Category: Pencil

A Spiral Runs Through It

Centarus A

Centarus A, NGC 5128
By Jeremy Perez

This was probably the fourth time I’ve made a telescopic observation of Centaurus A, but I finally got down to business and made a sketch this time. I was observing at Cinder Hills Overlook with Eric Graff, his family, David Sanders, and Scott & Dena Garfinkel. Everybody seemed to be enduring the gusting wind fairly well, but it made high-power observing an irritating challenge. Eric was tracking down exceedingly faint objects in Centaurus, but I was frustrated enough by the wind and my lack of preparation that I decided to work on this bright obvious target first.

The galaxy is easily visible through my 15 x 70 and 10 x 50 binoculars. The view through my 6″ reflector brings out the fascinating dust lane that bisects this bright galaxy. This lane runs from northwest to southeast and appears widest at its southeast side. The southwest hemisphere of the galaxy appeared larger than the northeast. A bright star was superimposed over the southwest half, and another star anchored the rift at its northwest edge. The galaxy’s size is listed as 25 x 20 arcminutes, but I only saw 3 arcminutes of its bright core. It was about 11 degrees above the horizon (as good as it gets from here) and that probably didn’t help.

Object Information
NGC 5128 was discovered by James Dunlop in 1826. It is a strong source of radio radiation and is the nearest radio galaxy at a distance of 15 million light years. It is categorized as an intermediate galaxy type, with qualities of both an elliptical (which describes its main body) and spiral galaxy (due to the prominent dust band encircling it). Loads of information about this fascinating galaxy can be found at the solstation website.

NGC 5128 is also catalogued as ESO 270-IG009, ARP 153, h 3501, GC 3525, MCG-07-28-001, IRAS 13225-4245, AM 1322-424, PRC C-45, PGC 46957

Subject NGC 5128
Classification Galaxy (E0 + Sb)?
Position* Centaurus [RA: 13:25:29 / Dec: -43:01:00]
Size* 25.7′ x 20.0′
Brightness* 6.8 vMag / 7.7 bMag / 13.5 Surface Brightness
Date/Time May 11, 2007 – 10:30 PM
(May 12, 2007 – 05:30 UT)
Observing Loc. Cinder Hills Overlook, Sunset Crater National Monument, AZ
Instrument Orion SVP 6LT Reflector (150 mm dia./1200 mm F/L)
Eyepieces/Mag. 10 mm (120X)
Conditions Mostly clear, gusty winds
Seeing 3/10
Transparency ~ Mag 6.8 NELM
*Sources NGC/IC Project 
*Based on published data.

Galactic Shiner

M64

The Blackeye Galaxy, M64
By Michael Vlasov

This beautiful sketch of M64, the Blackeye Galaxy, was drawn by Michael Vlasov from the Negev Desert in southern Israel. M64 is some 17 Million light years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. Studies have indicated that the galaxy has recently ungone a merger, resulting in the thick, dusty, star forming region that give this galaxy it’s unique appearance. Deep inside this turbulent spiral, a ring of stars 3000 light years in diameter revolves about the galactic nucleus in a direction opposite than the stars on the outskits of the galaxy.

Tremendous sketch Michael!

Thor’s Helmet

Thor’s Helmet

Thor’s Helmet, NGC 2359
By Rony De Laet

The plan for the evening was to observe and sketch Messier 50. I was trying to starhop from Sirius to M50. Gamma Canis Majoris would be an easy reference in between. From there, M50 could be found a mere five degrees North. Instead of using the finder, I love to pan the scope with a low power eyepiece. Much to my surprise, the milkyway (so near to the horizon) was clearly visible in the eyepiece. The area East of Sirius appeared to be very fascinating. While working my way up to M50, I stumbled upon an unexpected fuzzy object. Most open cluster appear fuzzy at low power, but this one was different. I tried a higher power to resolve the object, but without result. There aren’t that much nebulae around, visible with my small aperture, so I guessed it had to be Thor’s Helmet, NGC 2359 ! How exciting! Bad news for M50, which would have to wait for another occasion. Armed with a UHC filter, I started to sketch the nebula. It took me quit a while to understand the view my eyes were showing. At first I saw a bar, or no, a hook. Then with a lot of patience, the hook resolved into a more complex structure. The observation was very rewarding, and I hope to revisit the object under a darker sky soon. Here’s the sketch.

Date : February 9, 2008
Time : around 22.00UT
Scope : Skywatcher 102/500
Eyepiece : Plössl 15 mm
Power : x33
FOV: 90′
Filter : UHC
Seeing : 2,5/5
Transp. : 2,5/5
Nelm : 4,8
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with PhotoPaint, based on a raw pencil sketch.

Five Stellar Gothams

Hickson 58

Hickson 58
By Bill Ferris

Move mouse over image to view labels. Click the image for a larger version.

