Needed another 'hit' to make up for Saturday night...
Time: 11:30pm-12:45am, Tues 2 – Wed 3 September 2008 (UT+10)
Location: My backyard, Bright, Vic
Telescope: Tasco 4.5” f8 reflector on Alt-Az mount
EP: 21mm Celestron X-Cel
Transparency: Good – excellent
Seeing: Fair only
NGC247 in Cetus - large galaxy, pale grey with hint of central brightening, ‘football’ shape, mag 9.6.
NGC253 in Sculptor - large, bright edge-on spiral galaxy, central brighter region clearly visible, mag 8. Spectacular!
NGC288 in Sculptor – mag 8.1, a globular cluster not far from NGC253. Showed as a smallish, round, faint glow, with no obvious sign of central condensation. Not one of the great ones!
NGC7293 Helix Nebula in Aquarius – large pale ghost, with slightly darker central region visible in averted vision. Mag 6.5.
NGC246 PN in Cetus – small pale dot, no structure visible. Mag 8.
NGC7009 Saturn Nebula in Aquarius – beautiful tiny pale blue orb. ‘Knottiness’ around edges again observed. At higher mag (9mm ep) faint and washed out with no colour or extra detail. Suit more aperture. Mag 8.3.
NGC6822 Barnard’s Galaxy in Sagittarius – a toughie even though the overall magnitude is 8.0. Spent the most time on this object. Certainly a large extremely faint glow was just visible, but no shape was discernible and extent seemed to vary. Had position marked on basic chart and later checked with Starry Night. Spot on for position, but I seemed to have only seen the central area if SN extent is correct.
NGC6818 PN in Sagittarius – tiny very pale blue dot, with no detail visible. Easy to see. Mag 9.9, 17” diam. Close to Barnard’s Galaxy.
NGC289, galaxy in Sculptor – mag 11.7, easily visible as a small, slightly elongated, faint glow.
NGC134, galaxy in Sculptor – mag 11.2, easily visible as a small, cigar-shaped, faint glow (obvious edge-on spiral).
EDIT: Sketch added of what I
think I saw of Barnard's Galaxy, sort of an 'average' really as nothing was distinct. Would be interested to hear from observers with more aperture!
Cheers -