[pgc hunter]

The final observing session with my 12" dob. It was just another freezing summer night here in Melbourne, thick jackets were the order of the night. Dew was heavy, and really it felt like any night in July due to the wintry cold and dew.

Seeing was terrible, really appalling, the worst I've seen for a while. Conversely, transparency was fantastic, the best I've seen for a while. I was going to do some planetary nebula observations while the moon sets, but one look in the eyepiece had me inside having a late dinner instead. I had mushy stars at only 176x, however as the night wore on, seeing seemed to improve slightly. But still entirely inadequete for observing Mars and Saturn.

Time: 1:30am-4:30am
Scope: 12" F4.6 dob
Seeing: 2-4/10
Transparency: 5/5
Dew: Heavy
Temp: very cold

Sirius
Split at 283x.

HICKSON 40
Started the session with this fantastic group of galaxies about 304 million light years away in Hydra. I actually found it by accident on sky-map.org while checking out a nearby galaxy cluster! Took me 3 tries to pinpoint its location, but once I found it the clump was quite obvious at 176x. After observing it intently, 3 seperate clumps of galaxies were seen at 176x. I decided to increase mag to 353x in an attempt to split each member- I will now list each galaxy below as I saw it.

MCG-1-25-9 (40a)
GX, Hydra, Size= 1.3x1', Mag V= 12.8, SB= 13.1

Largest and brightest of the group, condensed core at 353x, fairly bright, round.

MCG-1-25-10 (40b)
GX, Hydra, Size= 1.1x0.7', Mag V= 14.0, SB= 13.6

Second easiest of group to see at 353x. Stellaring visible intermittently in core. Faint, round.

MCG-1-25-8 (40c)
GX, Hydra, Size= 1.1x0.3', Mag V= 14.9, SB= 13.6

Extremely excessively faint at 353x, glimpsed only occasionaly. Elongated NW-SE, attached to (40b) at southern end.

MCG-1-25-12 (40d)
GX, Hydra, Size= 0.9x0.4', Mag V= 14.2, SB= 12.9

Located NE of (40a). Faint, elongated at 353x, with a mag 14 star adjacent the southern edge of galaxy.

-----------------------------------
Next was a trio of galaxies in Puppis. This group which includes IC 2377, 2375 and 2379 is infact extemely faint, despite looking the part on DSS images! Almost invisible at 176x, although increasing power to 283x bought them out.


IC 2379
GX, Puppis, Size= 1x0.7', Mag B= 14.6, SB= 13.9

Part of a group with IC 2375 and IC 2379. Extremely faint at 283x, round, faintest in group of 3 after IC 2379. Two 11th mag stars are located approx 6' NE and SW of galaxy.

IC 2375
GX, Puppis, Size = 1.9x0.4', Mag B= 14.1, SB= 13.9

Brightest of 3 with IC 2379 and 2377. Strongly elongated at 283x, faint. Located 5' due east of IC 2379.

IC 2377
GX, Puppis, Size= 1x0.6', Mag B= 14.4, SB= 13.7

Very faint, round at 283x.

---------------------------

ABELL S 617
Two galaxies were spotted in this rich cluster in Hydra. Located about 463 million light years away. The cluster was easy to find located near Alphard, and 4 bright stars arranged in a line cut across the cluster itself.

ESO 565-30
GX, Hydra, Size= 1.6x1.0, Mag B= 13.47, SB= 13.8

Visible as a small, slightly elongated N-S smudge at 176x. Increasing power to 353x revealed a slightly condensed core. A mag 10 star lies 6' NW.

LEDA 93971
GX, Hydra, Mag B= 15.08

Faint, tiny, although surprsingly easy to see at 353x. Located a mere 1.5' E of a mag 13.4 star. The core appeared to be condensed, almost stellar.

-----------------------

NGC 3521
GX, Leo, Size= 9.5x5' Mag V= 8.9, SB= 12.8

A lovely bright spiral in Leo. Elongated NNW-SSE, with a bright stellar core visible at 176x. The western edge appeared to be sharply defined when compared to the eastern edge, which appeared diffuse. This is due to dark obscuring matter at the galaxy's western edge. Hints of the dust lane itself were seen, as very faint glow could be seen beyond the light cutoff at western edge.

NGC 3495
GX, Leo, Size= 4.6x1.3', Mag V= 12, SB= 14.8

Seen as a thick, short, stubby streak, with low surface brightess and elongated NNE/SSW. Mag 4.8 star 58 Leo located only 11' W interferes with observation. A distinctive triangle of Mag >14 stars is located between the galaxy and 58 Leonis.

M104 Sombrero Galaxy
GX, Virgo, Size= 8.7x3.5', Mag V=7.9, SB= 11.9

A favourite of mine. Always spectacular in the 12"! Decided to ramp up the mag on this one.....at 283x the core region appeared to be a very high surface brightness oval haze rather than a stellaring, and the dust lane was very well defined and stretched atleast 1/3rd of the FOV with averted vision. Faint extensions of the galaxy could be seen extending across half the FOv. The bulk of the galaxy lies to the north of the dust lane, with only a faint haze visible to the south. A mag ~13 star lies 6' N of core.