Deep Sky Report - 15 Jan 12

[m_j_lyons]

Not sure how this is going to turn out...

using a Deep Sky Planner 5 observation report in HTML cut/paste.

Big first night out in the dark with my new 10" scope!

Object               Common Name               Cross Ref         Date/Time             Location                                     Loc Method    Transparency     Seeing   Pickering  Bortle  Instrument                     Eyepiece                   Barlow/Cmp              Notes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

M 1                  Crab nebula               NGC 1952          01/14/2012 8:48 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Found it after starting at zeta Tau and going NE through the "two lines of stars" to the Mag 8.7 opposite the Mag 7.0.  Then between and N.  BAM!  There it was very obvious.  Appeared as a fuzzy oval slightly oriented NW-SE.  No details possible...didn't try increasing the magnification beyond the 10mm.  A nice sight...but not overwhelming - not that I expected it to be.                                                                                           

M 101                Pinwheel galaxy           NGC 5457          01/14/2012 9:57 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Found star hopping over from Mizar reliving the days of searching for the M101 supernova.  M101 was there...but WOW was it diffuse and dim.  The very faint glowing central area of M101 was visible just away from the mag 9 star I always used to jump to the SN.  Absolutely no structure possible here.  THe SN appears to have gone also.                                                                                                                                  

M 108                                          NGC 3556          01/14/2012 9:45 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Tried DSC but had to go manual star hopping down from Merak.  Worked fine and M108 stood out nicely at 25mm and was a little less impressive at 10mm.  Cigar shaped - enough said there.  Faint but visible.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

M 110                                          NGC 205           01/14/2012 9:06 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Just out of frame with M31/32 - M110 was a fuzzy cloud to the left of the larger galaxy in the telescope.  A very fat oval of cloudiness.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

M 31                 Andromeda galaxy          NGC 224           01/14/2012 9:02 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    The Andromeda galaxy was big and bright...right at the edge of naked eye limits.  Easily found in viewer and 25mm - moved to 10mm and the galactic core filled was big running roughly N-S in the eyepiece.  M32 was a fuzzy clump to the W (right in the scope) and M110 was not in the view.  A pretty view ... but almost oo large for the 10mm.                                                                                                                             

M 32                                           NGC 221           01/14/2012 9:05 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Found along side M31 - a large fuzzy ball ... very obvious in 10mm.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

M 33                 Triangulum galaxy         NGC 598           01/14/2012 9:09 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    The Triangulum Galaxy was invisible in the finder scope...but appeared like a ghost in the 25mm.  Moving to the 10mm I could ALMOST make out some very faint structure.  I could discern the core as being brighter and the overall appearance was one of clumpiness....which most likely equates to the arms.  The longer I observed the more I got the impression that more detail was just out of focus...or needed more scope.  A long exposure image would do magic also.  

M 35                                           NGC 2168          01/14/2012 9:20 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Used DSC just to test it out.  M35 was easy in the sighter scope.  Magnificant in the 25mm and nice in the 10mm.  The depth of stars was great.  I find focus on a cluster this large (or the MIlky Way to be tough becuase there is true depth there).  With the 25mm eyepiece I could just make out the tighter/smaller cluster NGC 2158 off to the side.  I sighted it in with the 10mm.  A pretty cluster.                                                                  

M 37                                           NGC 2099          01/14/2012 9:35 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Cluster visible through finder.  Nice at 25mm...impressive at 10mm - lots of stars - best view I've had of it.  Nice tight cluster of stars...lots and lots of stars.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

M 38                                           NGC 1912          01/14/2012 9:36 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Not as pretty with 10mm as with 25mm - moving around a bit it was easy to find NGC 1907                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

M 42                 Orion nebula              NGC 1976          01/14/2012 8:40 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Wow.  The sight of the Orion Nebula was absolutely stunning with the new scope and the 10mm eyepiece.  The detail was truely breathtaking.  The Trapesium was easily visible and split cleanly.  The ridge of gas to the W the Trapesium was so bright and distinct...there was really the impression of depth there.  The gas ridge extended al the way down to NGC1980!  Such a view.  M43 stood out also..but can't hold a candle to her huge neighbor.                      

M 43                                           NGC 1982          01/14/2012 8:41 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Wow.  The sight of the Orion Nebula was absolutely stunning with the new scope and the 10mm eyepiece.  The detail was truely breathtaking.  The Trapesium was easily visible and split cleanly.  The ridge of gas to the W the Trapesium was so bright and distinct...there was really the impression of depth there.  The gas ridge extended al the way down to NGC1980!  Such a view.  M43 stood out also..but can't hold a candle to her huge neighbor.                      

