[ngcles]

Hi All,

Well after last month's three nights at Mudgee where no recorded observations were made because 2.2/3 were cloud or rain and the only night that was any good I just spent looking at favs.

The last month in Sydney has been largely cloudy at night so it was really plesant to get a completely clear night at my southern highlands site overnight on 28th-29th December.

After a day that threatened to spoil the party with some high and low cloud, by the time nightfall came conditions were excellent -- cloudless with quite good seeing -- i'd rate it 7/10 later on softening to 6/10. The SQM/L readings at 10pm was 21.33 and at 12.30am 21.39 equating to a ZLM of about 6.3. Ithought the reading a little suprising as the sky looked a tad brighter than normal and a fraction milky.

After touring a bit inc NGC 1791, NGC 1808, NGC 1535 (really, really lovely) and some other bright objects, I went on to some galaxies in Horologium high in the SW (darkest part of the sky). None of them were showieces by any means: but quite a lot of them had high R/Vs frequently indicating distances etween 500 - 800 million LY distance. That's Cambrian and pre-Cambrian times folks!

x185 27' TF

NGC 888 Galaxy *
RA: 02h 17m 27.5s Dec: -59° 51' 41"
Mag: 14.4 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.1'x0.9'
Class: E1: pec P.A.: 51 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

ESO 115-3 PGC 8774 Galaxy *
RA: 02h 17m 56.7s Dec: -59° 43' 12"
Mag: 16.0 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.1'x0.2' Class: S
P.A.: 96 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

ESO 114-33 PGC 8554 Galaxy *
RA: 02h 14m 01.4s Dec: -59° 53' 17"
Mag: 15.4 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.9'x0.6'
Class: S P.A.: 111 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

These three are in adjacent fields near the Horologium Hydrus border, within thinly populated star-fields. NGC 888 is a very small but fairly easily seen eg found not far SW from a couple of mags 12.5 -13.5 pairs each sep by about 1.5'. Seems to have a mag 14.5 * on the edge of the halo to the NW. Very small round eg, 20-30" diameter rising broadly and mod to centre but no apparent nucleus. Very small but reasonable SB. 10' N is ESO 115-3

ESO 115-3 is a very, very tiny spot of haze near the furthest of the two pairs of *s. Very, very faint and of very very LSB, max 10-15" -- no structure.

ESO 114-33 is one field due W of NGC 888 and is pretty similar, though a little fainter than 888 -- about 20" diameter and round.



x185 27' TF

NGC 1096 Galaxy *
RA: 02h 43m 49.1s Dec: -59° 54' 45"
Mag: 13.5 (B) S.B.: 13.8 B-V: +0.73 Size: 1.9'x1.8'
Class: SB(rs)bc P.A.: 32 Inclination: --- R.V.: +6682 Source: RC3 *

This eg is in a pretty blank field except for a small distinctive RA tri about 15' SW made up of a mag 10 and a couple of mag 12-13 *s. Immediately visible, maybe slightly elong in about PA 60, fairly small, 40" x 20" growing broadly and slightly to the centre azonally without nucleus. There are several very faint *s scattered to its E, the faintest just off the halo.



x185 27' TF

NGC 1136 Galaxy *
RA: 02h 50m 54.0s Dec: -54° 58' 32"
Mag: 13.8 (B) S.B.: 13.3 B-V: +0.78 Size: 1.4'x1.1'
Class: SB(r)a? P.A.: 80 Inclination: --- R.V.: +5574 Source: RC3 *

NGC 1135 Galaxy *
RA: 02h 50m 47.3s Dec: -54° 55' 44"
Mag: 16.2 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.7'x0.3' Class: Sd? pec
P.A.: 60 Inclination: --- R.V.: +13365 Source: PGC *

1136 is a mod faint, fairly small eg about 7-8' NW of a mag 8 *. Fairly small, round, 40-50" diameter with a lowish SB halo growing slightly to centre and at centre is a very tiny not quite stellar spot a bit brighter than the halo. Mag 15 *s to the N and E not far outside the visible halo. -35 is to the N by 3'. Overall SB is reasonable to lowish.

-35 is nothing more than a tiny scrap, 10-odd " dia and round, very very faint. Can only hold occasionally with A.V.



x185 27' TF

IC 1877 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 03m 09.5s Dec: -50° 30' 43"
Mag: 16.3 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.0'x0.1' Class: Sb: pec
P.A.: 155 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC

ESO 199-12 (PGC 11505) Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 03h 03m 24.1s Dec: -50° 29' 44"
Mag: 15.5 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.6'x0.3' Class:
P.A.: 4 Inclination: --- R.V.: +6993 Source: RC3 *

These two are both extremely faint and tiny edge on galaxies that are only occasionally detectable -- IC 1877 seems the fianter and I don't know who discovered it but they must have had good eyes and a huge 'scope assuming it was visual. Both are 10-15" long streaks or lines of mist indefinietly brighter than the sky's surface brightness. Really really faint, both seem in about PA 0 and near a short crooked line of 4 13th to 15th mag *s. The iC eg is the fainter.



