[ngcles]

Hi All,

Just thought I'd share some observations of galaxies I observed in Cetus on the evening of 1st October 2018 from home with the new 63.5cm 'scope (Brontes). It was a three hour session ending at about 11.50pm (20 mins before moonrise). SQM-L reading at the start of observing was 21.74 rising to 21.86 at the conclusion, after which the sky brightened rapidly with the Moon rising in Taurus about 20 minutes later. Here are the notes, apologies in advance for them being partially in my own shorthand.

x195 25' TF x260 19' TF
NGC 132 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 30m 10.6s Dec: +02° 05' 34"
Mag: 13.4 (P) S.B.: ---B-V: --- Size: 1.9'x1.4'Class: SAB(s)bc
P.A.: 40 Inclination: 2 R.V.: +5316 Source: RC3 *
x195 This is a small, almost mod bright eg in a fairly thin field. Seems weakly elong in about PA 30 and to the NE by 2' is a mag 13 * and NNE by 3' is a mag 14 *. Fair-sized halo, 1.5 x 1.25' diameter growing broadly and slightly to centre where there is a small, not well defined, weakly brighter core-zone.

x195 25' TF x260 19' TF

NGC 166 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 35m 48.9s Dec: -13° 36' 43"
Mag: 15.4 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.9'x0.3' Class: Sa
P.A.: 145 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *
x260. This is a tiny eg could almost be passed over as *ar. 5' SE of a mag 12.5 *, Tiny, elong halo in about PA 150, about 15 x 5" rising evenly and strongly to a *ar mag 15.5 nucleus.

x195 25' TF x260 19' TF
NGC 173 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 37m 12.5s Dec: +01° 56' 31"
Mag: 13.7 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 3.1'x2.5' Class: SA(rs)c
P.A.: 115 Inclination: 2 R.V.: +4358 Source: RC3 *

NGC 170 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 36m 45.8s Dec: +01° 53' 11"
Mag: 15.4 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.6'x0.4' Class: S0-?
P.A.: 71 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *
x260: -73 is the brighter of these two by some distance, no worse than mod faint, almost mod bright. Lies between mags 13 & 13.5* aligned SW - NE sep by 3.5' with the brighter one SW. Also has a mag 15.5 sparkle just on the SE edge of the halo. 1.5 to 1.75' diameter round halo, very diffuse edges growing weakly to centre where there is a not well defined, slightly brighter round core zone but no apparent nucleus. 7' SW is -70.
is about 2' N of a mag 9 *, somewhat fainter but has slightly better S.B than its companion. Small, 30" diameter round halo growing slightly and evenly to centre where there is a mag 15.5 *ar nucleus.

x195 25' TF x260 19' TF
NGC 154 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 34m 19.5s Dec: -12° 39' 23"
Mag: 14.1 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.1'x0.9' Class: E
P.A.: 80 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *
-54 is about 6' SSE of a trapezium of mags 11, 12, 13 + 14 *s that form a rough diamond 4' x 2.5' . Small and round possesses good SB in the central parts, small 40" diameter halo with a fair-sized, mod br core zone that brightens further strongly to centre -- almost *ar. quite diffuse edges. MCG -2-2-58 is 7' NE.

MCG -2-2-58 (PGC 2092) Galaxy *
RA: 00h 34m 54.8s Dec: -12° 29' 54"
Mag: 14.3 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.3'x1.0' Class: SAB(r)c
P.A.: 16 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *
Very small, 30" diameter faint halo of quite low SB brightening slightly and broadly to centre. No other structure.

x195 25' TF x260 19' TF

NGC 235 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 00h 42m 52.7s Dec: -23° 32' 26"
Mag: 14.1 (B) S.B.: 12.0 B-V: +0.92 Size: 1.3'x0.6' Class: S0 pec
P.A.: 117 Inclination: --- R.V.: +6664 Source: RC3 *

NGC 235B (PGC 2568) Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 00h 42m 52.6s Dec: -23° 32' 30"
Mag: 14.5 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.5'x0.5'Class: E
P.A.: --- Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

NGC 235A (PGC 2570) Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 00h 42m 53.8s Dec: -23° 32' 44"
Mag: 13.9 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.3' Class: E0? pec
P.A.: --- Inclination: --- R.V.: +6798 Source: RC3 *

NGC 232 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 42m 45.5s Dec: -23° 33' 40"
Mag: 14.4 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.9'x0.7' Class: SB(r)a? pec
P.A.: 55 Inclination: --- R.V.: +6673 Source: RC3 *

NGC 230 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 42m 26.5s Dec: -23° 37' 48"
Mag: 15.6 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.0'x0.2' Class: Sa? pec sp
P.A.: 44 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

