My Commute Challenge

[rockystar]

With the days and days of constant rain, and days and days more forecast, you have to keep your astro fix filled in other ways.

My commute home can be quite horrendous at times and I often get my wife calling me to find out where I am, so I put my commute on a chalk board (one of these static sheets) in the kitchen; it consists of a lot of motorways and got me thinking that this might be an interesting viewing challenge. So here it is:

M53, M56, M6, M62, M60 & M66

A bit of research shows that I should be able to get 4 of these in April (though M56 might be a little bit low at this time, so might have to wait another month or two) and M6 & M62 look like they don't get very high in the sky, so might be tricky.

Is there any better way to put a viewing list together? I don't think so!

Maybe I can convert some A and B road numbers into NGC catalogue objects.

This is exciting, I'm going to see if I can find some more journeys I can view.

[des anderson]

Sky`s the limit....Des

[Beulah]

Wow, thought my commute was bad enough (pay isn't really worth it, either but a job is a job).

Think I can probably create the same challenge in the NGC catalogue..... (seven, altogether....)

[ronin]

I was thinking that trying to observe M53, M56, M6, M62, M60 & M66 through a 200P while commuting back on motorways the police would class at least as bad as using a mobile phone. :grin: :grin:

[StarSapling]

What an awesome idea.

[spaceman_spiff]

Nice - I've never looked at the masses of galaxies in Virgo before. This is a good reminder (especially M60) to have a go if i'm up late.

[Bart]

Nice - I've never looked at the masses of galaxies in Virgo before. This is a good reminder (especially M60) to have a go if i'm up late.

Looking into Virgo, Coma Berenices and Leo for the galaxies therein has got to be one of the finest pleasures. A good night with decent aperture allows you to drift along with galaxy after galaxy popping (or even sneaking) into view. It will get even better over the next couple of months for these targets. Simply gorgeous.

Barry

[Walshie79]

Just like motorways, the M6 is the pain- it hardly rises. Never seen it or M7, but the others are all doable on an April night. M62 is pretty low and would have to wait till after midnight but I've at least seen it from here. You could go round Manchester the other way and replace M6 with M67? That's a lot easier than M6, and it's still up as it gets dark in April.

Only got one motorway round here and it's another low one- M54. But like M62 I have seen that and it's a much more interesting object than its motorway, being part of another galaxy. Just looking at the A-road NGCs, one A road I use almost daily is the A458 and NGC 458 is in - Tucana. Damn. Try the A488 then, apparently thats a galaxy in Pisces. That rises then, at mag 10.4 it's right at the limit of what the 25x70s can get, but it looks like one of those face-on one's with a bright core. Might be a good challenge if we ever get another clear night before February.

Do it with the motorways around the east and south of London and you've got a nice tour of Sagittarius and the Summer Triangle: M25, M20, M26, M23, M27, M11.

Oh M40- well named for this. Incredibly boring motorway, incredibly boring Messier.

[Mick J]

What a nice idea this is,  traffic news came on the radio and reminded me of this, would produce a repetitive list tho.

[rockystar]

I'm always hearing about the M8 on the traffic news, and of course the M25 car park.

Walshie: I do sometimes go the other way round, I pass the M67, but don't go down it - I'll add it to the list though as M6 sounds like it's going to be hard.

[Walshie79]

The Double Cluster is Caldwell 14 and should be a Messier. The A14 should be a motorway. That's that one sorted...

[neural]

Watch out for IC objects though.

<ducks>