Mike JW

10/03/21 - What to do on yet another rainy day - take a look at my recent PCG observations. As soon as I start calling up Aladin/NED and other data, time disappears so quickly. I become fascinated by what I can pick up in my set up - awed, yet again.

PCG 104737+423928 is found in UMa.  Four in the group (triangle tipped to the left), the bottom left is two galaxies. The four galaxies are not a true group. Top and bottom left are about 1.7Gyr away, the third (bottom right) is a mere 1Gyr away! (approx).

PCG 095352+571046 is found in UMa.  Four in this group but which ones? By checking the distances I concluded the ones with my lines are the group. The obvious galaxy at the top left is  further away. The other fuzz spots are galaxies as well.

PCG 104527+493118 is found in UMa. This is definitely a case of the more you look the more you see. I almost missed this group of four - they are near the top. I am glad I did not centre them because there is so much of interest in this shot.

Below is the close up of the group of four  I see five, well actually six and then of course there are those sneaky little intruders. The big six (wiggly line of 6) are all 2.2 billion lyrs away (very approx). The intruders (3 of them - 2 one side, 1 the other side of the bright galaxy - no data)

Now there is that big obvious galaxy to the left of centre - UGC 5972 - not exactly near to us at 460 million lyrs away, SBbc is its classification. See below and yes you have guessed the fuzz spots are yet more galaxies with no data.

There are yet more faint galaxies in the big view which I did also check out.

PCG 094316+392308 is found in LMi.  I soon got distracted when the wide fov appeared on screen ( the excessive noise is because there was high thin cloud lurking). The  large obvious galaxy caught my eye before I saw the PCG candidates. Here we go again, info says 5 members but I see 6 (maybe 7)

Close up below , clearly shows 6 members in a sort of Y-shape.  The obvious brightest galaxy lies around the 2 billion mark. No data on the others.

The large extended V- shape of fuzz spots appear also to be galaxies.

Then there is UGC 5193 - a large elliptical  and has it interacted with its neighbour to the right - something is on the go. The trouble is they are separated by about 23 million lyrs. So maybe there respective halos are a overlapping due to line of sight?

Finally the stretched S-shape - bottom right - yet more galaxies ( not all of them)

Much interest, pleasure from pursuing these galaxy groups.

Mike

WBL 241 in UMa.  As always I never know what to expect. 4 galaxies, a VV and a spikey star

NGC 2998 SAB(rs)c - intermediate spiral, weakly barred with a inner ring forming and spiral arms coming off it, 238Gyr (light travel) on the right is the highlight.

NGC 3005 Sb, 226Gyr - edge on in the middle.

NGC 3008, 238Gyr,SO - far left

NGC 3006 238Gyr, Sp - bottom

VV 1319 (NGC 3002) 11Gyr, PKt - pair in contact -  the faint smudge just below the centre, yet quite close neighbours to the milky way.                                                                                                                                                                                      

The close up of 2998 . Quality images show the ring - mine is washed out. Star forming regions picked up

At last I pointed the 15 at it.  So much detail picked up. Mike

Below is the same shot (different stretch) but labelled up to show two star forming area with NGC numbers and what I think is the ring structure. This galaxy is not especially large - 50,000 lyrs across and about 40,000 million lyrs away. Apparently it is high in heavy elements (yet to find out why/significance) and has fewer blue stars than what you might think from the blue appearance in colour images'

Martin - that would be fun - yet another list to pursue.

Mike

Hi Martin - I cannot find where I got my definition of  (m) from. I tend to agree with you that the brackets are there to separate out the 'm' from the 'pec' bit. I will keep looking. 

Below is what I have found out so far. (my brain aches!!!!)

Sm = LMC type spiral: no bulge and a single principle arm starting at one end of  a bar.

Sdm = has a main arm but there is a weaker/shorter second arm (e.g NGC 4207)

Im = highly irregular megellanic galaxies, no sign of a bar

IB(s)m = irregular megellanic galaxies with a bar

IAB(s)m = irregular intermediate spirals (megellanic type), with a bar

Mike

Hi Martin,  (m) = irregular in appearance and with no bulge - I think. Good idea to bring out those knots down the edge.

VV 523 - certainly a pair of galaxies. Tadpole looking pair. Interestingly so in the tail you have picked up a double blob, then lower down a single faint blob (seems to coincide with a mag 18 galaxy) Also  at the bottom of the double blob - possibly the lower part of the double blob , NED shows a mag 17 galaxy. All very confusing. Many H11 region indicated by NED.

