NGC 4449 Canes Venatici

[cotterless45]

A super evening, no dew , light breeze declining and a black sky after the waxing Moon had set. Had a visit tothe CnV galaxies.

NGC 4631, 4656/57, C29. Draco and UMa were clear of the neighbours house and packed full of bright galaxies. I had a note of something I'd seen last year;

NGC 4449 (C21) well worth seeking out and spending a little time resolving. At x160 the bright core and V shape to the base could be seen. It looked like a rectangular globular cluster with so many points of resolvable stars.

Before the midnight high cloud rolled in we had a good view of the small globular cluster NGC 4147 in Coma Bernices.

I put the ota away in the shed and heard a " look at that !" From LeeB, he'd seen a long fireball trail in the east breaking into 4 in the east, neat

Nick.

[Double Kick Drum]

Some of my favourite objects there.

NGC 4631, the Whale galaxy is more rewarding that most of the galaxies on the Messier list.

I've never managed any detail in NGC 4449 but it is the best irregular galaxy I have seen.

I struggled with NGC 4656 / 7, the Hockey Stick galaxy and could only see the area of galactic interaction which was condensed but reasonably bright.

I did keep checking the sky last night but it didn't clear quite enough to warrant getting up in the wee small hours.

Clear skies!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report! Some of my favourite galaxies in there. NGC 4449 is an odd one. It has quite good surface brightness for an irregular, and somehow reminds me of a much smaller edition of the SMC.

[mdstuart]

Yes this galaxy is special.

I was out as well but it was not as good as last week.

I spotted NGC2339 and 2342 in Gemini and the went for some UMA ones NGC 3652 3657 and 3658.

All small and feint. 2339 was a night large circular patch..I guessed from the view that it was a face on spiral which was correct when I checked online.

Regards

Mark

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