from here and back (my push to computer put me right in the field, but I still wished to confirm it).  If you have already come from star 11, then you can skip this next step.

     There are a few ways to get to star 11.  I hopped south to the 7 mag. star on the border with Aquarius.  Moving west (right on the map) a faint triangle of stars is reached about halfway to 11, with two stars in Pegasus and one in Aquarius.  The two stars forming the short base of the triangle point to a faint star just north following star 11.  To confirm you are at star 11, go a bit further west and look for the pattern of stars just west again.  Voila!

     Now, return to the area of 7156.  It is time to find our first galaxy.  eg 7156 ( 1'.6 x 1'.4: V. 12.5; SB 13.2) is the brightest and the largest of the bunch, and easily located at 100x.  If you can't find this one, you will not likely find the others.  To see galaxies well the sky must be transparent, meaning little humidity is in the air.  Good seeing also helps, but is not as critical as transparency.  Good seeing is often at hand when wind is light or non-existent.  With a combined mag. of 12.85, a good 8" scope will show this one with a bit of work.  In the 12" it is a nice galaxy, large but not very bright at 100x.  150x shows it much clearer, with perhaps a bit of ovalness to the shape.  Even better views were had at 187x and 200x, where a large, brighter middle was noted surrounded by an area of fainter haze, unequally bright.  It is not a showpiece in a 12" scope, but it is the best of the bunch.

     If you are ready to continue, we'll move to a fainter galaxy.  If not, keep trying for the first one, making certain of your position.  eg 7149 (1'.3 x 0'.9: V. 13.2; SB 13.3) is a bit tricky to find at first.  However, once located its nearby star field is a giveaway as to its location.  With a combined magnitude of 13.25, this is still well within range of a good 12" with an experienced observer behind it.  The galaxy lies midway between two brighter stars shown on the map, and one of them is a distinctive double.  Just north of the numbers "46" in 7146 on the map is STF 2830: mag. 8.9 and 11.9 at 27".  Try returning to star 11 and reaching it from there.  Once this star is located, it is the key to finding the four remaining galaxies.  Move north following between it and the brighter star north following 7148.  I do this kind of work at 60x, then when I know I am in the area, I go up to 100x.  If I don't find anything there, then I go up to 125x. This is where I finally spotted 7149.  It wasn't easy at first.  It is in a curving line with a faint double star, being third in the procession.  It was glimpsed as an oval patch at 150x, 187x, and 200x.  Most importantly, a tiny group of four or 5 faint stars lay not far away, south following. They make identifying the galaxy on future visits much easier.

     We will leave 7148, companion to 7149, for later.  It poses a whole new series of problems that must be dealt with.  Instead, return to STF 2830.  To locate eg 7147 (1'.1 x 0'.9: V. 13.5; SB 13.3) move slightly following the double star, and look just a few seconds south.  I noticed a "V" shaped group of six stars pointing south, three on each side with the south end narrower.  7147 lies near the center of this configuration.  It took me a long time to finally notice it, though once found it becomes obvious (of course!).  It was observed at 150x, 187x, 200x and 250x, though it became very faint at the latter.  With an average mag. of 13.4, this one is very similar to 7149, but perhaps a bit more faded.

A crude but fairly accurate sketch of eg 7146 (left) and 7147 (right).  North is at the top.  Note the arrowhead star pattern, which is just south following STF 2830.

     7147 is paired with eg 7146 (0'.9 x 0'.6: V. 14.3; SB 13.4), being notably fainter and smaller.  As a result, the search for it took some time as well.  It takes patience and perseverance to find some of these faint galaxies, but once found they are more easily seen.  If you can see 7147 at 150x, then you are probably looking at 7146!  Note that arrowhead of stars, and find the row that is preceding the others (watch and see which stars go out of the field first--those are the ones you want).  Center them in your field, and look between and following the middle two stars. It is noticeably elongated, but very illusive and ghostly.  I saw it best with averted vision at 150x, 187x and 200x.  With a combined mag. of only 13.85, it is (on paper) the faintest of them all.  It's larger size makes it easier to find than upcoming 7148, but not by much.  If you can glimpse 7146, you are doing really well!

