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Old 13-04-2008, 06:07 PM
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ngcles
The Observologist

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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Billimari, NSW Central West
Posts: 1,664
30 hrs in Heaven -- Observing report Mudgee Star Party NGCLes (Pt 8)

Pt 8 ...

x185 27' TF

NGC 4241 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 17m 25.4s Dec: +06° 41' 26"
Mag: 13.0 (B) S.B.: --- B-V: +1.06 Size: 2.5'x1.3' Class: SA(s)0+:
P.A.: 128 Inclination: 4 R.V.: +2235 Source: RC3 *

IC 3115 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 17m 59.6s Dec: +06° 39' 14"
Mag: 13.7 (B) S.B.: --- B-V: +0.68 Size: 1.7'x1.3'
Class: SB(s)cd P.A.: 136 Inclination: 2 R.V.: +733 Source: RC3

-41 is pointed at by from the S by a mag 7 and 10 stars about 3' apart. Pretty good SB, pretty bright oval in shape apparently an inclined spiral in PA 135, 1.5' x 1' rising broadly and slightly to the centre azonally and having a faint stellaring in the centre. From this eg -115 is found about 7-8' E.

It has much lower SB but not too bad. Round, growing from quite diffuse and indefinite edges broadly and weakly to centre without core or nucleus.


By now it was closing in on 2am and even though it was the changeover from EDST to EST giving an extra hr, I was well and truly buggered and did a bit of touring around some favourites before I bumped into M3 and decided to record it:



x138 35' TF

M 3 NGC 5272 Globular Cluster *
RA: 13h 42m 11.2s Dec: +28° 22' 32"
Mag: 6.3 Mag V(tip): 12.7 Mag V(HB): 15.6 B-V (tip): ---
Size: 18.0' Class:

This is only just past culmination at about 25 degrees elevation. Still an impressive object -- a very large well resolved GC probably in the order of 12' diameter with a broad moderate concentration to centre . Est cc 6-7. Ragged edges and lots of resolved stars mag 12.5 down. The central core zone would seem to be about 3.5' diameter and not so well resolved due to the packed nature. Overall at least 200 *s resolved. Seems round. Overall, a pretty impressive object similar in size but not quite as well resolved at M19 or M62. Very bright.



x138 35' TF x185 27' TF

IC 4499 Globular Cluster *
RA: 15h 00m 18.5s Dec: -82° 12' 49"
Mag: 10.1 Mag V(tip): 14.6 Mag V(HB): 17.7 B-V (tip): ---
Size: 8.0' Class: R.V.: --- Source: Archinal *

This is a pretty poor cluster all things told that sits astride a couple of mag 8 & 10 *s that are either side of it, the brighter is within the cluster, the fainter just outside to the S. A very diffuse looking hazy LSB object looking more like an eg except that most of the halo is slightly grainy and mottled with many very faint *s sewn in. Seems to have several faint sparkles across its face, maybe 5' diameter and round very diffuse edges growing broadly and slightly to centre with no apparent core zone.



x138 35' TF x185 27' TF

NGC 6101 Globular Cluster *
RA: 16h 25m 48.6s Dec: -72° 12' 06"
Mag: 9.2 Mag V(tip): 13.5 Mag V(HB): 16.6 B-V (tip): ---
Size: 5.0' Class: R.V.: --- Source: Archinal *

This is a somewhat better object than IC 4499 (previous) but for such a large cluster it is not particularly well resolved. Seems about 7-8' diameter, very diffuse and hazy with obvious granular character -- particularly nr centre and it grows only broadly and weakly to the centre with no core zone or nucleus apparent. About 20 easily apparent resolved stars mainly in the outliers and several more threshold points that come and go with the seeing. There are several faint stars resolved nr the NW edge just outside the visible halo. Members??

By 3am I was out on my feet and had to climb into the cot for some rest. So after packing up I went to be with the temperature hovering over about 6 deg C.


Next morning we got up about 10am and unfortunately Gary Mitchell and Taylor had to return home. Many others returned home on the Sunday and by night-time the bus-park looked pretty forlorn it was just me on my Pat. Gary Mitchell’s 20” and Taylor’s 10” had gone as had Craig McIntyre’s C8 and Damien’s 8”. I had an ultra-quiet day after slipping into town for another kebab at lunchtime (yes they are very tasty) and out to Peter Van-Gent’s to pick up a bottle or two for a friend.

Most of the day was at least partly cloudy with low stuff from the northeast. I returned to Observatory Downs about 2pm and had a lay-down and in the end slept for two hours …

After an early dinner I went up for happy hour again and there was a heap of high cloud in the west, mixed with some low slow-moving stuff from the northeast – it didn’t look good at all at 5pm. While we all enjoyed a couple of drinks and nibbles, I quietly contemplated whether I should do a quick pack up and head for home. Common-sense won the day and I decided to stay – a good decision as it turned out.

After spending some time up in the big shed with Tony Austin, Col Shepherd and Arthur Hall, I took a peek outside at 8.30pm to discovered it was largely clear! So, it was back to the ‘scope.

As soon as I was completely ready to observe, the mid-low stuff started to toll in from the east again over Hydra, Leo and Virgo/Coma. So I pointed the telescope south where the sky was clear a pretended to ignore it. It worked as usual and 20mins later I was off to do some galaxies in Hydra, Corvus and Crater. Though it was a bit lonely, it only increased my productivity in recording observations. The SQM reading at 9pm was 21.51 = +6.38.