M 46                                           NGC 2437          01/14/2012 10:21 PM   Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Pretty view of M46...and the planetary nebula was clearly visible in the 10mm eyepiece.  (time was off on this one...not sure of the order at this point)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

M 51                 Whirlpool galaxy          NGC 5194          01/14/2012 10:10 PM   Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Tried to use DSC but the scope was driting too much to the north so i star hopped over from Alkaid via the 'normal path'.  M51 stands out nicely in the scope with two fuzzy areas just about connected with NGC 5195 (smaller part) showing on top.  No structure possible.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

M 77                 Cetus A                   NGC 1068          01/14/2012 9:40 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    M77 not visible through finder scope at all but found pretty quickly with 25mm...then onto 10mm.  The galaxy was a fuzzy elongated sphere...very slight elongation N/S along the mag 10.8 star to the side (right in the scope view).  No structure visible...but the core seemed large.                                                                                                                                                                                        

M 97                 Owl nebula                NGC 3587          01/14/2012 9:47 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Star hopped over from M108 - pretty easy with this scope.  Jumping mag 10-11 stars just works!  The nebula popped out in the eyepiece.  Appearance was clumpy and uneven.  Couldn't really tell where any gaps were but it was clearly not an evenly distribution of light.  Faint nebula was pretty easy tonight!                                                                                                                                                              

NGC 1907                                       H 39-7            01/14/2012 9:38 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Found spilling off M38 - a pretty little cluster - lots of stars present.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

NGC 1907                                       H 39-7            01/14/2012 9:39 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Found this between M38 and M36 - first saw the fuzziness of the cluster with 25mm then brought on the 10mm.  the cluster core showed nebulosity pretty clearly but not overly far from the central 'star'.  No other part of the nebula really showed through.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

NGC 1973             Running Man nebula        Ced 55            01/14/2012 8:45 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Pulled the scope up to the Running Man after M42/43/NGC1980.  The normal bright stars were clearly visible and faint nebulosity was present around them...but more obvious was where the nebulosity WASN'T...or the dark channels that make up the running man.  First made it out around NGC1973 (by the head).  After that channel was visible (but not really obvious) I could just make out the wedge of gas that forms the leg split...but just barely.  Best view yet of the Running Man!

NGC 1977             Running Man nebula        Ced 55            01/14/2012 8:45 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Nothing more to add.

NGC 1980                                       Ced 55            01/14/2012 8:43 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        6          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Found along side M42/43 ... NGC 1980 appeared as an overly fat puffy star - the nebulosity extended about a pinky's width.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

NGC 2158                                       H 17-6            01/14/2012 9:24 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Found along side M35 - first with the 25mm eyepiece but then in the 10mm eyepiece.  Focus was critical as the distance was not the same as M35 and it was pretty faint.  The shape was almost of a trapesoid with the fat end towards M35.  Many, many stars visible...                                                                                                                                                                                                         

NGC 2244                                       C 50              01/14/2012 9:32 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Nice open cluster of stars forming a rectangle of stars - nebulosity not really present...maybe just a few hints of it in places...but when going away from the heart of the cluster you got the impression that you were leaving some larger structure...l think this was the dust clouds surrounding the cluster - the nebulosity that while not visible was still blocking some light.                                                                                       

NGC 2261             Hubble's Variable nebula  C 46              01/14/2012 9:30 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  Manual        7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Fairly bright cone shaped nebula SE of the Cone Nebula - wasn't sure if this was associated or not - finally found it using SIMBAD.  Pretty little object.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

NGC 2264             Christmas Tree cluster    Ced 84            01/14/2012 9:30 PM    Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Cluster was visible with stars only - not impressive without the nebulosity visible.  Can't beat a deep exposure.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

NGC 2438                                       H 39-4            01/14/2012 10:25 PM   Waltz Road - Dark Sky observing location #1  DSC           7                8        7          3       Orion SkyQuest XT10i           Plossi 10mm                None                    Found with M46 - PN was just a circle of dim light...no central hole...and no attempt to up the magnification.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

26 observations found tonight!!

[Double Kick Drum]

Nice report and a bumper night's viewing!

[DazC]

Well done mj that is an awesome nights viewing.

Keep it up.

D.C

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Really nice list. Huge collection for one night. I should also check out the PN in M46, but trees got in the way so far. NGC 2022 is a nice PN in Orion (near the head). Well worth a shot.

[m_j_lyons]

NGC2022 - I'll have to put that on the todo list. Looks nice...like a brain in a HST image.