Category: Galaxy

NGC 3079 – “Flocky galaxy in Ursa Major”

NGC 3079
NGC 3079

Object Name: NGC 3079 (UMa)
Object Type: Barred spiral galaxy – edge-on view
Location: Hombeek, Belgium
Date: 14th March 2013
Conditions: Clear transparant sky – seeing 2/5 ant. , NELM 5.7 (UMi method)

Optics: Celesctron CGEM1100 (SCT 11” f/10), Hyperion 10mm (280x), FOV 15arcm
Media: Graphite pencil on white paper, inverted scanning

Notes: This observation was made during one of the few clear nights of the past winter period with tempertaures dropping to minus 10°C. Galaxy NGC3079 is one of the better objects in the Hershel 400 list and was at first impression quite difficult to see with diffuse and faint impression. When using averted vision the object displays a richdom in details with an overall flocky appearance, 6:1 elongated and a faint irregular core that extends to the north in a triangular brightening. The southern core area is very flocky. Two bright areas are clearly visible on both sides of the core, of which the detail in northern area is more explicit, sharply defined with a darker area towards the east and resembling a second core. A real nice object!

Clear skies,
Tom Corstjens

NGC 1169 An Obsecure Galaxy in Perseus

NGC 1169
NGC 1169

Object Name: NGC 1169 in Perseus
Object Type: Galaxy Type Sb/SBb
Location: West Desert, Rush Valley, Utah
Date: November 6 2012
Time: 03:12 UT
Seeing: Antoniadi II
V. Mag: 11.6
Surface Brightness: 14.1
Size: 4.2’ x 2.8’
Scope: 14”Dobstuff with Zambuto mirror
Eyepiece: 10m Pentax XW w/Type I Paracorr (white lettering).
Media: Black Paper with chalk pastel (Mellish Method)

I’ve decided instead of jumping all around to return to the Herschel 400 II to complete that list as my new scope is now done being built. I’m still learning the nuisances of the scope but I need the clouds to get out of the way more at new moon! The galaxy is pretty bright but it is small. Using averted vision shows a faint halo. The core is very bright and there is a 13 to 13.5 mag star (estimated) on the southwest side of the core, rather super-imposed on it.

This sketch is dedicated to the late StepDad of Phil or City-Kid over at CloudyNights who passed away in late October. JC Miller was very interested in astronomy. May his light continue to reach his family and friends though out their lives as the light from objects above continue to reach each of us who look for them.

Leo Triplet

M65, M66 and NGC 3628
M65, M66 and NGC 3628

Object Name M65, M66 and NGC 3628
Object Type three spiral galaxies
Location Budy Dłutowskie – small village in central Poland
Date 17.03.2012
Media graphite pencil, white paper, color invert
Telescope Columbus 320UL (320/1384 Newtonian) + Orion Q70 26mm
Seeing 4/5 (poor)
Transparency 4/5 (poor)
NELM 5,3 mag

This time I want to show you one of the most famous objects of spring sky – Leo Triplet. It is very easy to observe, even in medium binocular (15×70) but if you have 10” or bigger telescope you will catch really impressive views of all three galaxies even in medium weather conditions (fog, humidity – like I met during last weekend).
In M65 (with 13” mirror) you can observe mist with lighter core and outside spiral arms. NGC3628 looks like fog with long linear dust belt.

Clear Sky
Łukasz

Messier 81 and 82

Messier 81
Messier 81
Messier 82
Messier 82

Date: February 25th, 2012
Location: West Desert, Utah
Time: 07:15 UT and 07:45 UT approx.
Equipment: XX14i, 10mm, 5mm Pentax XW;
Conditions: Antoniadi I
Objects: Messier 81 & 82, Spiral Galaxies in Ursa Major
Sketches done using the Mellish Method with the contrast adjusted in GIMP.

Two of my last several objects of this night were M81 and M82 in Ursa Major. I included them because of the Light Pollution versus Dark Sky comparisons I am wanting to do. Now I just need to the sky to cooperate at home! Nothing but snow that melts the next day and clouds since. M82, Bode’s Galaxy in Ursa Major. Pretty close to spot on how I saw it.

Messier 33

Messier 33
Messier 33

A view of M33 with my 10 inch reflector plus a watec 120N+. I used a focal reducer to bring the focal ratio to about 2.5 so I could fit the entire galaxy in the field. I was amazed at the amount of detail visible, very knotty arms plus the bright nebula NGC 604 was easily seen.
Took a while to sketch but patience is everything in this game 🙂

Hickson 98

Hickson 98
Hickson 98

A clear evening sky with the moon not rising until around 11pm local time saw me out in the observatory with Hickson’s on my mind!

My targets were to be 97 & 98 which are found in Pisces just below the bottom right hand corner of the great square of Pegasus. I engaged in my usual process of ‘star hopping’ the scope from rest position to my target. The smaller the hops, with ‘re-syncing’ at each stop the better my chance of hitting small and faint objects.

…Hickson 98 listed as having NGC 7783 as a searchable member my software database told me it wasn’t listed, so I had to slew the scope manually onto the coordinates given and then search for a suspect galaxy group when I got very close, this didn’t turn out to be too difficult and I soon had the 4 members forming a chaining with a few stars on the monitor screen. A star bright enough to display diffraction spikes headed the chain to the north, all very neat and attractive. It turned out that all 4 members are NGC 7783 A-D so that is likely why I could find it; I probably needed to enter the full nomenclature to find it in the database.

NGC 772 – Galaxy in Aries

NGC 772
NGC 772

Object Name: NGC 772
Location: RA: 01h 59m 20.0s, Dec: +19 ° 00′ 28 ”
Magnitude: 10.3
Surface Brightness: 13.9
Dimensions: 7.02 x 4.03
Constellation: Aries
Type: Galaxy Sb

Observing Location: Bonilla. SPAIN
Date: December 9, 2012.
Time: 22:30 T.U.

Material used: Graphite pencil on white paper. Inverted image and processed with Photoshop.
Celestron Telescope S / C 8 ” Mount Cgt-5
Eyepiece:Hyperion Aspheric 31 mm; Magnification: 65x.
Conditions: NEML: 6.13 (Zone 6 Peg.) Temp.: 1° C, Humidity 64%.

More information: http://astrodibujo.blogspot.com.es/