[ngcles]

Hi All,

Observed last night (26-27th January 2017) at home and tackled some small and faint eg from my "yet to be observed" list in Pictor, Reticulum, Fornax & Puppis. I commenced the session about 10pm when the temperature was 21 deg C, no cloud, no dew no wind and an SQM-L reading of 22.07 at zenith. About 90 minutes into the session, after I had finished the galaxies in Pictor & Reticulum, a gusty, slight north-easterly breeze came up, the humidity rose, the seeing deteriorated from a 6 to a 4/10 and the SQM-L reading dropped to 21.92, then 21.83. After a couple of galaxies in Fornax I decided the conditions weren't up to doing really faint stuff so I spent about 40 minutes cruising some bright favourite galaxies and globulars and tested out my newly acquired 15x80mm binoculars -- thanks Wal. They were everything I could hope for in that aperture range.

After about 30mins, the breeze swung around to the south and lessened somewhat with a consequent improvement in the seeing. I tackled a couple of faint galaxies in Puppis while my dog (Thug the wonder dog) was agitating and urging me to pack up and hit the sack. To appease him, I finished at 12.45am. Here are the notes.

x185 27' TF

NGC 2101 Galaxy *
RA: 05h 46m 23.7s Dec: -52° 05' 26"
Mag: 13.7 (V) S.B.: --- B-V: +0.42 Size: 1.9'x1.2' Class: IB(s)m pec
P.A.: 45 Inclination: --- R.V.: +1204 Source: RC3 *

This eg is pointed at from the SW by three mag 11 *s that form a rough line. Pretty low SB, mod faint and small eg 1.25 x 40" in PA 90 with a slight, broad concentration to centre without evidence of core, zones or nucleus. There are a faint *s, mags 14 off the southern flank and east end just off the halo.

x185 27' TF

NGC 2087 Galaxy *
RA: 05h 44m 16.4s Dec: -55° 31' 57"
Mag: 14.6 (P)S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.8'x0.6' Class: SB(r)a: pec
P.A.: 136 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

This eg is very small and mod to quite faint, forming the NW point of a rough square made up with three mags 7.5 - 8 *s and is about 10' a side. Quite small, no more than 40-50" diameter, possibly slightly elong in PA 150, of consistent quite low SB mist brightening broadly and slightly to centre without core, zones or nucleus.

x185 27' TF

NGC 2104 Galaxy *
RA: 05h 47m 04.5s Dec: -51° 33' 11"
Mag: 13.2 (B) S.B.: 13.6 B-V: +0.48 Size: 2.3'x1.0'Class: SB(s)m pec
P.A.: 167 Inclination: --- R.V.: +1181

This is a mod faint, LSB eg about 1.5 - 1.75 x 1' in PA 0. Appears in a field where there is a "V" shaped asterism of mags 13 & 14 *s pointing E about 6' a side, and the eg is located on the open end of the "V" between the open branches. Very diffuse edged oval-shaped, growing weakly to centre where there is an occasionally visible inconclusive hint of a small roundish weakly brighter zone. Te halo on the W flank appears to have a slightly harder edge to it than its counterpart.

x247 20' TF

NGC 2115 Multi-Galaxy Sys *
RA: 05h 51m 20.0s Dec: -50° 34' 57"
Mag: 14.1 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.2'x1.0' Class: S0?
P.A.: 114 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

This eg is a few arc mins to the NNE of a small, narrow I Tri of mags 10, 11 & 12 *s. Doubtfully visible at x185, x247 is better, slightly elong very small smudge 40 x 15 in about PA 30, Small faint halo and a 15th mag sub-stellar nucleus. NGC 2115A is supposed to lie imm S of 2115, just off the halo -- I couldn't see it.


x185 27' TF

NGC 2148 Galaxy *
RA: 05h 58m 45.8s Dec: -59° 07' 35"
Mag: 14.6 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.1'x0.9'Class: SA(rs)b pec:
P.A.: 150 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

This eg appears imm W of a mag 12.5 *. Pretty small, faint and seems round, possesses slight elong in PA 0, 40 x 30" in PA 0. Grows broadly and slightly to centre without core, zones or nucleus. Overall it has very LSB.

x185 27' TF

NGC 2152 Galaxy *
RA: 06h 00m 55.2s Dec: -50° 44' 29"
Mag: 14.7 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.4'x1.0' Class: (R')SB(r)a: pec
P.A.: 69 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

This eg appears imm SW of a mag 13.5 * that is just off the halo. Quite faint, V/LSB eg slightly elong oval on about PA 135, probably 45 x 20" . Brightens broadly and slightly to centre where there is a whiff of a tiny slightly brighter, not well defined zone.

x185 27' TF

NGC 2178 Galaxy *
RA: 06h 02m 47.3s Dec: -63° 45' 50"
Mag: 13.6 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.1'x0.9' Class: E1
P.A.: 68 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

ESO 86-56 (PGC 18359) Galaxy *
RA: 06h 03m 59.2s Dec: -63° 41' 59"
Mag: 14.4 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.3'x0.6' Class: SAB(r)a
P.A.: 165 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

-78 appears to the WSW by 3' from a mag 9*. Faint but pretty easy to see due to its compact nature, probably only 30" diameter, round and grows mod and evenly to centre without core zones or nucleus. Mag 15 * a little off the NW side of the halo. ESO 86-56 is 10' NE on the other side of the mag 9*.

