ABEL 2063 / IC 1116 and others in SERPENS

[mdstuart]

Lovely clear night last night so went out again hopping around..sketching...etc.

After looking at a long list of targets I went for IC 1116 after reading about it in my observing faint objects book. Its a large elliptical galaxy that is an outlying member of ABEL 2063. This is a Hercules super cluster (see link below) about 470 million light years away. In fact IC 1116 is the second most distant galaxy I have observed based on its redshift of 11495KM/s. 

http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/superc/her.html

Here is how IC 1116 looks in a photo:

I could see 12 of the stars in this view and IC 1116 relatively easily with averted vision but I could not see the other galaxies in this image. 

I did try NGC 5919/20 also in the A2063 group but failed, maybe I might get them when they rise a bit higher in the sky. The imagers out there and those of you with the fancy video gismo imager stuff might like to try the NGC 5919 area as it is clogged full with galaxies that are beyond my 16 inch visually from home.

Still loving the 16 inch and its recoated mirrors...The main mirror now has a slight dust coating even though its covered at all times...the secondary still looks like new although I have bumped the end with the plastic cover I made for it so it has three very small chips  ....(I now have made a larger cover!)

Clear skies

Mark

[FenlandPaul]

Sounds like quite a challenge, Mark.  "Only" 40 more to go until a significant milestone!!

[mdstuart]

Yes Paul..

Nearly at 1000.. I have a list of 371 still to look for which should be very easy in the 16 inch but I suspect it will be relatively possible to go beyond 1500 if I can keep going!

Mark

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Superb work. I have just hit 500, but you have surged ahead with that big scope. Great stuff