#109 Hercules NGC Project Part 3: Uranometria Chart 69

The left side of Chart 69 includes many galaxies in Hercules.  Also present is the north half of close-up Chart A-9.  That chart will have its own blog entry soon, and so those galaxies will be omitted from this entry.

eg 6032:  1'.6 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.4:  The galaxy is large, but faint and very elongated.  It has a wide middle, and was located at 136x.  It was best seen at 187x with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6035:  0'.9 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.1:  Round and pretty large, it is considerably brighter than 6032.  Located north of a triangle of bright stars.  32 and 35 are both fading at 200x, though 35 is easier to see.  Even so, it is a pretty faint object. 

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6052:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13; SB 12:  Previously viewed with the 8".  Located tonight at 60x, it was bright, round, and reminded me of a planetary nebula.  It is very bright at 100x, and still round.  At 136x it begins to look oval.  It is located between two stars (midway), and there is also a faint star preceding.  At 187x and 250x the galaxy is very bright, oval, but quite small.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6060:  2'.1 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13.8:  An impressive galaxy--yay!  Spotted easily at 60x, it is already big and very elongated at 100x.  Very good views are had at 136x.  At 187x and 200x it is very large and still pretty bright.  Recommended viewing.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6062:  1'.2 x 0'.9:  Vis., SB 13.6:  62 is flaring oval at 136x.  It seems pretty bright and pretty

eg 6062B: 0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 15.3; SB 13.2:  large.  The center is brighter than the edges.  At 187x views are pretty good.  62B can be (barely) glimpsed at this range, south of the main galaxy and separate from it.  It has a stellar core, is very faint, small and round.

http://www.ngcicproject.org 

eg 6075:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.5:  Spotted at 100x, it was small but pretty bright ,especially when compared to 6148.  At 136x I noticed a stellar core.  There are good views at 187x.  At 200x it appears oval, and it is fading at 250x.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6084:  1' x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.9; SB 13.2:  This one is tricky to see due to its proximity to a mag. 10 star.  I searched everywhere else first, then finally spotted it just north following the bright star.  A very faint oval was glimpsed with averted vision at 187x and 250x.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6098:  1' x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13:  Seen at 136x as one long oval object.  It is rather faint.  At 

eg 6099:  0'.9 x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.4: SB 13:  187x and 250x they become a very tight pair, likely interacting.  Both galaxies have stellar cores, and are pretty small and faint.  One is oval and the other is round.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6148:  0'.5 x 0'.3:  Vis. 16.1; SB 13.8:  This might be the most challenging NGC object to date.  Even using a very detailed pinpoint hand-drawn map, this galaxy is extremely difficult and elusive.  I had near-perfect transparency to aid me, finally catching glimpses of a very small, very dim oval immediately following the middle star of a faint trio.  It was glimpsed at 250x, 272x, and 375x.  NB:  Just as an aside, I was able to glimpse the central star in M 57 tonight, at 272x.  It was the best sighting yet with the 12"!

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6149:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  Vis., SB 13.2:  Noted at 100x, it is bright but small.  At 136x it is small, oval, and very bright.  At 187x and 250x it is oval, has a very bright middle and has a fainter outer envelope.  It is a fairly elongated oval.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6168:  1'.4 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.1:  This galaxy appears as a long, very elusive slash.  It was spotted at 250x first, then viewed at 272x.  As full darkness was finally reached (June 27th/16) it was also seen at 187x, and then even at 136x.  A bright star is south (10.6 mag.).  Two very faint stars follow it.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6181:  2'.5 x  1'.1:  Vis. 11.9; SB 12.5:  Viewed previously with the 8", and sketched at that time.  Tonight it was spotted at 60x, and viewed up to 272x.  It is large, very bright, and very elongated.  The central area seemed brighter, as if a bar ran through the length of the galaxy.  The edges are noticeably fainter.  Good views were had at 250x.  A rather impressive galaxy!  

http://www.ngcicproject.org

 

eg 6186:  1'.7 x 1'.3:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13.6:  Spotted at 100x, it is large, pretty bright, and oval.  136x shows a stellar core.  A very faint star is south.  It was also viewed at 250x, 272x, and 375x.  It is very oval, bright, and pretty large.  Fortunately it is far enough away from Beta to be seen well.