-56 very faint and diaphanous oval smudge of V V/LSB in PA 0, 1' x 30" of consistent very LSB mist with weak central brightening if at all.

x185 27' TF

NGC 2297 Galaxy *
RA: 06h 44m 24.8s Dec: -63° 43' 03"
Mag: 13.4 (B) S.B.: 13.6 B-V: +0.69 Size: 1.4'x1.2'
Class: SAB(rs)bc P.A.: 19 Inclination: --- R.V.: +3395

This eg is found 7' NW of a small RA tri of a mag 12 & 2x mag 12.5 *s. Oval in PA 0, mod elong candle-flame shaped halo about 1.5' x 30" in PA 0. Flanks nor tips are well defined though it possesses a mod brighter compact and round core/nucleus that seems to occasionally possess a very faint stellaring.

On to Reticulum:

x185 27' TF

IC 1980 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 36m 59.0s Dec: -57° 58' 24"
Mag: 14.9 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.1'x0.4' Class: Sb? sp pec
P.A.: 19 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

This is a tiny but reasonable SB eg that at first glance almost seems *ar. 10' SW from a mag 9 * . Very tiny 20" di halo brightening mod and evenly to centre where there seems to be an occasional stellaring. Fair SB given its size.

IC 1997 Galaxy *
RA: 03h 44m 51.7s Dec: -59° 08' 17"
Mag: 13.9 (B) S.B.: 12.5 B-V: +0.55 Size: 1.2'x0.5' Class: Sa? pec
P.A.: 73 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

Mod faint eg but not too hard to see, slightly elong oval halo 1.2 x 30" in PA 90 growing weakly to centre without core zones or nucleus. There is a mag 15.5 * that is just off the W tip of the halo that's doing a bit of a supernova impression. Not hard to see.

Then Fornax:

x185 27' TF

IC 1811 Galaxy *
RA: 02h 30m 38.1s Dec: -34° 15' 50"
Mag: 14.3 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.4'x1.0' Class: (R')SB(r)ab
P.A.: 28 Inclination: --- R.V.: +4791 Source: RC3 *

IC 1813 Galaxy *
RA: 02h 30m 49.4s Dec: -34° 13' 15"
Mag: 14.2 (P) S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.2'x0.8' Class: SA(rs)0+ pec:
P.A.: 102 Inclination: --- R.V.: +4453 Source: RC3 *

IC 1813 is 4' NE of -11. -13 is probably very slightly the brighter of the two and appears round. Elong slightly in PA 90, quite small, maybe 40" x 30" brightening broadly and slightly to centre where there is an occasionally visible stellaring.

-11 has a very faint *, mag 15-odd just off the E bit of the halo. has a slightly larger halo, about 40" diameter and appears round, brightens weakly to centre where there is an ill-defined slightly brighter core region .

Then Puppis:

x185 27' TF

NGC 2501 Galaxy *
RA: 07h 58m 30.0s Dec: -14° 21' 17"
Mag: 14.5 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 1.3'x0.9' Class: SAB(r)0^?
P.A.: 82 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

In a very starry field this is a pretty easy to see small, mod faint eg that seems round, possibly 50" rising evenly and slightly to centre. At centre there seems to be a nuclear stellaring that is occasionally glimpsed.

x185 27' TF

NGC 2578 Galaxy *
RA: 08h 21m 24.3s Dec: -13° 19' 06"
Mag: 13.5 (B) S.B.: 13.1 B-V: +0.92 Size: 2.0'x1.2'
Class: SB(r)0/a pec P.A.: 80 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: RC3 *

MCG -2-22-3 (PGC 23449) Galaxy *
RA: 08h 21m 33.5s Dec: -13° 21' 03"
Mag: 14.9 S.B.: --- B-V: --- Size: 0.7'x0.5' Class: Sb
P.A.: 127 Inclination: --- R.V.: --- Source: PGC *

-78 is a mod faint, lowish SB eg in a quite starry field and -2-22-3 lies to its SE by about 3' and is imm E of a mag 11* that hinders its observation.

-78 is oval in about PA 90, not overly large, probably 1.25' x 45" in PA 90, rising weakly from an ill-defined outer halo to centre where there is a very small slightly brighter spot-type core nucleus.

-22-3 is SE by 3' and is close to a mag 11 *. Tiny and slightly elong eg, quite faint, 20" x 10" with no apparent central brightening or core, zones or apparent nucleus.

All for now.

Best,

L.