Well, some trying observing before moonrise on the 19th and between clouds on the 22nd. But I did get to observe Supernova 2011gv in IC4901 discovered by Ice in Space denizen Greg Bock
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...t=82030&page=2
I also started obs on some of the fainter objects in the SMC and have discovered that my charts need some additions as some of the fainter Kron, Lindsay and Hodge/Wright clusters are well within the range of a 12-16" scope under dark skies. Chart upgrade on the way!
Thanks for reading. And thanks to Greg - a very exciting thing to observe.
Telescope 400mm f4.9 tri-dob reflector
Eyepieces 28mm UWAN, 17,13,9 mm Naglers, Paracorr
Navigation: Uranometria and my own charts of SMC from cloudsofmagellan.net.au
Object infromation from "Star Clusters" by Archinal and Hynes.
19/10/11
2135
Seeing fair, transparency poor
Kron 54 OC in SMC
06 06 47.8 –72 16 24
Dia 0.6 Vmag 12.65
175x 1/3 of the way from NGC 416 to NGC 371, this is a small but quite distinct glow with at least to clumps or resolvabe stars, the northernmost one being the brighter. There is a faint 1’ glow around the core which brightens with UHC filter.
Hodge/Wright 65 OC in SMC
01 11 58.5 –72 16 16
175x A soft E-W 2’x1’ glow to the east of a foreground star. There is a bright knot at the eastern pole. The object looks longer and wider with UHC filter but not brighter.
Kron 63 OC in SMC
01 10 47.9 –72 47 37
175x A very soft circular luminance perhaps 1’ or more across, but the edge is very hard to discern. The object appears a little patchy but has no marked core.
Lindsay 80 OC in SMC
01 07 28.5 –72 46 09
175x Very faint and difficult to pick – a process made more certain with UHC filter which show a 2’x1’ E-W glow around 2 stars.
22/10/11
2135
Seeing good, transparency good in the gaps between frequent clouds.
Supernova 2011gv in IC 4901 (GX in Pavo)
250X A viewing highlight indeed. Easy to find the galaxy as it is near a naked eye triangular asterism 1/3 of the way from Alpha Pavonis to the head of the peacock. To the preceding and slightly to the north of the faint galactic core is a tiny but distinct star. The galaxy itself is a faint glow slightly elongated roughly E-W 2 ½’ x1 ½’, the supernova visible within the western edge of the glow of the galaxy. There is a foreground star 3’ to the east of the galaxy. This observation before I’d even properly dark adapted. My plan to return later in the evening is foiled by cloud.
IC1611, IC 1612 and Kron 42 OC in SMC
This is a nice little group of 3 small clusters close to NGC 346
175X IC 1611 is closest to NGC 346 and is quite a bright not quite round cluster, uneven in brightness and with the impression of a core. Forms the apex of an isosceles triangle with two small stars to the east. Looks 2’x1’, longer E-W. IC 1612 is about 3’ to the SSW of IC 1611 and appears slightly smaller and rounder, but a magnitude fainter. Both have a somewhat grainy texture. 3’ further to the ESE is Kron 42, which looks about half as big as IC 1612 but significantly brighter and some clumps or stars can be resolved. Only IC 1611 responds convincingly to UHC filter.
Lindsay 66 OC in SMC
01 01 45.1 –72 33 51 Dia 0.7’ Vmag 11.7
175X This is a bright and distinctive little elongated E-W knot of stars and a tight pack of haze around it.
Clouds put an end to the session.