Arp 313 - NGC 3995, Looking at Aladin/Gaia data it would seem to indicate that in the tail there is indeed another galaxy - the final obvious bulge in my close up with a similar redshift, thus 3995 is two galaxies (which you picked up as well)

Below is my efforts from last year, using the C11 at f6.3 but if that is the case why have I got diffraction spikes? makes me think I must have been using the 15.

It has been a while since we had a Abell posting. Recently I visited Abell 568 in Gemini. It would appear to be a bit short of galaxies.

This shot is at the centre of 568.                                                                                This  is the zoomed in shot, showing the triangle of galaxies - around the 1 billion lyrs away.

                                                                                                                                   There are other  possible candidates but NED does not label them

Whilst tracking other DSOs in Cancer I could not resist a detour to Hickson 36. It has four components but quite plainly there are two more galaxies to the right of the main component (IC 528).

All four are described as spirals with IC 528 being mag 15. To me this galaxy looks rather like a ring galaxy. 

They are not a true group - A = approx 177 million lyrs away.  B = approx 704 million lyrs. C = approx 397 million lyrs. D = approx 708 million lyrs away. To the right of the core of IC 528 the galaxy is mag 17 and 167 million lyrs away. The tiny galaxy just off the bottom right of 528 is mag 19 and no distance given.

(Image tweaked in photoshop)

Mike

I keep meaning to visit  3184 but get side tracked. A classic galaxy. I am not sure colour really works for it but I do like the yellow star. 

Mike

What a nice arc of even galaxies. Doable in GB provided there is not too much murk low down.

Mike

Martin - inspirational. It makes me wonder what details I would get if I opted into colour using the 15.

Thanks

Mike

J900 in colour - so much more obvious than my mono shot - nice.

Mike

Hi Martin,

I have just checked my records for the big Dob - I never got around to viewing 1501 visually, so good to see it and in colour. I have just had a look at what ZZ means -'non radially pulsating' - which I think means one part of the star is expanding whilst another part is not (or contracting) - need to read some more.

2240 - too low for a worthwhile view for me. https://esahubble.org/images/opo9935e/ - great image and some more detail

Mike

WBL 126  in Gemini - I also visited this at the same time as WBL 121. The big 4 galaxies are mag 14, the tiny one is mag 15

Top left - NGC 2294, elliptical, (might be a ring galaxy), 62,000 lyrs diameter , 237 million lyrs away.

Top middle - NGC 2291, lenticular - looks spiral to me in high res images, 63,000 lyrs diameter, 241 million lyrs away

Right of centre - NGC 2289, lenticular, 77,000 yrs diameter, 229 million lyrs away,

Near the star - NGC 2288, elliptical (spiral?), 252 million lyrs away

Bottom  - (R) SAa - spiral with a ring formation, 54,000 lyrs diameter, 234 million lyrs away.

Hi Paul, I like the idea of an animation. I quite fancy checking out when an asteroid is passing an object of interest - makes for a pretty picture! 

Mike

Hi Martin,

I too wondered about that bulge. There are also two other fuzz spots in the shot as well.  This shot was really just a little desert, the main course had been asteroids. The cloud arrived as I was doing this group hence the shorter exposure than normal. Yes you have the right galaxy with the horns.

Here in GB we a re plagued with low cloud, mist and fog - so that is it for observing for a few days.

The third member (out on the right) - looks like I have picked up a star forming region, below the central core, also hint of a dark lane.

Yet to check all this out on Aladin.

Mike

Thanks Vlaiv  for the helpful illustration. I did not realise it was possible to 4x4 bin. I have sometimes looked at the ASI 294MM but stop short of buying one because every time I have tried using SharpCap (with the Ultrastar) or I tried using the Altair Astro software (with a GPCam) I could not even get an image. Also I found the interface hopelessly complicated compared to SLL/Jocular.  It really was the case when I finally went down the Lodestar/SLL route that I had an image within 5 minutes on my first attempt - I have never looked back. If someone could write a simple EEVA style software for such a camera as the ASI294, I would consider that route.