Mapman Mike

 

#108 Hercules NGC Project Part 2: Uranometria Chart 86

Only a few NGC galaxies appear on Chart 86, so this will be a short entry.  A few of the galaxies also appear on other charts.  NGC 6347, for example, has already been discussed on the page with Chart 87 (see Part 1).

CHART 86

eg 6375:  1'.6 x 1'.6:  Vis. 13.9; SB 14.9:  I expected trouble here, but I located the galaxy quite easily at 100x.  Transparency was excellent at the time.  It was also observed at 136x and 187x, being large, round, and showing a stellar core.  At 187x I noted a very faint star immediately north following.

                                                      http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6379:  1'.1 x 1':  Vis. 12.9; SB 12.8:  It was spotted at 100x and observed well thru 250x.  It is quite faint, and it follows a bright star.  It was round and seen best with averted vision, though it was easy to see.  However, no detail could be discerned.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6389:  2'.8 x 1'.9:  Vis. 12.1; SB 13.7:  One of the largest and brightest galaxies in Hercules.  Spotted easily at 60x, it was large, bright, and oval.  Views were quite nice at 100x and 136x, showing a stellar core, bright central globe, and fainter haze all around.  At 187x and 250x it is still bright and very large.  Recommended viewing.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6574:  1'.4 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12; SB 12.3:  Viewed at 60x, and very bright at 110x and 136x.  It sits at the north end of a faint star stream.  It has a very bright center, and it is very oval.  At 187x a faint star is seen just south (mag. 14?).  250x shows a very bright stellar core.  Viewed years ago with an 8".

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6627:  1'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis. 13.3; SB 13.5:  Spotted at 100x, it was small but pretty bright.  At 136x and 187x it was a bit easier to view.  It appears slightly oval in this range.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6635:  1' x 0'.9:  Vis. 13.4; SB 13.1:  Only suspected at 100x, the galaxy was confirmed at 136x.  At 187x it is small, oval, but pretty bright.  At 250x it becomes ghostly.  It is immediately north of a bright star (mag. 11?), which helps to hide it.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

NOTE:  eg 6467 and eg 6555 are discussed elsewhere, Charts 68 and 67 respectively.

 

#107: The Hercules NGC Project, Part 1: Uranometria Charts 107 and 87

The Hercules NGC project commenced June 21st, 2015.  That summer I managed to observe in Hercules 13 times for at least part, if not all, of my night observing time.  I continued working there during the summer of 2016 with 14 sessions, and concluded this year (2017) with 5 sessions.  So, 32 sessions later, I have logged all of the NGC objects in Hercules.  There are over 200 of them, and they are mostly galaxies.  It goes without saying that many of those are faint.

I use Uranometria 2000 Deep Sky Atlas, All Sky Edition, which devotes 11 charts to Hercules (I don't count Chart 88, as it duplicates Chart 87 and Chart A-9).  The charts are: 107, 87, A-9, 69, 68, 67, 51, 50, 49, 35, and 34.  If you use the charts you will know why they are listed in that order.  This entry will focus on 2 of the charts, though mostly #87.  Reporting all of the NGCs will take some time, so please be patient--they are coming as fast as I can manage. 

CHART 107

Only 1 NGC object in Hercules is on this chart, and it was the first object I observed on my adventure.

eg 6230:  0'.9 x 0'.8:  Vis. 14.4; SB 14.1:  Spotted at 120x and again at 150x.  It was round, not too small, and surprisingly not too difficult.  It either had a stellar core or a faint star involved.  One of the faintest objects yet seen!