     If you have been fortunate in your hunt, then be prepared for the final and bigger challenge. If you have not found these first four galaxies yet, then keep trying off and on when conditions allow.  eg 7148 (0'.5 x 0'.4: V. 14.8; SB 12.4) is a beast!  Don't be fooled by that surface brightness figure!  With a combined mag. of 13.6, it is the 2nd faintest and by far the smallest of the group.  It is so small that nothing short of a pinpoint location chart will help to find it. Don't rely on luck; it doesn't work well with these smaller galaxies.  I tried for awhile the first night and gave up.  Here is what I do when that happens.

     I use this website to help me pinpoint faint galaxies and planetary nebulae.  Where it says "Go To Object" at the top, type in 7149 (they do not list 7148!).  A teeny weeny galaxy will pop up amidst a terrifying star field.  You should have already seen this galaxy.  Try and find that distinct little star pattern just following it (left side).  Now drag the map south from 7149 and you will soon come across 7146 and 47, old friends by now.  Now drag the map north from 7148 and you will see a very small, yellowish galaxy, with some elongation.  It is attached to a very faint star (or likely it is another galaxy). That is eg 7148.   Now back out one click, and you will see the target galaxy in relation to 7149, and a bright star north following (shown on Uranometria).  Sketch those three objects in rough (the bright star and the two galaxies, one of which is your target), then proceed to add two more stars to your sketch.  Note that the target galaxy makes a rough triangle with a blue star preceding it and an orange one north following.  With these five objects sketched in, you are ready to find and conquer the fifth and final galaxy in our first challenge round!  Those final two stars you sketched in are about mag. 13.5 to 14.5.

     On the next perfect night, return to 7149 (I went back and found them all again--for several nights afterward I could picture all five galaxies perfectly in my head before falling asleep, along with the helpful stars!).  Using your location sketch in the field, (and Uranometria) locate the bright star, then the two faint stars.  You are now ready to add some power and use averted vision.  Good luck!  I saw it at 187x with averted vision.  It was tiny and round, and of course faint.  The star attached to it was too faint for me to see, but the galaxy will pop out at you from time to time, looking like a tiny, very faint planetary nebula.  Be patient! While there isn't much to see with these smaller, dim galaxies, training your eye to see them is an important step to finding all of the NGC objects.  

     Lastly, remember to keep things in perspective, too.  You are looking at another GALAXY! It isn't just a faint little round fuzzy thing.  I've noticed that I now have much more appreciation for semi-faint galaxies, such as the other four in this list besides 7148.  And I have now located dozens of these tiny ones.  Following a very challenging session like this one, try to imagine how impressive those spring Messier galaxies will look now!

Mapman Mike

#57 Aquila Deep Sky Treasures, Part 3 (Conclusion)

     I observed Aquila over many nights in the summer of 2014.  These blogs mostly concern deep sky objects in that constellation, as observed with a 12" reflector.  Following on the heels of oc 6775 (see Part 2), the next night of observing saw me go after five planetary nebulae in a row!  Here they are, the good and the bad, from July 31st:

pn 6790:  10"; V. 10.5 mag.; Cent. * 11.1:  Essentially a bright star that becomes somewhat brighter at high power with the Skyglow filter on, as seen at 187x and 200x.  The nebula very closely follows a very faint star.

pn 6807:  8"; V. 12 mag.; Cent. * 16.3:  Though virtually impossible to confirm visually, the object was stellar.  At 250x with the filter a tiny bluish haze surrounded the target area.  It was like a tiny, unfocused spot.

pn 6781:  114"; V. 11.4 mag.; Cent. * 16.7:  There is no mistaking this very, very large nebula at 60x.  It brightened a lot at 60x with the Skyglow filter.  I enjoyed great views at 150x, 187x and 200x, with and without the filter.  It was round, of even brightness, and there were several faint stars in the field.  Recommended for its size.

pn 6804:  66"; V. 12 mag.; Cent. * 14.3:  Another minor showpiece, this one is fainter than 6781 and about half its size.  Good views were had at 60x and 120x with filter.  187x and no filter shows a brighter star (mag 13?) on one edge of the nebula, as well as the central star.  Averted vision shows the star best.  It is easier to see at 250x, where four stars can be seen as well. Ragged sides are also evident, and a brighter middle area.  Recommended paired with 6781.

pn 6803:  10"; V. 11.4 mag.; Cent * 16.7:  Two stars are apparent in the exact area.  However, one gets brighter with the filter on, and slightly expands.  Bright.