Thanks again,

Mike

Hi Vlaiv,

 I was sitting at the computer feeling I wanted to express my thoughts re cameras. pixels, sensor size. I always enjoy following your input but as I lack technical knowledge I get lost so quickly. Martin's thoughts have just entered the thread and he sums up my experience. I use my ultrastar on my 7" MakCas (at f6), my C11 (at f6.3) and my 15" Dob at either f3.5 or f4.5. Often I use 2x2 binning to speed things up. I am regularly in awe of what I end up 'seeing' via the camera. I never know whether the camera is matched to the scope I am using but what I so enjoy about EEVA using my scopes/ultrastar is the thousands of objects I am seeing (and I only post a few of my observations). I never saw this level of detail with my former big Dob. The strength of my set up is its simplicity - point and shoot, my laptop handles the data coming in reasonably easily and I adjust the view as the data arrives in Jocular and I have a view of worth in less than 2 minutes (but tend to sit and enjoy it and let the subs stack for 5 minutes.). I have tried other software (Sharpcap, Altair Astro..) - I end up spending time working out how to use the software (not fun for me because I wish to 'observe') and get poor or no results.  For most of the targets I go after I generally only post the zoomed in view - that is the target of interest., thus large sensors seem irrelevant to most of the objects (as Martin suggests).

EEVA for me is about 'observing' as easily as possible with minimal technology to get pleasing results. 

It took me 2 years of following technical threads, trying to ask questions but none the wiser due to my lack of computer, software, digital knowledge. I wish someone had said, buy a lodestar (before the ultrastar was produced) as it will fit into your Dob, download SLL and point and shoot - you will be amazed. It would have saved me much time and questioning. I still point and shoot and as indicated I know not what is happening other than I shall never live long enough to visit all the thousands  of targets.

Mike

28/02/21. WBL 121 in Gemini gives you plenty for your money.  NGC 2275 (at the top) - a disrupted spiral, 160,000 lyrs diameter. NGC 2274 (an elliptical, 110,000lyrs across) is disrupting 2275. These two together are classified as VV1166. The third member of WBL 121 is the galaxy on the right - UGC 3537 (loose spiral Sc and about 67,000 lyrs across).

Below the pair and hidden by a star is a mag 17 LEDA galaxy.

Mike

Hi Steve,

You really only need one scope. SCTs can do excellent planetary/lunar work as well as DSOs because they are so flexible.

SCT at its native F10 would do OK for solar system objects. With a standard f6.3 reducer it then becomes fast enough for EEVA. I sometimes operate my SCT at f5. With a hyperstar fitted you can then operate at around F2 which is great for a wider field.

If you look through the EEVA forum you will see folk do well with 8" scopes (which I suggest is the minimum size for DSO/EEVA). I have used a C9.25 very successfully but upgraded to a C11 to gain more light gathering and hence quicker views, and more resolution. (I also use a 15" Dob which ups the speed of getting a result/resolution yet more.)

You may well go for two cameras. I use the starlight express Ultrastar (mono) which gives excellent DSO results (view my various posts). The ultrastar and its cousin the lodestar  work very well with the Jocular Software as produced by Martin Meredith (another regular on the EEVA forum). I do not do solar system EEVA so somebody else will advise you on a camera for these objects.

I know what you mean about sitting outside is getting too much as we age. I suspect this will be the last winter with my C11/iEQ45 pro mount - once the restrictions lift it will be up for sale.

Mike

28/02/21 - Approx 24 hrs since I looked at Nephthys. The shot below shows how far it has travelled in those 24 hrs. Last night's position is marked by the red dot. I have also marked on the 3 LEDA galaxies from last night and also the other 2 LEDA galaxies that Martin indicated.  Conditions were better tonight as the moon was still below the horizon, hence a darker background.

Mike

Martin,

Jocular Plate solving for asteroids - I didn't dare suggest it but it would add yet another avenue of interest.

Mike

27/02/21 - I  tracked down a few more asteroids last night for an hour.

Asteroid Daphne - I offset the view so has to pick up NGC 2186 (bottom left). Daphne is about 200 km across and is made of  nickel, iron, cobalt, water, nitrogen, ammonia.

Asteroid Nephthy -about 60 km across, The blue lines point to mag 17 LEDA galaxies.

26/02/21. With the moon blazing away I thought I would try my hand at finding some bright asteroids. 

I used the 15"Dob/ultrastar camera. The moonlight is a pain but these asteroids at around mag 12 are easily picked up, even in a 2 second sub.

Psyche: a 200 km wide nickel-iron main belt asteroid. Take a look at https://3d-asteroids.space/asteroids/16-Psyche

Asteroid Nemausa - 140 km diameter. Take a look at https://3d-asteroids.space/asteroids/51-Nemausa for its likely shape. Made up of nickel, iron, cobalt, water, nitrogen and ammonia.

Asteroid Eurynome -  diameter 64 km. Take a look at  https://3d-asteroids.space/asteroids/79-Eurynome  for 3D model . A siicate asteroid

Mike

What a good idea. Must try it sometime. Mike