The soundtrack for the Sunday evening included Oxygene: Jean Michel Jarre, Abbey Road: The Beatles, The Mathematician’s Air Display: Pekka, Tubular Bells III: Mike Oldfield, The Firebird Suite: Igor Stravinski and Music of the Spheres: Mike Oldfield.


x185 27' TF

NGC 4087 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 05m 35.4s Dec: -26° 31' 18"
Mag: 13.1 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 2.1'x1.7'
Class: SA0-: P.A.: 47 Inclination: --- R.V.: +3296 Source: RC3 *

This is a reasonably well populated field for this part of the sky. not hard to see and has reasonable SB round, about 1.5' diameter and rises from diffuse edges at first evenly and slightly and then closer to centre moderately where there is a small 5-10" diameter faint, diffuse nucleus.



x138 35' TF x185 27' TF

NGC 3866 = NGC 3858 Galaxy *
RA: 11h 45m 11.7s Dec: -09° 18' 50"
Mag: 14.0 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 2.0'x1.4' Class: (R')SB(rs)a
P.A.: 56 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

NGC 3865 = NGC 3854 Galaxy *
RA: 11h 44m 51.8s Dec: -09° 13' 59"
Mag: 12.8 (P) S.B.: 12.9 B-V: --- Size: 2.0'x1.4'
Class: SAB(rs)b pec: P.A.: 49 Inclination: --- R.V.: +5684 Source: RC3 *

NGC 3865 is the larger and brighter of this pair and is a good sized oval shaped eg found about 6' SE of a tri of mag 9th & 11th *s.. Seems to be elong in about PA 1.75' x 1.25 growing broadly and slightly to centre there is an ill-defined weakly brighter core zone that brightens further to centre without apparent nucleus. Drawing a line from the Tri through -65 and continuing another 5' is NGC 3858.

-58 is a somewhat smaller, 50" diameter splash of haze with lower SB than -65, seems round growing broadly and slightly to centre with a very tiny weakly defined core zone but no real nucleus. There is a mag 12 * just off the W edge of the halo.



x185 27' TF

IC 2995 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 05m 47.3s Dec: -27° 56' 27"
Mag: 12.9 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 3.2'x0.9'
Class: SB(s)c: P.A.: 117 Inclination: --- R.V.: +1855 Source: RC3 *

ESO 440-46 PGC 38222 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 04m 40.9s Dec: -28° 07' 03"
Mag: 13.6 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 2.1'x1.4'
Class: SB(s)m: P.A.: 52 Inclination: --- R.V.: +1767 Source: RC3 *

ESO 505-14 PGC 38446 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 07m 05.2s Dec: -27° 41' 46"
Mag: 13.9 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.7'x1.3'
Class: SA0- P.A.: 77 Inclination: --- R.V.: +7471 Source: RC3 *

IC 2995 is a quite attractive, lowish SB eg that is very elong in PA 120, quite sizable about 2.75x 40" fairly consistent SB it is basically lens shaped but with blunt ends to the halo but well defined flanks, there is a mag 15 * which is just S of the SW flank, brightening broadly and weakly to the centre azonally and without nucleus. ESO 440-46 about 20' SW.

ESO 440-46 .is a very low SB much more diffuse eg with a mag 12 * N by about 1.5'. Appears as an amorphous blob of quite LSB that is round and grows weakly to centre azonally to the centre without nucleus. Seems about 1.5 - 1.75' diameter.

ESO 505-14 is to the NE of IC 2995 by about 20' and appears to be an elliptical by its brightness profile, 40-50" diameter, round and growing from indistinct edges, evenly and slightly to centre where there seems to be a faint spot type nucleus.



x185 27' TF

IC 2996 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 05m 48.7s Dec: -29° 58' 19"
Mag: 14.2 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.5'x0.3'
Class: S? P.A.: 21 Inclination: --- R.V.: +2256 Source: RC3 *

NGC 4105 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 12h 06m 40.9s Dec: -29° 45' 42"
Mag: 11.6 (B) S.B.: 12.4 B-V: +0.95 Size: 2.7'x2.0'
Class: E3 P.A.: 151 Inclination: --- R.V.: +1943 Source: RC3 *

NGC 4106 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 06m 45.7s Dec: -29° 46' 07"
Mag: 12.4 (B) S.B.: 11.7
B-V: +0.98 Size: 1.6'x1.2' Class: SB(s)0+ P.A.: 77 Inclination: ---
R.V.: +2189 Source: RC3 *

IC 3005 Galaxy *
RA: 12h 07m 14.1s Dec: -30° 01' 27"
Mag: 13.8 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 2.3'x0.3'
Class: SBcd? sp P.A.: 160 Inclination: --- R.V.: +1781 Source: RC3 *

This eg is pointed at from the SW by a mag 9.5* and further SW a couple of mag 13 *s forming a tri tat points straight at it. Small very elong wisp of haze elong in PA 15, with a star embedded in the end of the halo at the SW very nr the tip, long streak shape, 1' x 10" growing broadly and slightly to the axis nr centre but no nucleus.

Now, to the NE by about 15' is the pair of egs, NGC 4105 and NGC 4106. These two have halos in contact and are quite bright. The brighter of the two is -105 and -106 is to its ESE. The nuclei are only about 1.5' apart, sharing a common halo that is in total about 3' x 1.5' in PA 135. Goth have good SB. The outer halo is of LSB. -05 is the brighter of the nuclei and it broadens broadly and slightly to centre where there is a somewhat brighter core and spot nucleus. -96, the core zone is a little smaller but contain a weaker stellaring. Almost due S by about 15' is IC 3005.

-005 is a very, very elongated sliver of weak mist with sharp tips in PA 160, about 3' x 10", grows broadly and slightly to the axis and slightly to centre. There is a mag 14.5 * adjacent to the W side of the N end of the halo. Really, quite a lovely object.

Pt 9 to follow ...
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