A quick tour of Leo

[Moonshane]

I have been itching to have a decent session with no moon and clear skies for ages. Typically, the best night in a long time arrives on a Sunday night and Mother's Day to boot. I was banned earlier but managed a few hours between 8-9pm when my wife and pup were at the dog training session and after 10.30pm when Julie had retired for the night.

My first target currently is always Mars and tonight was no exception. Using my 16" dob masked to 6.7", the image held well even with my 6-3mm Nagler at the 6mm setting so 306x although I personally preferred it at around 240x as there was a little more regular sharpness. The image in this thread http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-planetary/181048-mars-march-18th.html shows and confirms the features I could see.

I decided to have a look at Leo early in the evening but wanted to wait for this constellation to reach higher in the sky which suited me and the Mars observing also.

I had a brief look about observing some familiar targets including M81 and M82, M51 and NGC5195, M44, M42 and M43, before moving onto Leo.

The easiest galaxies to find in Leo to my eyes are M65 and M66 and I started with these. With even my 12" scopes, I had never previously managed to see the triplet, including NGC3628 from home and therefore wanted to try this. With my 26mm Nagler, the long slim and quite faint galaxy was quite obvious especially with averted vision. I imagine at a dark site this, and all the targets tonight, would be much improved.

From here, I moved over to another bright non Messier galaxu, NGC2903 which was easily seen with direct vision.

The next target was the M95, M96 and M105 'trio' which showed very well and quite clearly with direct vision. I initially found M105 and noted there were two really bright spots in the field. They were really quite close too. This was confirmed as M105 plus NGC3384, like a pair of eyes in the gloom. Another bonus was seeing Mars along with M95 and M96 in the same field of view!

The next stop was NGC3607 between Chertan and Zosma. This was a big surprise as within the field of view and with averted vision were a total of three galaxies, being NGC3607, NGC3605 and NGC3599!

One galaxy I overlooked was NGC3521 but I'll get this next time.

After this Leo tour I wad a brief look at a few other things before packing up. I spotted Hercules rising and M13 and M92 were great to see again after what seems like an age. I finally managed to get what I think was a glimpse of M101 in Ursa Major. I am not 100% convinced though and hope to get this from a dark site eventually.

Just was I was packing up I spotted Saturn just above the trees. I picked up my other scope for the night (my 6" f11 dob on a tracking equatorial platform) in one and moved it a few yards down the garden to a position where I could see. I spent about half an hour soaking up the beautifully open rings, clearly defined Cassini division and dark 'cap' and bands, great! Looking forward to this climbing a bit.

If you have not seen Saturn at all or yet this year, it forms a large

triangle with Mars top right, Arcturus top left and Saturn at the bottom.

This was a great night's observing of some fine targets and a few new NGC galaxies in particular being quite rewarding.

[Double Kick Drum]

Great write up.

How Charles Messier missed NGC 2903 I do not know. Schoolboy error!

I don't think my scope is capable of NGC 3599 and NGC 3605, unless I have perfect skies. However, I was surprised you didn't see NGC 3608 which is nearer to the brightest member of the quartet than NGC 3599 and brighter than the other two.

NGC 3521 is the only major Leo galaxy (by my definition) that I have missed too. Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to have a go before it is too late!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice haul! BTW, would that NGC 3605 (mag 13.0) be 3608 (mag 11)? Under very good conditions I managed to nab 3605 with an 8" scope, so it should well be in range of your 16", but if you spotted the NGC 3605, 3607 (mag 10), and 3599 (mag 11.9), then 3608 should be visible as well. I had the four in one FOV last year (40mm Paragon in C8).

[Moonshane]

Cheers guys, you may be right. I was only using my copy of 'An Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders' which is good but does not have the fine tuning ability of the S&T pocket Atlas. I'll check all of these next time again now I have found them once, as they should be easier next time.

[swamp thing]

Good stuff Shane, nice report.

Gotta love touring round Leo with your big Dob.

Looking forward to having a bash at it myself this year haven't had a chance to get at it yet.

Have a try for the dwarf Galaxy Leo1 near regulus if you get to a dark site. That's a challenge.

Regards Steve

[Moonshane]

cheers Steve

Having looked a bit deeper, with the S&T book, I clearly need to have a better look with that book. There are masses of galaxies in this area of the sky - I really must get to a dark site!