[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Observing Report 21/3/10 – 22/3/10
All observations made using Dobsonion mounted 305mm Newtonian reflector at f/5. Eyepieces use are 32mm (47x) 24mm Panoptic (67x) 13mm Nagler T6 (115x) or 13mm Nagler with Barlow (230x)
Charts Uranometria 2000 (2nd ed.) Data derived from Uranometria (2nd ed) Deep Sky Field Guide.
I have started to include data such as position and magnitude to provide more information and confirm the visual impressions I get
Observations 21/3. Seeing very good, transparency very good.
NGC 3521 Galaxy in Leo
RA 1 05 49.0 Dec -00 02 10 Mag(V)9.0 Dim’11.0x5.5 SB 13.3 Class SAB(rs)bc Mixed Spiral DDO Lum class II-III
Located Iota and Sigma Leonis by naked eye. From Sigma Leonis moved 3deg slightly f of South to line of 4 stars about mag 6 in a curve. Star at f end of this line is Tau Leonis, then move to 2 mag 6 stars South p about 2deg away (76 and 75 Leonis) Then 2deg in same direction to 69 Leonis. Move 20’ in p until another mag 6 star (62 Leonis) is visible in side of finder. Target should be visible in wide field of view. Obvious stellar core with glowing halo. Spiral structure is visible with averted vision. Clearly not an elliptical.
NGC 3495 Galaxy in Leo
RA 11 01 15.9 Dec +03 37 38 Mag(V)11.8 Dim’ 4.9x1.2 SB 13.6 Class Sd DDO Lum class III
From 62 Leonis scan South to 65 Leonis which is an orange star with a wide companion. Then 2deg Sp to 58 Leonis, a mag 4.5 star with companion to north. Target is just f of this star.
Just barely visible as an elongated glow aligned NS about ¼ fov from star.
NGC 4361 PN in Corvus.
RA 12 24 30.8 Dec -18 47 02 Mag(P) 10.3 Mag(V)10.9 Diam” 126 Mag Cent Star 13.2
Locate Gamma Corvii. About 2.5deg Sf is a Y shaped asterism of 4 mag 7 stars about 40’ long. Just North of these is the target. Large and fairly bright with a prominent core. Central star is visible with averted vision.
NGC 4594 (M104) Galaxy in Virgo
RA 12 40 00.4 Dec -11 37 35 Mag(V)8 Dim’ 8.7x3.5 SB 11.6 Class SA(s)a sp Unbarred S shaped Spiral
Previously observed. Clear view. Significant central bulge. Dust lane very obvious. Extended halo clearly visible making target larger than in normal conditions.
Observations 22/3. Seeing good, transparency fair.
IC 2488 Open Cluster in Vela
RA 09 27 27.0 Dec -56 57 00 Mag 4.3 Diam’ 18 No of Stars 70 Brightest Star Mag 10.0 Type cl (Open Cluster)
Located just f of naked eye star N Velorum. N Velorum is a mag 4 variable star with a beautiful orange glow. Cluster is large but has little condensation. Foreground of roughly 30-40 mag 11 to 12 stars with a “misty” background of fainter stars. Main cluster stars seem to form a number of curved or circular shapes. Almost seemed to detect an “infinity” symbol.
NGC 2899 PN in Vela
RA 09 27 03.5 Dec -56 06 18 Diam” 117 Mag(P) 12.2 Mag(V) 11.8 Cent Star Mag 15.9
From N Velorum, move in direction of Kappa Velorum. Two mag 8 stars about 10’ apart visible in finder. Just Sf of these a faint glow is visible. Hard to detect unless averted vision is used. Estimate about 1’ in size. OIII filter makes more prominent and enables outer halo to show up making object appear larger. No central star is visible.
NGC 3228 Open Cluster in Vela (Hartung 379)
RA 10 21 23.0 Dec -51 43 24 Mag 6.0 Diam’ 5 No of Stars 23 Mag of Brightest Star 7.9 Type cl (Open Cluster)
Locate Mu Velorum by naked eye. Move to a naked eye star 2deg to Np(P Velorum). Moving to Sp a line of stars visible in finder running in that direction points at a cluster visible as a faint glow in finder. Very scattered with a slight central condensation. Hartung describes as “straggling”
NGC 2613 Galaxy in Pyxis (Hartung 307)
RA 08 33 23 Dec -22 58 26 Mag(V) 10.3 Dim’ 6.5 x 1.4 SB 12.5 Class SA(s)b Non barred Spiral S shaped DDO Lum class III
Located Alpha, Beta and Gamma Pyxidis. Xi Pyxidis forms peak of a very obtuse triangle with Alpha and Gamma Pyxidis. Move North about 4deg to Eta Pyxidis. This is easily visible in finder as a star in line of 4 running roughly NS. Move Np about 2deg to a mag 6 star then 1deg 20’ to a mag 7 star just visible in finder. Target is about 25’ to North. Faint with a distinct core. Spindle shape. Many foreground stars. Seems to take moderate power (115x) well.
NGC 5986 Globular Cluster in Lupus
RA 15 46 03.5 Dec -37 47 10 Total V Mag 7.6 Brightest Star Mag 13.2 Horiz Branch Mag 16.5 Diam’ 9.6 Concentration Class 7
Locate Gamma Lupi then move just f of North about 2deg to wide pair of stars mag 5.5 and 6 then same direction just under 2deg to a mag 5 star h Lupi, target is 1deg Sf of this star. Fairly large, little condensation. Evenness of glow makes it appear like a miniature Omega Centauri. A faint star mag 12 or 13 appears on f side.
Saturn
Although transparency was only fair, views of Saturn were very good. Six satellites were visible! There were 2 satellites either side of the planet. On the p side were Tethys and Enceladus and of the f side Rhea and Dione. Titan is just Np of the planet and appearing to sit directly above the rings. Mimas was sitting just outside the rings on the f side and was visible intermittently. Stellarium confirmed its presence. Ten minutes later it was absorbed by the glow of the rings.

Malcolm