     Three small clusters finished off that evening in Aquila, as follows:

oc Do 35:  7'; 10 *s:  125x is high enough for me to block out star 31 from the field,  In this range, about 20 stars were counted.  A faint, very close double star was noted just south of the 9.5 mag. star at the cluster's center.

oc Be 43:  5'; 35 *s; Br. * 15 mag:  This was difficult to locate in tonight's sky.  I saw about 6 very faint stars at 187x and 200x.  No doubt this would improve in a darker, drier sky.

oc King 25:  5'; 40 *s:  Several tiny, faint stars were seen near a much brighter white star.

     The following section of Aquila objects was observed on August 15th.  They consist of 7 open clusters:

oc Be 45:  2'; 20 *s; Br. * 15 mag:  Located at 60x (!), it was viewed up to 250x.  The cluster is mostly haze between and surrounding two faint stars (mag. 10.5?).
There is a close double star just south.  The cluster lies amidst a rich star field.  Some resolution was obtained at 200x and 250x with averted vision, though only a very few stars were seen.

oc King 26:  2'; 15 *s:  It was spotted at 60x as a haze surrounding a mag. 12 (?) star.  At 100x a small line of faint stars resolves, following the brighter star.  Up to 250x resolves a dozen stars, mag. 14 and fainter.

oc 6837:  3'; V 12 mag.; 20 *s:  The first of four new (to me) NGC clusters in Aquila.  Needless to say, I was excited to see them!  Located at 60x and resolved at 150x, 18 stars were counted at 200x, including a dense, faint section north of a mini Orion's Belt!

oc 6840:  4'; 20 *s; Br. * 10 mag:  Faint but impressive at 60x, it reminded me of a mini M 50 at 100x!  It is mostly resolved at this range, with many of the stars being of a similar magnitude. 187x shows 20 stars in the main group, with another 15 preceding it.  The cluster is oval.  it makes a double cluster with 6843!

oc 6843:  4'; 20 *s; Br. * 10 mag:  A double cluster with 6840 when viewed up to 125x, where all members are resolved.  The stars are fainter than 6840, and more scattered.  25 stars were counted at 187x, including a south extension.

oc 6858:  10'; 12 *s; Br. * 10 mag:  Located at 60x, preceding a pale orange star.  100x shows the cluster well.  It consists of curving, arcing lines of stars, all faint, with 125x resolving several very faint ones, too.  187x shows 30 stars in the crescent shaped object.

     My next to final night observing in Aquila (August 20th) saw me locate one more pn and several galaxies.  The planetary nebula was a new one for me, and quite lovely. 
 pn 6852 (28"; V. 12.6 mag.; Cent * 17.9: is an interesting object, with good views at 187x with a filter and averted vision.  It is elongated, or possibly rectangular.  A very faint star is north preceding.  Though best with a filter, it was later seen at 100x without it.  200x shows the faint star north as a double, and a 3rd star is at the south end of the nebula.
     All of the galaxies viewed tonight in Aquila were new to me.  I may have even discovered a new open cluster near one of them.  I cannot find any info on it anywhere.
eg 6901:  1'.4 x 0'.5:  V 13.7; SB 13.1:  Located at 125x, made difficult by numerous bright stars near it.  It is not large, but it is elongated.  It appears faint, and is not an easy object to find.
eg 6906:  1'.7 x 0'.8:  V. 12.3; SB 12.5:  Lying just 2' following 6901, it was spotted easily at 100x.  It was large, bright and elongated, giving good views up to 187x.
eg 6915:  1'.4 x 1':  V. 12.2; SB 12.4:  Located easily at 100x, it was bright and oval.  Even at 200x it was big and bright, with a bright middle.  It is nestled in a busy star field.
eg 6922:  1'.3 x 1':  V. 13.5; SB 13.7:  Observed at 150x, 187x and 200x, it was extremely faint and round.  Of interest is an unidentified open cluster or asterism just south of the galaxy.  For now I am calling it Mapman Mike oc 1.  The cluster consists of about a dozen stars, all below mag. 9.7 (none shown on Uranometria).  I am in the process of trying to get this group identified or named.  Stay tuned to this blog for further updates.
eg 6926:  1'.3 x 1':  V. 12.4; SB 13.3:  A double with nearby 6929, 26 was observed at 100x, where it was seen to be quite large and very oval.  Both galaxies were seen together at 150x.
eg 6929:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  V. 13.4; SB 12.8:  This one is much more elusive, being very small and round.  It is faint, and involved with a tiny, faint cluster or asterism, just following 6926.  Both can be glimpsed at 150x in the same field.
eg 6941:  2' x 1'.4:  V. 12.8; SB 13.8:  My final object in Aquila, this galaxy was located at 125x.  It was very faint and small.  However, 187x and averted vision gives glimpses of a much larger, elongated object.  It was too faint for 200x.  Located south following a bright star field.

