[Paddy (Patrick)]

Gradually working through my observation notes from a run of good nights. This was the first night in a while with vaguley decent transparency, so I spent some time getting lost in some galaxy groups in Centaurus and Corvus. I also revisited one patch in Centaurus to see how it looked without smoke haze.


Telescope 410mm (16”) f4.9 tri-dob reflector
Eyepieces 28mm UWAN, 17,13,9 mm Naglers, Paracorr
Navigation: Night Sky Observer’s Guide (NSOG)

2030

Seeing very good
Transparency good (NGC 2070 obvious to naked eye, visible stars in Coal Sack)

ESO 269-85 Galaxy group in Centaurus.

175X A large faint galaxy elongated NE-SW near foreground star at northern end, appears 3’x2’. To the east is the smaller and fainter ESO 269-90 another N-S ellipse about 1.5’ x .75’. To the west of 269-85 is the very faint smudge of 269-82 which is barely detectable. 5’ to the north of this is ESO 269-80 a brighter 1’ circle of haze and a distinct core. A line from 269-82 through 269-80 and extended about 15’ leads to 2 close foreground stars and near these is a very faint oval smudge, 269-81.

ESO 269-74 & 74A Interacting galaxies in Centaurus

175X Near a bright foreground star is ESO 269-74, a 1’x30” oval glow with obvious nucleus and the faint patch of haze between it and the star is the interacting ESO 269-74A.

Closer to NGC 5128 is the NGC 5090 galaxy field. Many galaxies are visible in the 28 deg FOV at 175X, of which NGC 5090 is the brightest.

NGC 5082/86/90/91 + ESO 270-3, Galaxies in Centaurus

175X Bright galaxy with very distinct core in a soft halo, close to a bright foreground star. Sliding into it is the sliver of subtle light that is edg-on spiral NGC 5091, which looks 2’x30”. 5’ to the SE is ESO 270-3, a faint small glow. To the west is NGC 5086 and to the west of this along a line from ESO 270-3 through 5086 is the much brighter NGC 5082. A spectacular tableau of galaxies. Scattered amongst these are a number of fainter galaxies not identified in the NSOG.

NGC 5307 PN in Centaurus

250X a Distinct small bluish glow <30” across with patches of brightness within. At first it seems round, but closer examination shows 2 distinct lobes. Brightens with UHC filter, especially in the southern pole, but 4 bright lumps become more distinct. The softer halo dims with OIII filter, but the bright lumps stand out more as sharp points. 335X confirms these observations.

Abell 1631 Galaxy group in Corvus

NGC 4756 is a large bright galaxy in this busy group. Transparency is diminishing and I am overwhelmed by trying to identify what is what here by both numbers and murk.

NGC 4724/4727 Interacting Galaxies in Corvus

175X Quite a lovely little pair near a small triangular asterism. 4727 is the bigger of the two and more easterly. It is slightly elongated E-W with 4724 coming off as a little slip of gossamer from the SW of 4727. Both have distinct nuclei, but both the core and the nucleus of 4724 are fainter than those of 4727. 4724 looks like an edge-on spiral. 250X brighten both galaxies and nuclei and the individual shapes are more apparent.

NGC 4782/83/92 Galaxies in Corvus

175x NGCs 4782 and 83 are a pair of interacting galaxies, looking pretty much like a pair of fried eggs, both quite round 1’ dia. with distinct cores. 4782 is the brighter, large and southernmost of the pair. 10’ to the SE is 4792, an edge-on SE-NW 1’x30” spiral with a star at the eastern end.