This sketch of the galaxy cluster, Hickson 58 was made by Bill Ferris using his 18 inch Obsession. He used a 12 mm Nagler T4, which provides a magnification of 199X when mated with the TeleVue Paracorr. Following are Bill’s notes on the observation:

Hickson 58 is populated by five stellar gothams ranging in brightness from 13.9 to 15.4 magnitude; all in the blue. Centered within the group is NGC 3822, a 14.1 (B) magnitude galaxy also known at Hickson 58A. Its stellar core is embedded within a 1′.5 by 1′ oval nebulosity of even brightness and aligned north to south. About 3′ to the east, Hickson 58B emerges from the darkness. This 13.9 (B) magnitude barred spiral is better known as NGC 3825 and, as with its neighbors, features a stellar core. The surrounding 2′.5 by 1′.5 nebulosity becomes gradually brighter toward the middle. NGC 3825 is flanked to the southwest by a 12th magnitude star and to the northeast by a 13th magnitude ember. About 5′ west of NGC 3822, the 14.3 (B) magnitude oval form of NGC 3817 (Hickson 58C) comes into view. This barred spiral displays a stellar core within a delicate 1′.4 by 1′, east to west, oval. A 14th magnitude GSC star stands entry 1′.5 to the west. The faint pairing north of center in my sketch, which renders a 199X view in the 18-inch, are Hicksons 58D and 58E. The 14.8 (B) magnitude elliptical galaxy NGC 3819 lies 4′.6 north of NGC 3822. This tiny, 0′.8 by 0′.5 galaxy is Hickson 58D. Another 2′ to the north stands Hickson 58E. This 15.4 (B) magnitude galaxy is also known as NGC 3820. It is similar in size to NGC 3819 and has the same north-south alignment.

The original entry for this observation and sketch can be found at Bill’s website:Cosmic Voyage: Hickson 58Additional detailed information on the cluster may also be found at the WikiSky entry for NGC 3822 (Hickson 58A)

Home of the Seagull

IC 2177

IC 2177, Home of the Seagull
By Rony De Laet

IC 2177 is listed in the ‘Deep Sky Travel Guide (Ronald Stoyan, Oculum)’ as : very large, very faint. This description was a challenge to me. Would I be able to see it? From the 5th of February, we were blessed with exceptional clear skies for a whole week. Every night, I scanned the sky between Sirius and M50, in search of IC2177. It took me four nights to track down the location of IC2177. Four nights of trial and error. Each time I eliminated the suspected location from the drawings I made. In my mind, I builded myself a path through the vast and complex milkyway section South of M50. The trick is to find NGC 2353. From there, starhop to NGC 2343 and put it at the 10 o’clock position in a low power eyepiece (binocular orientation!). Now the scope is amed at IC 2177. It sounds easy, but it isn’t, at least not in my sky with my little refractor. The journey is joyfull and the destination is very rewarding. The question still is : did I see it? I noted a dark rift running through the fov from the 11 o’clock to the 5 o’clock position. East of the rift, the sky seems to brighten a bit more than West of the rift. Or is it unresolved starlight? I look forward to reports from other observers. Here is the sketch. (The little triangular cloud at the 10 o’clock position near the border of the fov is NGC 2343.)

Date : February 11, 2008
Time : around 22.00UT
Scope : Skywatcher 102/500
Eyepiece : Meade SP 26 mm
Power : x19
FOV: 150′
Filter : UHC
Seeing : 2,5/5
Transp. : 2,5/5
Nelm : 4,7
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with PhotoPaint, based on a raw pencil sketch.

Tail of the Great Dog

NGC 2362

NGC 2362, The Tau Canis Majoris Cluster
By Rony De Laet

A few months ago, Mark (Novbabies) suggested me to put NGC 2362 on my observing list. The object was unknown to me. The fact that it concerned a rather small open cluster which culminated only a poor 13° above my southern horizon, didn’t excite me at that time. But how wrong was my assumption! The Tau Canis Majoris Cluster turned out to one of the most enjoyable vistas in the sky. The cluster puts the observer to the test. The bright Tau outshines the fainter cluster members nearby. It’s hard to maintain night vision with Tau in the picture. NGC 2362 is a scintillating mix of brighter and fainter stars that swirls around Tau. With averted vision, more spots of unresolved starlight lit up around the cluster. And that’s only my impression with the cluster near horizon. I can only imagine how magnificant the cluster must shine when higher in the sky. Reproducing the cluster on a sketch is another challenge. I’ve made several attemps to try to bring justice to the cluster, but I fell short. I tried to mimic the contrast between the bright Tau Canis Majoris and the swirling group of faint stars around it. I promised myself not to use too much glare on the sketch, but it’s hard to find the right balance. There’s nothing that beats the real thing! So if the sketch pleases you, do try to go out to see the cluster for yourself. You won’t be dissapointed. And thanks Mark for the suggestion in the first place.

