Observation report 1/4/09

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Managed a couple of hours. Equipment used 8' Dob (ASV LOan scope)
25mm 10mm and 7.5mm EPs, Bintel 0III filter, Bintel Neb Filter

Conditions, seeing fair, transparency poor. Lots of smoke in the air from burnoffs near here.

Started with a quickie at Omega Cent, then cruised to Centaurus A. Got it but could just make out dark lane. Much harder to see than at Snake Valley last weekend.
Had a look at Eta Carina, With use of Neb filter was able to make out keyhole. Swapiing to higher power 10mm EP enabled me to just detect northern lobe of homonculus.
Moved on to NGC3918, Blue Planetary. Got there by hopping from Eta Car via Omincron Centauri. Easily saw blue colour and could just detect disk, 10mm revealed disc easily and OIII filter made it jump out of FOV with a very distinct blue colour.

Moved to Northern Sky, had to have a peek at Saturn only 2 satellites even with 7.5mm EP. Believe them to be Titan and Rhea.
Had a quick search for the Leo Triplet. Easly found M65 and M66, NGC3628 just will not pop up yet. Star hopped via Sigma Leonis and 75,76,79 leonis to 69 Leonis and just west was NGC3521. Vey tight core with easily seen halo.

[ngcles]

Hi Barx,

Congrats on the night and the report. Good to see you put that 'scope to good use and tracked down some very nice objects for that aperture. NGC 3521 is a particularly nice elongated spiral galaxy that was quite unlucky to be overlooked by Messier his collaborators and other observers in the 18th century. That is before Herschel came along and started his great survery work on the basis (not a direct quote) that there "might still be a few nebulae to be found ..."

Also congrats to the ASV for continuing this loan-scope scheme -- which gives a lot of people the opportunity to get their feet wet at minimal expense before they take the plunge.

Kudos to the men and women of the ASV

Best,

Les D

[pgc hunter]

Nice report. Shame about the smoke, and shame that the perpetrators (the DSE) decided to burnoff during this string of clear nights.

I observed NGC 3521 a few nights ago. Nice bright spiral, its thick dust lane noticably obscures the western half.

[Rob_K]

Nice report, sounds like you had a good time despite the conditions!

Cheers -