Barnard's Galaxy NGC6822 - Caldwell 57

[Mark at Beaufort]

Last night was very clear and transparent so I continued with my observations of the Herschel 400 list. However, with Sagittarius and Capricornus both nicely placed and clear I decided to try and view Barnard's galaxy.

It easy to find its location by starting with Algedi and Dabih and moving west to star 61, then 54 and 55 in Sagittarius. Once there you can find the Little Gem NGC6818 a very nice PN.

I tried for sometime to see Barnard's Galaxy with my 10" Dob switching between the 26mm Nagler and the 13mm Ethos but no success. I crossed reference the star field using my recently acquired StellaVue 80mm finderscope so I knew I had the correct position.

My question has anyone detected this small galaxy visually and with what sized scope.?

I won't give up just yet but it would help if I knew that it is within reach of my 10".

Mark

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

It was discovered with a 6" refractor, so a 10" dob is plenty. It is magnitude 9.3 galaxy of a good 15' across, so it will have a fairly low surface brightness. I got IC 342 (Caldwell 5) which is mag 9.1 at about 21' across, but it was hard in the star field, and could be mistaken for a nebula with open cluster. Given that NGC6822 has a higher surface brightness it should be easier, but the low altitude makes it very difficult. I will try when next the skies clear.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Thank you Michael that is very helpful information. So if you don't first succeed try, try, again.

Its interesting that you mention IC 342 this is also one of the few Caldwell objects, visible from the UK, that I have not seen. I assume you grabbed this DSO with your 8" SCT?

Mark

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Thank you Michael that is very helpful information. So if you don't first succeed try, try, again.

Its interesting that you mention IC 342 this is also one of the few Caldwell objects, visible from the UK, that I have not seen. I assume you grabbed this DSO with your 8" SCT?

Mark

Yes, but only from a dark site (twice), and with averted vision. Best view was using a 22mm Nagler (93x magnification) for my C8.

[JimStan]

"It was discovered with a 6" refractor, so a 10" dob is plenty. It is magnitude 9.3 galaxy of a good 15' across, so it will have a fairly low surface brightness. . . . "

Sure enough, but you have to remember that in the "good olde dayse", there was MUCH LESS light pollution to be concerned with, and the contrast between a 9.3 galaxy and the surrounding sky might have been significantly greater then, than it is now days.

Light pollution is an international problem, certainly one that we suffer from here on the Eastern coast of the U.S. Considering your generally humid and less than ideal sky conditions, I cannot imagine that you have any less of a problem than we do.

I have achieved the Astronomical League's Messier Club award several years ago, but since that time, I have found many of the objects to be almost impossible to see with the same scopes that plainly revealed them to me back then!

Good luck! Jim S.

[JohnnyD333]

Jim,

We do get a lot of light pollution over here in on the East Coast, but I couldnt imagine having only a few hours of darkness in the summer time. I give anyone in Europe credit for working around it and getting good results.

[Sam]

Mark,

Yes I observed it three nights ago in my 16" Lightbridge. You do need dark skies for this object at it's surface brightness is spread across a wide distance. I could observe it directly without needing averted vision or anything like that.

Sam

[mdstuart]

Mark

I must try it. I have need NGC 6819 and 6824 but not 6822!

Might be difficult given how high it is in the sky for me. I really notice a drop off at lower altitudes from my location.

Mark

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

"It was discovered with a 6" refractor, so a 10" dob is plenty. It is magnitude 9.3 galaxy of a good 15' across, so it will have a fairly low surface brightness. . . . "

Sure enough, but you have to remember that in the "good olde dayse", there was MUCH LESS light pollution to be concerned with, and the contrast between a 9.3 galaxy and the surrounding sky might have been significantly greater then, than it is now days.

Light pollution is an international problem, certainly one that we suffer from here on the Eastern coast of the U.S. Considering your generally humid and less than ideal sky conditions, I cannot imagine that you have any less of a problem than we do.

I have achieved the Astronomical League's Messier Club award several years ago, but since that time, I have found many of the objects to be almost impossible to see with the same scopes that plainly revealed them to me back then!

Good luck! Jim S.

LP is a problem, no doubt, but I have seen IC 342 (which is similar in surface brightness, and also in the band of the Milky Way) from the Netherlands with a C8. Here in the North it is darker, but so that helps a lot. They say next week will be a bit clearer, so I will give it a go. Low altitude is of course an added problem, but when I got IC 342 it was not that high either, and NGC 6822 has a somewhat higher surface brightness.

[alaskacam]

It is very faint... I tried taking a photo last night. After 4 x 20 minute subs, this is what I got with my 6" refractor. I have some light pollution, but not bad. Based on the faintness in a 80 minute stack I would guess that it is very tricky visually, especially with any amount of light pollution. Good luck...

[Mark at Beaufort]

Thanks everyone for your ongoing advice including a photo to use as a cross reference. Welcome Jim to SGL from your home on the eastern coast of United States.

I am fortunate that my east/west horizon looks towards the dark skies of Wales so LP is not too bad in that direction.

I need to pick a night when the skies are clear to the horizon. I can see to about -32 Dec so its only Messier 7 (viewed in Spain) that I cannot see from my location.

I accept that it is going to take averted vision to see this one.

Cheers everyone.

Mark