11 of the "150 Dunlop Deep Sky Objects" transit at about 10pm in April.
6 open clusters; NGC 3532, IC 2714, NGC 3766, NGC 4103, Harvard 6, NGC 4755 (the Jewel Box) and
2 globular clusters; NGCs 4372, 4833 and
3 galaxy NGCs 3621, 4696, 4709.
Dunlop's descriptions and wikisky.org images are at https://picasaweb.google.com/1100488...52146/Dunlop28
As promised, I've been working a bit at a time through the Dunlop objects.
I thought the first one to upload to here is four of them that make up the Grus Quartet, Dunlop 475, 476 & 477 (NGC 7552, 7582, 7590 & 7599).
While there are only three designated Dunlop numblers, NGC 7590 & 7599 are for some reason given the same Dunlop number, 477.
These four galaxies are so close to each other that there is some thinking that they are interacting. Infact, some CSIRO research has some very strong evidence for this.
This quartet I call the "dinosaur killers". This is because the average distance to them is approximately the same as that considered how long ago the dinosaurs became extinct, 65 million years ago. In other words, when your eye/s gaze upon the photons of this quartet, the age of these photons is from when the dinosaurs were in their death throes.
This quartet lies within one degree of each other. In my 17.5", with a 30mm 68deg. EP they just all fit in the FOV.
In this sketch, Dunlop 475 is the one on the far right, and 477 are the two top left galaxies.
Nine of the "150 Dunlop Deep Sky Objects" transit at about 10pm in May.
5 galaxies NGCs 4945, 5128 (Cen A), 5236 (M83), 5253 and 5643
2 globular clusters omega Centauri and NGC 5286
1 open cluster NGC 5281
1 planetary nebula NGC 5189
Dunlop's descriptions and wikisky.org images are at https://picasaweb.google.com/1100488...52146/Dunlop28
Most images are 28' by 28'.
16 of the "150 Dunlop Deep Sky Objects" transit at about 10pm in June.
9 open cluster NGCs 6025, 6067, 6124, 6134, 6193, 6231, 6242, Collinder 307, Trumpler 23
6 globular clusters NGCs 5824, 5927, 5946, 5986, 6101, 6139
and the Norma star cloud
NGC 6193 is in the nebula NGC 6188
Dunlop's descriptions and wikisky.org images are at https://picasaweb.google.com/1100488...52146/Dunlop28
Most images are 28' by 28'.
Thirteen men found more than 250 NGC and IC objects.
Number of objects and Name (Arranged by year of birth)
2415 Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel
1646 * John Frederick William Herschel
280 * James Dunlop
916 Lewis Swift
319 Heinrich Louis d'Arrest
583 Albert Marth
420 Jean Marie Edouard Stephan
334 Guillaume Bigourdan
254 Francis Preserved Leavenworth
1113 Max Wolf only found IC objects.
1364 Stephane Javelle only found IC objects.
655 * DeLisle Stewart only found IC objects.
446 * Royal Harwood Frost only found IC objects.
No new sketches this month. I'll give you one guess, it starts with 'c'...
Instead I thought I'd add the sketches I've done of one object. Three views of Dunlop 309, aka Eta Carina nebula, all done from Sydney and using an OIII filter. What I find interesting is seeing how my sketching technique has developed with each sketch at these are also posted in chronological order.
I have decided to try and see all of the 150 Dunlop objects in the attached list while I am at the Queensland Astrofest this year.
Two objects will be difficult to see, the PN NGC 2818 and the galaxy NGC 2997.
The attached list shows the D150 from the end of twilight at 6:50 pm to the start of twilight at 5:00am.
If I get a clear night I should be able to see 148 Dunlop DSO in one night.
These two SkyMapPro maps show the SW sky at the start (6:50pm) and the SE sky at the end (5:00am) of twilight at the Qld Astrofest.
NGC 2997 will be difficult to see because the Sun is at RA 9h40m on 15/8. http://www.skymap.com/products.htm http://www.skymap.com/smp_eval.htm
The book Southern Gems by Stephen James O’Meara describes 120 Dunlop objects. It should be available in December. http://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledg...e_locale=en_GB
It is the fifth book in his Deep-Sky Companions series. 1 The Messier Objects
2 The Caldwell Objects
3 Hidden Treasures
4 The Secret Deep
5 Southern Gems
Fine offer, Glen. Shame I can't be there this year. I'm hoping to get to IIS Astro Camp next year in March.
While no new sketch for July, I did get spy several Dunlop objects in the SMC. Just stunning objects around the bright emission nebula Dunlop 25 (NGC 346).
Here's my sketches of another Dunlop object, Dunlop 440, aka Omega Centauri. Both done from my home in Sydney.
1, 8" f/4 dob, 89X
2, 17.5" f/4.5 dob, 125X
Again in chronological order.
Omega's Eye is so clearly visible even in modest scopes, yet is lost in photographs as the star field gets burnt out. One of my most memorable views of Omega was my last through my 11X70 binos from near Hill End. While the object was small, it was still resolved into stars all squished tightly together. What impressed me too was the surrounding Milky Way field that was mottled, textured and laced with dark nebulae surrounding Omega. Truely stunning, and unexpected and something that is never seen in a big scope! This is one view of Omega I'm hoping to lay down in a sketch. I'll need to wait until next season as it's gone for this year to sketch.
The lesson for me was that a big scope isn't always the be all and end all way to view objects. The session I had with my binos never once had me yearn for any of my scopes, small, medium or large. The binos were perfect!
The attached list of 150 Dunlop objects (3 pages) is for use at the Qld Astrofest.
It lists the objects from the end of twilight (6:50pm) to the start of twilight (5am).
The SMC and LMC objects are coloured yellow and Tirion map numbers are also given.
My plan
7pm RA 10-15, Tirion 25, 20, 21
8pm RA 16-18, Tirion 26, 22
9pm RA 18-23, Tirion 22, 26, 23
rest
3am RA 0-4, Tirion 18, 24, 19 includes SMC
4am RA 4-9, Tirion 24, 19, 20 includes LMC
32 of the "150 Dunlop Deep Sky Objects" transit at about 10pm in July or August.
9 Open Clusters
18 Globular Clusters
1 Dark Nebula
2 Planetary Nebulae
2 Galaxies
Please see the attached file.
James Dunlop is Australia's First Deep Sky Observer.
If you make a list of all the NGC and IC objects and remove the faint galaxies (with magnitudes greater than 13),
William Herschel found the most objects (1798 DSO) followed by John Herschel with 1125. James Dunlop comes third with 278 objects and Messier is 12th, he only found 40 objects.
The attached file lists all the people who found 10 or more objects.
ext are objects in other galaxies.
Southern observers are marked with yellow.
The white numbers are 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each column.
Reference http://www.klima-luft.de/steinicke/ngcic/obs_e.htm
