Mike JW

Hi Martin, I have made a start on downloading the Pretty Deep Maps so last night I had them open, along with SkyMap Pro 12 on the laptop. Also open was SkySafari on the tablet and downloading images of the areas on the tablet made making sure I was in the right area easy. Very much enjoying the P.D. Maps. I would appreciate the original data as I do like to know the magnitudes of what it is I am viewing. I actually did several SHK groups last night but as yet I have not had time to sort things ready to post. Have fun Mike

Excellent presentation Martin. I always enjoy a posting when an effort is made to give some extra information. Never quite see the point of "here is another picture of ????" Must turn the Dob onto these guys sometime. Sometime last year I observed Berk 58, 4, 62, and 65 (faint fuzz), in Cass with the 15" Dob so I will be interested in what you are able to pick up. No records for the Monoceros Berkeley Clusters. Mike

Excellent idea to do the Berkeley clusters. I find them difficult to ID visually but your wide fov makes it easy. Mike

Good for you for getting out there, despite the light pollution.

Tonight I started my journey finding the SHK galaxy groups. I used my 15" Dob and the ultrastar. The group are circled - 10 of them. I manually cleaned up the area around them in Photoshop. The brightest is mag 18. Martin - is there a source of data for all the individual members? I am sure I have seen a data set somewhere? Mike

Thanks Martin - looking forward to some serious brain work. Started down loading the Pretty Deep Sky maps - takes an age but looks some very useful charts. Mike

Hi Martin Thanks for the equation - I don't understand it (maths never a strong point) - any chance of a worked example? but only if you have time. I tried looking up the meaning of modz/units and got nowhere. Mike 40 minutes later.... PS. Just found this table on VizieR - https://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR?-source=VII/275. I inputted NGC 1262 and then looked at the column for distance in Mpc and then x 3.26lyrs, which gives a distance of 1.719 billion lyrs away. This matches your info for 1262. This is easier for me than your equation!!

Hi Martin, Interesting data. I have just spent time on LEDA and got very confused. I shall do some more investigating when time permits. Mike

I use a mix of Sky Map 12 and Sky Safari to identify the PCGs but my shot has galaxies that are outside of that catalogue. Mike

Hi Bill, thanks for the info. I had not realised that fact. I have been trying to understand distances to objects - nightmare stuff - Hubble Constants, galaxies moving towards each other within a cluster whilst generally moving away from. The Medieval View of the heavens was much easier to grasp!!!!!! SkySafari says 2 billion lyrs away but my list says 1.5 billion. Looking at the NED data got very confusing but I think NED is suggesting about 1.6 billion. Mike

Thanks Martin - handy to see the wider view. Thanks for the link, too much too easily download for our rather poor broadband link - pity. Mike

A few nights back I was doing a tour of the VV galaxies in Orion. This image fascinated me. I have circled the VV galaxy in red ( I am not sure if it should include all of the group or just the two I have circled. The group has 6 members (one is partly hidden by my red circle). The grey circles are around positively identified PGC galaxies, as faint as mag 18. However quite a few other grey fuzzy spots are shown - I suspect they are galaxies and not faint, out of focus stars. Orion is not a constellation I would naturally go hunting out galaxies. Mike

NGC 1262 in Eridanus is a distant galaxy. It lies about 2 billion lyrs away (Sky Safari) . Noting how big it is in my shot, it is enormous. - 474,000 lyrs across. It is a SABc spiral (an intermediate spiral). Tricky for me to get a shot of this galaxy as it is low down and in the murk. I was so pleased to see it on the screen I forgot to tweak the mount to get it in the centre of the fov.

Very well captured.

I always enjoy the wider views you get with your set up. I keep meaning to take a look at Nebulae but then I get side tracked on my galaxy hunting. I sometimes think about getting an 8" fast newtonian for wide field EAA but I have too many scopes as it is. Mike

Thanks Bill. EAA has certainly inspired me.

Hi Martin, As you realise I have completed the Arps and Hicksons in less than a year. I am very organised so as to make the most of the few clear spells we get. Love the idea of the Hickson EEVA Marathon - book me in!!!! 90 , 91 and 63 are impossible for me. 29, 48, 65 and 86 might be doable on a very clear/pollution free night if I went somewhere with a very good southern horizon but there is no way I will cart the gear just on the off chance.. Mike

Following the SN reports. This morning I combined two of the SN with my final Hickson. Scope used was C11 @ f6.3 with ultrastar camera. Hickson 62 in Virgo. These four galaxies (mag 13 to mag 16) made a lovely end to my Hickson journey of the last 11 months. There are 7 Hicksons that are too low for me to observe. SN in M100 In this shot the SN has almost been lost in the glare of the core. I wanted to bring out the spiral structure to add to the drama of SN shining as bright as the core. The shot below is cropped and adjusted in Photoshop. SN in NGC 4636

Great to see what can be achieved. Mike

A really helpful and informative report. Mike

Good to be reminded of comets - I always forget to go and hunt them down. Mike

Dave - yes it is the bright spot near the core. Mike (it is on my list for tonight)

Nice to see the shadows in the opposite direction ( sunset on the moon rather than sunrise). Great sketch. Mike

Hi Stu, Like you I have no problem with experienced observers seeing the Pup. Over the years when tackling difficult targets I always start from a position of doubt, then double or triple check. It is too easy to "imagine" something. Interesting discussion as to what is the best scope for seeing the Pup or tight doubles in GB. My feeling is 8" scope - Mak Cas or Mak Newt (or an Apo!!!) should be doable. Prefer a 10" Mak Cass to give a greater chance. A friend has seen the Pup in an 12" Mewlon. Also I know of a reliable observation using a quality (1/10 wave mirror) 18" Dob. In essence I feel a quality scope with a small secondary and preferably no spider vanes will give the greatest chance in the GB climate. Component F - transparent and steady nights (so rare in GB) , able to pick it up in an 8" Mak Cass. Also on a good night lovely to be able to pick it up in my 20" Dob that I use to have. I feel the last year has been one of the worst we have had in 15 years for poor skies - high humidity and unsteady skies - splitting tight doubles has frequently been a waste of time. Mike

Hi guys, Seeing the Pup. There are often claims of seeing the Pup but most will be mistaken. A well known visual observer has seen it just 3 times in his observing life (40 yrs of observing with quality kit) and then only when the separation is at its maximum, with Sirius at or near the Meridian, under very steady skies (rare in GB) and in very transparent skies (also rare in GB) - in dark-ish skies (that is Naked eye mag 5.7 stars visible). I have looked myself on suitable nights using a scope that is ideal for splitting doubles - never seen it, although on one occasion two of us agreed that there was a definite pin prick of light right on the edge of the glare but once we checked the PA we knew that we were mistaken. So if you ever think you have seen it, doubt yourself - check sep and PA. Have fun and live in hope of spotting the Pup. Mike