     On the night of August 26th I completed observations of Aquila with 3 new objects.
eg 6900:  0'.8 x 0'.6:  V. 13.5; SB 12.6:  Spotted at 125x and also viewed up to 200x, it was seen but at the high power only, and with averted vision, where it began to appear oval.  It was round and small at lower power, and very faint overall.
eg I. 1317:  0'.6 x 0'.5:  V. 13.8; SB 12.5:  Located at 100x, it was bright, fairly large, and much easier to see than 6900.  Up to 200x gave good views of the round galaxy.
eg 6865:  0'.8 x 0'.6:  V. 15; SB 14:  Since it was at -9 degrees I had little hope of finding this object, as it becomes involved with light pollution from a nearby city.  However, it was located at 125x, very tiny, faint and round.  It was best seen at 200x using averted vision, where it was similar to 6900, though considerably fainter.  This is one of the faintest objects I have yet located!
Mapman Mike

#56 Aquila Deep Sky Treasures, Part 2

     Aquila lacks a Messier object, or any first rate object in general.  There are many fine objects, just none that compare to showpieces in many other constellations.  Thus on July 21st I tackled the best object in Aquila, in my humble opinion.
oc 6709 ( 15'; V. 6.7 mag.; Br. * 9 mag.; 111 *s) is arguably the finest cluster in Aquila, and likely its finest object (in a 12" scope).  I have fond memories of it from Lake Penage with the old Edmund 8" scope, and indeed it looks great in Deb's 6" reflector and in our Edmund Astroscan (4 1/4").  In the 12" it is a minor showpiece, especially to the experienced observer's eye.  Two orange stars lie amidst the group, and at higher powers they become double.  At 43x and 60x the cluster reminds me of a dreidel.  There is a definite "Y" shape to it.  I went up to 83x, then on to 100x, 125x, 150x, 187x, and finally 200x, before returning to 60x again.  The first orange double precedes the second one, and has a very close, faint companion.  The second pair is orange and blue.  There is a third, fainter and very close pair sitting very near the second.  The cluster has some dense knots, but all is resolved at 200x.  I spent a long time here, and also came back several times.
     Oc 6724 (3'; V. 10 mag.; Br. * 12 mag.; 10 *s) was new for me.  It is a disappointing NGC object, especially after viewing 6709 right next door.  200x shows 8 stars in a tight group, preceding a brighter star.  Following that star is yet another faint group.  Nothing too special is here.
     On the other hand, oc Poole J1855.0+1047 (6'; 40 *s) is marginally better viewing than 6724. It was seen at 60x as a small, very dense knot of somewhat bright stars.  It is just north following 6709, and north preceding 6724.  It lies just north of a bright triangle of stars that includes V913.  Fifteen stars were counted in a small, tight group as viewed at 250x.
     NGC oc 6738 (15' V. 8.3 mag.;) appears bright and straggly at 60x, located north preceding a bright double star, and within a triangle of bright stars.  This was a new one for me.  100x and 125x show the main group as somewhat circular.  Forty stars were counted here, and there is a very faint group following.  The many bright stars, including several not part of the cluster make this a decent group to view.