x185 27' TF

IC 1914 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 19m 25.1s Dec: -49° 35' 59"
Mag: 13.3 (B) S.B.: 14.7 B-V: +0.42 Size: 3.8'x1.9' Class: SAB(s)d
P.A.: 99 Inclination: --- R.V.: +1037 Source: RC3

This is a mod low to quite low SB good sized eg, found to the SW by a few arc-mins from a small RA tri of mags 11-12 *s. Seems to be oval, in PA 90, 1.75 x 1' growing azonally to the centre without any evience of core or nucleus. Reasonable but lowish SB.



x185 27' TF

IC 1908 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 03h 15m 05.3s Dec: -54° 49' 07"
Mag: 14.7 (B) S.B.: 14.0 B-V: +0.72 Size: 1.3'x0.9'
Class: SB(rs)b pec P.A.: 50 Inclination: --- R.V.: +8201 Source: RC3 *

This eg is found 12' S of a 9th mag * This is a small mod faint eg that wasn't immediately obvious. Small, diffuse spot 40-50" dia growing weakly to centre without apparent core or nucleus.



x185 27' TF

IC 1933 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 25m 40.0s Dec: -52° 47' 02"
Mag: 12.9 (B) S.B.: 13.0 B-V: +0.36 Size: 2.2'x1.1' Class: SAB(s)d:
P.A.: 55 Inclination: --- R.V.: +1033 Source: RC3 *

IC 1938 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 27m 10.6s Dec: -53° 00' 36"
Mag: 15.4 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.7'x0.5' Class: S?
P.A.: 50 Inclination: --- R.V.: +9110 Source: RC3 *

IC 1920 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 23m 59.9s Dec: -52° 43' 28"
Mag: 16.3 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.5'x0.4' Class: S
P.A.: 120 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC

IC 1942 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 03h 27m 53.7s Dec: -52° 40' 33"
Mag: 15.4 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.7'x0.5' Class:
P.A.: 11 Inclination: --- R.V.: +18340 Source: PGC *

-33 is a fairly obvious, no worse than mod faint eg with a distracting mag 12 * at the S end of the oval halo. Elong in PA 45, oval, 1.25' x 1' ?? In PA 45 with good SB growing broadly and slightly to centre azonally without nucleus. Three other IC eg's are in adjoining fields -- -38, -20, and -42 all of which look essentially identical -- about 20" diameter, round patches of gossamer of which -42 is the brightest and -20 the smallest and faintes, though all are small, faint and difficult.



x185 27' TF

IC 1935 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 03h 26m 13.0s Dec: -50° 00' 36"
Mag: 14.7 (B) S.B.: 13.3 B-V: +0.38 Size: 1.0'x0.7' Class: SA(s)cd? pec
P.A.: 38 Inclination: --- R.V.: +5546 Source: RC3 *

This is a fairly small, faint and non-descript eg with low to very LSB, round, 30" dia growing broadly and slightly to centre without apparent nucleus. There is a mag 15 * on the S edge of the halo.



x185 27' TF

NGC 1356 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 03h 30m 40.8s Dec: -50° 18' 31"
Mag: 13.7 (B) S.B.: 13.6 B-V: +0.70 Size: 1.8'x1.4' Class: SAB(r)bc pec:
P.A.: 156 Inclination: --- R.V.: +11471 Source: RC3 *

IC 1947 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 30m 32.7s Dec: -50° 20' 19"
Mag: 15.5 (B) S.B.: --- B-V: +0.71 Size: 0.6'x0.5' Class:
P.A.: 141 Inclination: --- R.V.: +9 Source: RC3 *

IC 1950 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 31m 04.4s Dec: -50° 26' 00"
Mag: 15.1 (B) S.B.: 13.6 B-V: +0.58 Size: 1.4'x0.4' Class: Sc: sp
P.A.: 153 Inclination: --- R.V.: +11422 Source: RC3 *

IC 1959 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 33m 12.0s Dec: -50° 24' 46"
Mag: 13.2 (B) S.B.: 13.4 B-V: +0.36 Size: 3.0'x0.6' Class: SB(s)m: sp
P.A.: 147 Inclination: --- R.V.: +616 Source: RC3 *

These four eg's are found within a field of a bright 6th magnitude * that is distinctly orange. NGC 1356 is about 20' W. -NGC 1356 there are a couple of mag 12.5 *s that point almost at it, fairly small maybe slightly oval eg, no round, the two stars point at it from the south. About 40-50" diameter growing broadly and slightly to centre azonally. There is a very verey faint * about mag 15.5 continuously visible with AV on the E side of the halo nr edge and two other stars slightly brighter on the SE & E outside the halo. IC 1947 is almost between the two mag 12 *s that point at NGC 1356. It is a tiny spot of gossamer, occasionally visible at best about 10" diameter.

IC 1950 is 8' SE and is a very small and faint edge on spindle of faint mist about 1.5' x 5" (if that) in PA 165 of consistent LSB.

5' SE of the 6th mag * is IC 1959 -- a really beautiful LSB edge on splinter of gossamer about 2.5' x 10" in PA 165, growing broadly and slightly to centre without apparent nucleus. A long tipped spindle.

Pt 2 to follow ...