December 4, 2013: Of Clouds, a Comet, and Galaxies

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

This evening started quite clear, so I got out the bins before dinner and had a look at Lovejoy. It looked very nice in my 15x70 bins, a nice big coma and clear tail showing. Not quite Panstarrs class, but certainly a nice (and fairly unexpected) treat after all the fuss and disappointment surrounding ISON.

Later the skies cleared fully, and I set up the scope, just in time for another band of clouds . Packed everything in, went to a shop to get a birthday present for my youngest, and the skies cleared again .

Back home, I quickly put the bike in the garage, and set up the scope again. I decided to first confirm a few sightings from last session, as Aries and Triangulum were higher in the sky, and the faint objects I spotted last time should be easier.

NGC 672 was first, and showed up a bit more easily, although it was still quite a tricky one. I spent quite a while trying to pick up nearby NGC 680 and NGC 691, and after several attempts, I found two fuzzy patches of low surface brightness in the right positions. I went to and fro a couple of times, and each time the patches of fuzz showed up in the same place, so two new galaxies bagged.

I swung east to check out NGC 1156, and it too showed up exactly in the same spot I found it yesterday, so another confirmation. Back towards Aries, and on into Pisces, I had a go at M74, but I had to pause for clouds . I did pick it up quite easily in averted vision, looking like a persistent little round patch of cloud that refused to move with the wind.

Dropping nearly due south, I picked up NGC 660, an elongated faint patch, barely showing up in averted vision (after another band of cloud had been and gone). This is my 800th logged DSO (not counting variable and double stars I have observed in the past).

Finally, further south I managed to locate the position of NGC 676, and spotted a faint patch of fuzz , just as a band of cloud rolled in . I waited patiently for it to pass, and managed to confirm it quite clearly before the next big swathe of clouds rolled in.

Time to quit. Despite the hassles, I still managed to up the galaxy count to 405, and the total DSO count to 801

[dick_dangerous]

Dodging the cloud is fun, but it looks like you saw plenty in spite of it. Nice report!

DD

[Special K]

Hey Michael, that's a productive list, good job! How are you getting Lovejoy in the evening? Before it sets with Corona Borealis? I was going to get it this morning but it had clouded over too much. Perihelion will be interesting.

Your total counts are staggering. How long have you been in the hobby?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Hey Michael, that's a productive list, good job! How are you getting Lovejoy in the evening? Before it sets with Corona Borealis? I was going to get it this morning but it had clouded over too much. Perihelion will be interesting.

Your total counts are staggering. How long have you been in the hobby?

Thanks K, Lovejoy was very nice in our around Corona Borealis, even better than when I spotted it in the morning sessions a few weeks ago (Leo, Leo Minor and Ursa Major).

I have been in the hobby for 35 years or so, but I really got going once I started logging things more systematically a few years ago. My oldest logged objects date from 1978, but by 1980 I had only actually logged and sketched 37 DSOs. I had seen many more, I just made no notes. In 2010 (July 16 to be precise, not that long after joining SGL), I started logging stuff in earnest, in part to complete the Messier list, and to avoid looking up the same set of objects every year. At the end of 2010 I had a total of 82 objects logged, so a modest 45 objects were added. In 2011 things became really serious (in part because the Coma-Virgo region was scoured for object), and at the end I had 395 DSOs logged, or a massive 312 objects in a single year. A visit to Australia and Olly's place helped. The end of 2012 saw a total of 632 objects, 237 objects added. This year I have added 169 objects to reach 801 so far. 100 DSOs per inch of aperture so far

[Special K]

Excellent! Thanks Michael, that's very inspiring. Funny how this hobby/pursuit/call-it-what-you-will spurns one on to greater heights! The more we see the more it is appreciated and we just keep looking up for more.

I'm trying to get back to Lovejoy but never seeming to get the chance as I am considering it only a morning target and avent had the weather since end of Nov. Here's hoping, though!