IC 1573 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 42m 10.4s Dec: -23° 35' 28"
Mag: 16.7 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.2'x0.2' Class: S
P.A.: 70 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *
x260: This is a nice grouping of eg in the one x260 power field. NGC 235, NGC 235B are superimposed on each other and indistinguishable from each other where 235A is a separate small eg only about 20" SE from the -35 +35B. -235/-35B is a small, mod faint eg, oval in about PA 90 about 40 x 30" rising broadly and slightly to centre where there is a quite bright, small core/nucleus with a stellaring. Just off the SE edge of the halo is -35A that is on the edge of -35's halo. Only about 10-15" diameter, not unreasonable SB growing broadly and slightly to centre where there is a faint *ar nucleus.

-232 is about 3' SW, no worse than faint, almost 1' diameter, round growing broadly & slightly to centre where there is a small, mod brighter spot-type core that is well delineated from the halo.
A line drawn from -35 through -32 extended SW brings you to a couple of mag 11.5 & 13.5 *s. Between these two is the small, faint form of NGC 230, which is a very faint, very elong eg in PA 45. No immediately visible, 40 x 5" slash of faint gossamer with a weak central brightening, no other structure. 5' NW of -30 is IC 1573 that is pointed at by the stars on either side of -230.
-73 Is a very similar looking object to -230 though probably even fainter again with marginally lower SB and a little smaller but in the same PA of 45, no other structure.

x195 25' TF x260 19' TF

IC 29 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 34m 10.8s Dec: -02° 10' 38"
Mag: 15.5 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.7'x0.7' Class: C
P.A.: --- Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

IC 30 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 34m 14.7s Dec: -02° 05' 05"
Mag: 16.5 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.5'x0.2' Class: S
P.A.: 18 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

MCG +0-2-77 (PGC 2066) Galaxy *
RA: 00h 34m 29.3s Dec: -02° 13' 33"
Mag: 15.2 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.7'x0.7' Class:
P.A.: --- Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

IC 32 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 35m 01.6s Dec: -02° 08' 29"
Mag: 15.8 S.B.: --- B-V: ---Size: 0.4'x0.4' Class: S
P.A.: --- Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

IC 33 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 35m 05.1s Dec: -02° 08' 15"
Mag: 15.6 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.5'x0.4' Class: S0
P.A.: 72 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *
Of this group all in the same x195 field, IC 29 is brightest. IC 30 is about 5' N while MCG +0-2-77 is a similar distance to the SE. IC 32 & -33 are ENE from -29 by about 12'.
Steve Gottlieb's NGC notes note that this group are about 750 mly distant. x260: -29 slightly the brighter than -30, small round halo 30-40" diameter growing broadly and slightly to centre with a hint of a stellaring? in the centre. -30 makes a long I tri with a couple of *s to its NE & NNE. Fainter than -29 and has lower SB, about 40" diameter growing weakly to centre but lacks any core or nucleus,
MCG +0-2-77 is a <30" spot of v/LSB and very faint gossamer, round no structure.
-32 and -33 are pointed at from the W by a small, elong diamond of 3 mag 14 & a mag 15 * . Both look similar to the other, 2' apart E-W, about 30" diameter or maybe even slightly smaller than that, round. -32 has a slightly brighter largish core zone that -33 lacks. Both seem to have a v/faint *aring at centre.

x195 25' TF x260 19' TF
NGC 161 (IC 1557) Galaxy *
RA: 00h 35m 34.1s Dec: -02° 50' 56"
Mag: 14.0 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.3'x0.7' Class: S0^:
P.A.: 37 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

MCG -1-2-37 Galaxy *
RA: 00h 35m 34.5s Dec: -02° 52' 35"
Mag: 15.4 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.7'x0.4' Class: S
P.A.: 136 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

Steve Gottlieb's NGC notes indicate that the 2nd eg below NGC 161 is IC 1557, whereas Megastar & Sky Map indicate that IC 1557 is a second id number for NGC 161 and that the eg to the S of NGC 161 is MCG -1-2-37.
x260: -61 is a small, slightly elong eg is very compact and possesses v/good SB for its size. Small elong form in about PA 30 looking like a very distant edge-on spiral about 30" x 5" growing strongly to the axis near centre where there is a mag 15.5 *ar nucleus. Mag 12 * is due N by only 1.5'. MCG -1-2-37 is due S by nearly 2'.
-37 is a more diffuse and fainter eg, off-round in PA 120 growing slightly and broadly to centre where there is a tiny slightly brighter core with a mag 16 * not far off the E edge.

Cont in Pt 2/

Best,

L.