A globular and two aquarius gaalxies

[mdstuart]

Finally a dark clear night...

Started with M76 which I had not looked at for a while...nice planetary nebular...

So eyes adjusted and I went to M31 and then on to G76. A globular in M31 at mag 14.2. Its easy to find as it sits in a pattern of stars that looks like Cassiopeia. It needed averted vision to spot tonight. I could see the mag 13.8 field star nearby with direct vision.

After that success I thought I would continue with my target galaxy list and try two lo down ones in Aquarius. Both are just over the fence at a alt of 20 degrees. Well tonight the transparency was good I picked them both out relatively painlessly.

First NGC 7302. A small elliptical in between a pair of field stars in my 12mm eyepiece. Then on to NGC 7371. This was reminiscent of a faint M94. Circular in shape, a nice core. Right next to mag 13.5 star which in the pics of this one is a double but I could only see the brightest of the stars.

Very pleased to be out viewing galaxies again in my new dob.

Mark

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice catches. Makes me dream of bigger scopes.