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Old 02-04-2010, 09:31 PM
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Paddy (Patrick)
Canis Minor

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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Strangways, Vic
Posts: 2,214
Observation notes 14/3/10

Dear all,

Some notes from observing at Strangways on 14/3. The plan was to look at some Arp galaxies in Leo, but the sky was quite murky to the north and having got somewhat frustrated, I thought I'd just go for some old favourites. Thanks for looking.

Seeing 2/5 Transparency 5/7 (to the south)
Telescope 400mm f4.9 tri-dob reflector
Eyepieces 28mm UWAN, 17,13,9 mm Naglers, Paracorr
Guiding: Night Sky Observer’s Guide (NSOG)

NGC 2818/2818A OC and PN in Pyxis. 175x Beautifully intricate open cluster with background of many faint stars. Appear 8-10’ across. Reminsicent of a Chinese character. PN Discernible at the western end of the cluster- distinct glow with some suggestion of structure at this magnification. 250X the PN seems soft around the edges and slightly irregular shape. I can discern some dark structures in it, perhaps best described as irregular lobes. No obvious central star, ring or halo. OIII filter reveals more structure, accentuating the dark patches and somewhat grainy texture.

NGC 226/7 GX in Leo Arp 94 mag 11.1 Listed by Arp as a spiral with elliptical companion on arm. 175x Pair of galaxies aligned roughly N-S with the more southerly being larger. Some haze in this area of sky is diminishing contrast. Nucleus of southern galaxy is brighter and more elongated. The two seem to merge and appear embedded in a wider halo of haze. The long axis of the two appears to be 10’ and about 4’ wide. The Arp atlas states that the smaller galaxy is brighter, but tonight the larger of the two appears brighter to me. 250x the joining of the two galaxies seems more distinct, but less sense of being embedded in a wider haze.

The area around Leo too murky for my planned galaxy observing, so I head to the Centuarus Galaxy Cluster, pausing for a squizz sat M83 on the way

NGC5236/M83 GX in Hydra mag 7.6 175x Clear nucleus and obvious bar with beautiful spiral arms. Dark spaces between spiral arms are apparent. I stop to sketch it - this will take a little post processing before it's fit for publishing.

NGC 4767 GX in Centaurus mag 11.6 175x Faint oval shaped galaxy with quite bright nucleus. Galaxy oriented NW-SE with elliptical halo. NGC4767A a faint round haze to the SE. I think. There are quite a few faint galaxies here – perhaps 4 - and it is hard to tell exactly which is 4767A.

I move further into the Centaurus Galaxy Cluster around NGC 4603 and there are so many galaxies here that I cannot tell which is which.

NGC 4945 GX in Centaurus mag 8.8 175x Beautiful streak of a galaxy, edge-on spiral occupying most of the 29’ AFOV of this eyepiece. Dust lanes very clear especially at the northern end of the galaxy where the intrusion of the dust lane into the disc creates an impression of a barb. At the southern end, fine dust lanes along the disc are also apparent.

NGC 5139 (Omega Centauri) GC in Centaurus mag3.5 175x The cluster fill2 the field of view. Beyond description – myriad resolvable stars with bright background haze with no definite core. I am however struck by a U-shaped gap in resolvable stars at the centre of the cluster, as if a thick walled dark box is situated in the centre of the cluster. I have noticed this before, but usually perceived it as lobes rather than this blockish u shape, with its base to the west. To the west of the U, other shapes formed by gaps in resolvable stars, including a small boomerang shape, concave to the north. I feel that I could go quite mad if I keep looking at all these shapes.

NGC 5128 GX in Centaurus mag 6.7 175x Circular haze with wide dark lane across the centre. Strands of galactic haze are visible in the dark band itself. Considerable detail visible in the dark lane.

NGC 4038/9 GX in Corvus Arp 244 mag 10.5 250x Distinct horseshoe shape with the top of the shoe oriented SW, clear dark patches visible in both galaxies and a strong impression of bright speckles throughout, more so in the southern galaxy.
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