    On the night of July 24th, iIt was time for another stellar-like planetary nebula.  
I. 4846 (11"; V. 11.9 mag.; Cent. * 15.1 mag.) was confirmed after some searching.  I used my Skyglow filter and 250x to do so.  It is immediately north of a somewhat bright star, a double with faint companion.  Grayish-blue in colour the nebula resembles a very faint star with a tiny surrounding ring of haze.  Nothing to see here, folks.  It's interesting to note that the second IC catalogue (#1530 onward) was discovered photographically.
     It comes as a surprise to some viewers that summer constellations contains galaxies.  Last summer I viewed all of the ones in Lyra and Cygnus, a significant number.  Galaxies near the brighter portion of the Milky Way are difficult to observe, as they are nearly always placed within a bright star field.  
However, eg 6814 (3' x 2'.8: V. 11.2 mag.; SB 13.4 mag.) was easily spotted at 100x, being large and round.  It bore magnification well, and I used up to 200x with good results.  The central area was bright and large, showing well with the aperture stopped down to 8".  Using full aperture, a wide, much fainter haze surrounded it.  No central core was visible, though several faint stars are involved.  We even saw the galaxy very faintly in the 6" scope.  If you are going to see only one galaxy in Aquila, it should be this one.  Good luck!
     Gc Palomar 11 (10'; V. 9.8) is a bit of a challenge, but not too bad for a 12" in a good sky.  It was seen at 60x and observed through 187x.  It is essentially a fairly large area of very, very faint stars resolving in behind brighter ones in the foreground.  Located south of a magnitude 8.5 star, to me it is like a larger Berkeley cluster.  Don't expect to see a "globular cluster."
     NGC eg 6821 (1'.1 x 1'.1: V. and SB 13.1) is one of those rare galaxies where the surface brightness and visual magnitude are equal.  Located at 100x, it was clearly round, faint, pretty big, and seen best with averted vision.  At -7 degrees I was happy to find this one so easily.  A very faint star is following.
     Two planetary nebulae were next on my observing list.  
Pn 6772 (86"; V. 12.7 mag.; Cent. * 18.6 mag.) was a ghostly apparition, spotted at 60x using the Skyglow filter.  It was large, possible appearing even larger than M57!  I used up to 200x tonight, which shows the nebula to be of uniform brightness and shape (round).  Though far from being a showpiece, it was fun to observe this in the 12".  Next was:
 pn 6778 (37"; V. 12.3; Cent. * 16.9).  Less than half the size of nearby 6772, it is considerably brighter and much easier to see.  It is medium in size and noted well at 120x with the filter.  Very good views were had at 250x, also with the filter.  Here it began to appear oval, and 2 brighter knots were glimpsed within.  It had a bright, distinct middle section and a small, much fainter outer area.  Up to 375x was used here successfully. This is virtually my highest usable magnification.  This object is worth a stopover.
     The final object in Part 2 (there will be a Part 3) is oc 6775 (13'; 10 *s).  While its standing as an actual cluster may be in some doubt, this object does offer an interesting field surrounding it.  A small, tight group of stars is noted here.  12 stars were counted at 200x in an area no more than 3' or 4'.  Preceding this is a more open group of stars with similar brightness to the first group.  Both together make up 6775.  Twenty more stars are in the wider group.  The cluster can be seen well at 150x.  A brighter circlet of stars lies just north.
To be continued...
Mapman Mike

# 55 Aquila Deep Sky Treasures, Part 1

     Now that the November blahs have hit us in the northern latitudes, there will be plenty of time to reflect on all the wonderful observing done over the past summer and early autumn. Tolkien calls the time between Nov. 1st and Dec. 21st "The Fading," an apt name.  I have yet, in all my years of observing, to have a banner observing month in November.  It's mostly overcast, windy, cold, and the leaves are down, giving the sky and stray lights too much glow. However, there is always hope for this November.  We shall see.  With the moon waxing now, there is still time to reflect.