                                                       http://www.ngcicproject.org

CHART 87

eg 6081:  1'.8 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13:  Spotted at 100x and observed up to 250x.  It was very elongated, with a bright middle.  It was large with averted vision.  This is a nice elliptical galaxy.  It immediately follows a very faint stellar pair.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 1205:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.7; SB 12.1:  Located very near an 8.5 mag. star, the galaxy was oval, bright, and easy to observe at 100x, 150x, and 187x.  It is located immediately following the bright star.

eg I. 1206:  1'.2 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13.4:  The galaxy appeared round, faint, and ghostly.  It was seen at 100x, 125x, and 150x.  It was quite small, even at 200x.

pn I. 4593:  42":  Vis. 10.7; Cent. * Mag. 11.2:  I had higher hopes for this object, which turned into a larger star, somewhat fuzzy. Up to 250x was used, and though very bright, it did not approach its stated size.  This object has also been seen back in the day with my Edmund 8".

eg 6074:  0'.4 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.4; SB 12.3:  Easily seen at 150x and 200x, despite lying between 2 fairly close bright stars.  It was small, round, very faint, and best using averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6078:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 15.2; SB 13.8:  Seen nicely at 125x, it was round and a pretty good size.  It is possibly enhanced somewhat by eg M+2-41-18, on its S edge, though I could not distinguish it.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6083:  0'.9 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.6; SB 13.6:  Hercules galaxies are certainly not opening with a visual bang!  It's been a bit of a struggle, not to mention disappointment.  This one was seen at 150x and 200x, though it was "best" at 250x.  It is very faint, elongated, and was the most challenging of the Hercules galaxies observed during the first night.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6106:  2'.5 x 1'.4:  Vis. 12.2; SB 13.5:  I finally scored a decent hit, the first object of my second night in Hercules!  Located at 60x, it was quite small, oval, and faint.  It was much larger at 100x, and not nearly as faint.  At 150x it displayed a brighter middle section with a fainter envelope surrounding it.  A very faint star is involved or just beyond the haze.  The galaxy is now pretty large.  200x still gives a good view of this impressive object.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg UGC 10337:  1'.2 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14; SB 13.1:  Lying south preceding 6106, and just north of a mag. 8 star, I thought I would check this one out, too.  I tried it for fun at random, with no specs with me.  I spotted a faint, small oval patch at 150x and 200x.  It is just S of a faint star.  No doubt only the brighter center was seen.

eg 6132:  1'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13.2:  This one is very faint and small.  It was spotted at 125x, where I saw it as oval.  It was only seen positively with averted vision, and was near my threshold of visibility.  It was a good observing night, too.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 1209:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.3: SB 13.1:  An 8.7 mag. star lies very close, making this one a challenge.  The sighting was confirmed at 200x and 250x.  It was very small, and glimpsed between the bright star and a much dimmer one.

eg 6113:  1' x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.1; SB 13.4:  Located using a hand-drawn pinpoint map (I use Deep Sky Objects Browser if I can't find an object the old fashioned way).  It resembled a faint, flaring star at 100x.  It was observed to slightly better advantage at 125x, 150x, and 187x, and it was now oval and pretty bright using averted vision.  It was viewed at 200x, but it was fading at this range.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6219:  0'.7 x 0'.7:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.3:  Though small and faint, it was seen at 136x, though better at 187x.  A stellar core shows at 250x.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6224:  1' x 1':  Vis. 13.5; SB 13.3:  A pair with 6225.  My lower western skies were not so good at this point, and the humidity was building (90%!).  It was small and round at 187x, and seen best with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 6225:  1' x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.2:  A pair with 6224.  It was seen at 250x, very faint and very oval, almost elongated to a slash.  This may be due to a possible star involved or alongside.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg I. 4621:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.1:  Located at 136x, hiding between 2 faint stars, one of which is 11.7 mag.  The galaxy is small and ghostly, best with averted vision.  It's slightly better at 187x.  250x shows it as being oval, and its full size (pretty small) can be seen.

eg 6347:  1'.2 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.2:  The sighting of this tricky object was finally confirmed at 187x.  It is very faint, round, and small.  It lies just a bit south of a very faint star group, and north preceding 2 much brighter stars.  At 250x it is merely a faint, fuzzy patch, possibly somewhat oval with averted vision.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

oc DoDz 7:  6'; 6 stars:  The only "cluster" on the chart.  It was easy to locate at 60x, where 5 bright stars show up in a concentrated area.  At 100x and 136x, many more stars appear in an area more than twice as large (15'?), perhaps 20 stars.  The main group is likely a bright asterism, but the nearby area is quite rich.

Mapman Mike