Date : February 6, 2008
Time : around 21.30UT
Scope : Skywatcher 102/500
Eyepiece : Hyperion Zoom at 8 mm
Power : x63
FOV: 65′
Filter : none
Seeing : 3/5
Transp. : 2,5/5
Nelm : 4,8
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with PhotoPaint, based on a raw pencil sketch.

Attracting an Extragalactic Visitor

M79

Messier M79 in Lepus
By Rony De Laet

Here is an observation of M79. From my location, the object rises only 15° above the horizon. 15° sounds like a solid number, but it is not when tried out in the field. I was surprised to find M79 easy at low power. The sketch is made at 63x. The core appears almost stellar. One faint star was visible with averted vision N of the globular.

Date : February 5, 2008
Time : around 20.30UT
Scope : Skywatcher 102/500
Eyepiece : Hyperion Zoom at 8mm
Power : x63
FOV: 65′
Filter : none
Seeing : 2,5/5
Transp. : 2,5/5
Nelm : 4,8
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with PhotoPaint, based on a raw pencil sketch.

The Ghost of Alnitak

Flame Alnitak

NGC 2024, The Ghost of Alnitak
By Rony De Laet

Hello,

We’ve had a full week of clear nights! So every night, after work and family, I tried to capture some DSO targets. This one is a little bit of a special object because I drove to a darker site some 130km from home to sketch it. I’ve glimpsed NGC 2024 at home before, but it always remained a uncertain view. The most annoying thing is the bright presence of Alnitak. I tried to keep Alnitak out of the way, but it didn’t work. Otherwise, NGC2024 would not be such a tough target. More to the south is also the weak glow of NGC2023. So here is my sketch, from the highest point of Belgium : a whopping 690m asl. There was still sufficient oxygen in the air to breath

Date : February 12, 2008
Time : around 22.00UT
Scope : Skywatcher 102/500
Eyepiece : 15mm Plösll
Power : x33
FOV: 90′
Filter : UHC
Seeing : 3/5
Transp. : 4/5
Nelm : 5,8
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with PhotoPaint, based on a raw pencil sketch.

Three Fuzzy Friends

M96, M105 and NGC 3384

M96, M105 and NGC 3384
By Jeremy Perez

M96, M105 and NGC 3384

These three galaxies were kind enough to fit in the field of view together. The two galaxies on the north side, M105 and NGC 3384 appeared about 10′ apart, nucleus to nucleus. Their nucleii were softly stellar in appearance. M105 appeared basically circular and the brighter of the two, while NGC 3384 was elongated north-northeast to south-southwest. M96 was about 50′ to the south. It was the largest and brightest of the three galaxies, elongated northwest to southeast. It didn’t have the same stellar nucleus as the other two, it was a bright nucleus, but not as concentrated. Observing all three galaxies at 120X didn’t expose more detail, mostly just verified what I had already seen at 37X.

Factoids:
M96 is a type Sa spiral galaxy that is the brightest of the Leo 1 group of galaxies, which includes M95 and M105 as well as other fainter galaxies. It lies about 38 million light years away and it’s bright inner portion extends about 66,000 light years in diameter. It has a fainter outer ring which extend that diameter to about 100,000 light years. The inner disk is composed of an old population of yellow stars. The galaxy contains a significant amount of dust and blue knots of star forming regions. It was discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1781 and thus cataloged by Charles Messier a few days later.

M105 is an E1 elliptical galaxy that is a member of this same galaxy group and so is also about 38 million light years distant. It is often studied as a standard representative of elliptical galaxies. A Hubble Space Telescope survey of the galaxy has shown it to contain a massive central object weighing in at 50 million solar masses. M105 is moving away from us at 752 km/sec. It was discovered by Pierre Mechain a few days after M96, but for some reason wasn’t included in Charles Messier’s catalog. It was added as M105 in 1947 by Helen Sawyer Hogg along with M106 and M107.

NGC 3384 is an E7 elliptical galaxy that contains what appears to be a central bar. It also appears to be a member of the Leo 1 galaxy group.

Subject M96 (NGC 3368), M105 (NGC ), NGC 3384
Classification Spiral and Eliptical Galaxies
Position* Leo:
M96: [RA: 10:46.8 / Dec: +11:49]
M105: [RA: 10:47.8 / Dec: +12:35]
NGC 3384: [RA: 10:48.3 / Dec: +12:38]
Size* M96: 7.1′ x 5.1′ / M105: 4.5′ x 4.0′ / NGC 3384: 5.9′ x 2.6′
Brightness* M96: 9.2 / M105: 9.3 / NGC 3384: 10.0
Date/Time February 4, 2005 – 1:45 AM
(February 4, 2005 – 08:45 UT)
Observing Loc. Flagstaff, AZ – Home
Instrument Orion SVP 6LT Reflector (150 mm dia./1200 mm F/L)
Eyepieces/Mag. 32 mm (37X), 10 mm (120X)
Conditions Clear, 25?F
Seeing 3/10
Transparency Mag 5.2
Sources SEDS 
*Based on published data.