     After a spring session in which I observed literally nothing but galaxies (Leo and then Bootes), it was a real treat to begin studies of Aquila in early July.  To see a quick overview of what objects are in this constellation, see the blog entry for July 27th, 2014.  Observed in previous years with the 8", there were some new NGC objects for me, along with clusters from other catalogues.  I was also looking forward to seeing again what I had seen so many years ago with my previous scope.

pn 6751 (26"; V. 11.9; Cent. * 15.4) was located easily, between two faint stars, and viewed up to 300x.  It has a very bright, star-like middle section, with an occasional hint of a dark cneter and/or dark lane.  This object is small but impressively bright.

oc 6735 (8'; 35 *s; Br. * mag. 12) was a new one for me, and it was observed on the night of July 3rd.  It was my first cluster in several months.  Looking at Uranometria, I was expecting a mag. 7 star to mostly drown out the faint cluster members that apparently surrounded it. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised, even at 60x!  Here lies a lovely and busy cluster of faint stars surrounding a bright yellow star, but they are hardly drowned out by that object's light. Best seen at 100x, the cluster drifts west from the yellow star (preceding).  At 125x I counted at least 50 stars.  It even looked decent in Deb's 6" mirror at 94x.

     Aquila has a number of stellar-like planetary nebulaes.  Outside of NGC planetaries, I rarely seek out these objects from other catalogues.  The following objects were observed the night of July 4th.
pn 6741 (8"; V. 11.5 mag.; Cent. * 20.3 mag.) showed a very small greyish-blue disc at 375x.  It has a close, very faint stellar companion.  It can be found just following oc 6735.

gc 6760 (9'; V 9 mag.; Br * 15.6) was next, easily spotted at 60x.  Compared to the dozens of faint galaxies I had recently viewed, this was an easy and fun object to observe.  Despite appearing as if it will resolve at any moment, it doesn't.  I viewed it up to 250x, where it at last begins to resolve, but only outside of the central core, which is still very bright and still blazes. It glows from within like some mysterious lamp, bright as can be but hiding its stars.

     Another new NGC object for me was gc 6749 (4'; V. 12.4 mag.; Br * 16.5 mag.).  This is unlikely to be the object first reported by Herschel, as it is much too faint.  Despite this, it is now accepted as 6749.  Lying in a very rich area of the Milky Way, it has a very low surface brightness and is essentially very faint haze tucked in behind 3 or 4 mag. 12 stars.  There might be work to do here with a larger scope, but a 12" barely shows the haze if you have a pinpoint location.

     Two faint Berkeley clusters were next, Be 79 (7'; Br. * 15 mag; 60 *s) and Be 80 (3'; Br * 15; 20 *s).  79 was large and somewhat circular.  Noticed at 100x, using up to 200x resolves about 15 very faint stars.  The "brighter" members were clustered towards a mag. 9 star.  It resolves only with averted vision and high power.  80 was located at 60x, but it was only a faint, small hazy patch.  It is much easier to see than gc 6749!  Up to 250x was used to resolve a very faint E/W string of 6 to 8 stars, using a.v.

     I will conclude Part 1 of Aquila with a pair of open clusters, observed on July 17th.  
oc 6755 (15'; V. 7.5 mag.; Br * 11 mag; 157 *s) is an unusual cluster.  Ringed by bright members, there are three separate very dense sections.  In the extreme S was the smallest knot. The largest was central.  N was a 3rd group, less rich than the central one.  A bright member is preceding the central group, with a faint double star just S of it.  At 60x the cluster was mostly haze, which is large and quite spread out.  The area including the central clump contains about 50 stars, while the N group has about 25.  Up to 200x was used to resolve and scan the cluster. It looked good in the 6" as well.  
oc 6756 (4'; V 10.6 mag.; B * 13 mag; 40 *s) is just north following, and in the same low power field.  This tiny, faint group resembles a globular cluster at 60x.  However, 187x to 300x resolves the dense central group.  About 15 stars were counted in and near the main group.  It is bright enough to use 300x, which is recommended to really get inside this little cluster.

     I will be back soon with Part 2 to Aquila, and then I will continue on with Delphinus and Sagitta, two other constellations I managed to begin and complete over the summer.
Mapman Mike