Pt 8 ...
x185 27' TF
NGC 3475 Galaxy *
RA: 10h 58m 25.3s Dec: +24° 13' 35"
Mag: 14.0 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.7'x1.1' Class: Sa
P.A.: 65 Inclination: 3 R.V.: +6350 Source: RC3 *
MCG +4-26-23 PGC 33020 Galaxy *
RA: 10h 58m 28.4s Dec: +24° 22' 24"
Mag: 15.0 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.8'x0.7' Class: Sc
P.A.: --- Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *
This eg is between a couple of of 13th & 14th mag *s that are aligned almost N-S and about 3' apart. Very small, 30-40" diameter, round and grows broadly and slightly to centre without zones, core or nucleus evident.
MCG +4-26-23 is 10' of -75 and is a similar if slightly fainter object, round and grows broadly and slightly to centre. No other structure.
x185 27' TF
NGC 3491 Galaxy *
RA: 11h 00m 35.4s Dec: +12° 09' 42"
Mag: 14.3 (B) S.B.: 12.2 B-V: +1.03 Size: 0.9' Class: S0-:
P.A.: --- Inclination: --- R.V.: +6386 Source: RC3 *
MCG +2-28-37 PGC 33147 Galaxy *
RA: 11h 00m 04.5s Dec: +12° 14' 07"
Mag: 14.8 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.0'x0.4' Class: Sbc
P.A.: 126 Inclination: 5 R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *
This eg appears about 9' to the NW from a bright and distracting 7th mag *. Fairly small round diffuse glow about 50" diameter rising in brightness broadly and slightly to centre without any apparent zones but does seem to contain a faint stellaring at centre.
MCG +2-28-37 is pointed at by a line from the 5th mag * and -91 extended once. Small oval slightly elong in PA 120 brightening slightly to centre. A 14th mag * is not far off the halo to the E.
x185 27' TF
NGC 3487 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 11h 00m 46.6s Dec: +17° 35' 14"
Mag: 14.6 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.2'x0.6' Class: Sb? sp
P.A.: 153 Inclination: 6 R.V.: --- Source: PGC *
This eg is a pretty small quite faint elong lens-shaped object in PA 150. Forms a small tri with a couple of 15th mag *s to its SE and E. Elong halo 40" x 20" growing broadly and slightly to centre without zones, core or nucleus evident.
x185 27' TF
NGC 3492 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 11h 00m 57.3s Dec: +10° 30' 20"
Mag: 14.2 (B) S.B.: 12.8 B-V: +1.02 Size: 1.3'x0.9' Class: S?
P.A.: 87 Inclination: --- R.V.: +10874 Source: RC3 *
IC 664 Galaxy *
RA: 11h 00m 45.3s Dec: +10° 33' 11"
Mag: 14.0 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.5'x1.2' Class: S0?
P.A.: 44 Inclination: --- R.V.: +10127 Source: RC3 *
IC 663 Galaxy *
RA: 11h 00m 37.3s Dec: +10° 26' 13"
Mag: 15.4 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.8'x0.6' Class:
P.A.: 178 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *
IC 666 Mkn 1276 Galaxy *
RA: 11h 01m 14.8s Dec: +10° 28' 52"
Mag: 15.5 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.7'x0.5' Class:
P.A.: 165 Inclination: --- R.V.: +12491 Source
GC*
-92 and -64 are the brightest in this small group. The NGC eg is in the middle of a 7-odd arc-minute a side tri formed by 664 to the NW, 663 to the SW and 666 to the SE. -92 isn't too hard to see, small mod low SB halo, round, 40" dia growing broadly and mod to the centre without zones, core or nucleus.
The three IC objects are broadly similar but fainter and a tad smaller, -66 is the smallest of all and faintest. All three are about 15-20" dia growing broadly and mod to centre without evident zones, core or nucleus. -66 has mag 15 *s close by to the SE and NW.
An image is here:
http://stdatu.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_...e&fov=NONE&v3=
x185 27' TF
NGC 3524 Galaxy *
RA: 11h 06m 32.0s Dec: +11° 23' 10"
Mag: 13.8 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.6'x0.4' Class: S0/a
P.A.: 14 Inclination: 6 R.V.: +1321 Source: RC3 *
This is a small elong eg found to the SE of a couple of *s mag 11 & mag 13. It is in PA 45, 1.5' x 20" mod faint, lowish SB -- reasonable SB though growing broadly and slightly to the axis nr centre but no zones or core visible.
And so, that was Leo for the moment.
At that time I decided to indulge in some favourites and embarked on a tour of all the Messier Objects in Virgo and Ophiuchus,. I also took a look at a number of other friends like Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) Centaurus A*, M83, NGC 4945, ESO 274-1, ESO 270-17, Circinus Dwarf, NGC 6087, NGC 6067, NGC 6164/5, The Eta Carinae Complex, The Jewel Box (NGC 4755). Then there was the Abell 1060 cluster, AGC 2065 and AGC 1656 (Coma Cluster).
Then on a whim I decided to take a look at a number of difficult globulars and took in Pal 5, Pal 6 (really not as hard as I’d remembered, HP-1, NGC 6380, Ton 2, IC 1257, Ter 2, 3. 4, 5. 7, 8, 11, then E3 in Chameleon, after which my mind turned to AM-4 in Hydra (which had been in my talk the previous day) and though I’d take a look. AM-4 until very recently was considered the most distant GC bound to the Milky Way and is about 400,000 light years away.
It was virtually at zenith ( a pain in the bottom with a dobsonian) and it took a long time to get right but finally I was confident enough to call it bagged and Gary Mitchell confirmed it.
x185 27' TF
x247 20' TF
AM 4 Globular Cluster *
RA: 13h 56m 21.0s Dec: -27° 09' 42"
Mag: 15.9 Mag V(tip): 20.5 Mag V(HB): --- B-V (tip): ---
Size: 3.0' Class: R.V.: --- Source: Archinal
This is a very faint and extremely LSB GC comparable in many ways to E3 (just observed) though smaller. Appears in a box of 12th & 13th mag *s about 3' a side -- toward the W edge as a small gossamer glow about 1.5' diameter growing weakly to centre. No resolution -- not a hint. Looks like a very faint LSB face
on Sc or Sd spiral.
For those who didn't see the talk, an image of this spectacularly bright globular is here:
http://stdatu.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_...e&fov=NONE&v3=
Yes that's it -- right in the middle of the field.
Obs conf by G Mitchell.
Then of course were all the Messier Objects in Scorpius & Sagittarius and a few other favs in Corona Australis – you name it and I think I saw it. I finished on Alpha Cen and then finally Jupiter before my feet, brain and back said “enough” at about 3.30am and did a full pack-up of the ‘scope into the car for the trip home ( I really, really hate packing a ‘scope up in the morning.
Found it so hard to get to sleep – it was such a good night and in many ways unexpected.
After a sleep in till 10am and a quick brekkie, the remaining stuff was packed, the van (“Gerald’s Rest”) cleaned up and goodbyes were made before heading back to Sydney.
Thanks again in particular to our hosts John and Patti Vetter for their hospitality and putting up with us all.
Best,
Les D