A couple of big galaxies and diffuse nebula

[StarSapling]

Headed down south to observe a couple of large galaxies:

12/8/2015 - Oracle, Arizona - seeing good - trans fair - obs. Fair

20x80 Binoculars on P-Mount

Sculptor:

NGC253 - Sculptor Galaxy - Large, bright, highly elongated oval patch of nebulosity - long axis oriented roughly east/west - a pair of field stars just south of the west side - bright oval core area extending into an oval halo - with averted vision, definite dark mottling could be detected in the core and halo regions - it appeared that the light dropped off more abruptly on the southern side, almost gave the impression of a dark band running parallel to the core - occasional glimpses of could have been a stellar nucleus, but was probably a very faint field star superimposed over the core area.

When I returned to the bins, after recording the above notes, what I thought was another galaxy, less than three degrees south/southeast of NGC253, had drifted into the field of view.  Both NGC253 and this unknown galaxy could be fit into the same field of view.  The basic chart I was using at the bins did not show this object.  Later reference to my Skyatlas charts indicated that this object was NGC288, a globular cluster.

The following is what I recorded observing when I thought this object was a galaxy:

NGC288 - Gal.(actually a G.C.) - Large, brightish round nebulosity - slightly smaller and dimmer than NGC253 - with averted vision, I could make out a core/halo structure - there were hints of dark mottling along the boundry of the core and halo.

Cetus:

NGC247 - Gal. - Just entering the light dome of Tucson to my south - Large, barely detectable with averted vision, highly elongated oval patch of nebulosity - long axis oriented roughly north/south - field star on the southern end - hints of a very slight brightening towards center

Then I headed north to look at a couple of diffuse nebula:

Perseus:

IC499 - California Nebula - Large, barely detectable (best detected by jiggling the bins about) arc of nebulosity northwest of Xi - south side seemed somewhat more well defined than the north side - My 20x80 bins are really the only instrument I own with which I can detect this nebula.

IC348 - Neb. - Faint, roundish patch of nebulosity surrounding Omicron and a pair of nearby field stars to the south of Omicron - much more easy to detect than IC499.

[laudropb]

Very nice report. You had a very productive session.

[Piero]

Terrific report, particularly thinking about the location where you observed those targets! 

Also, viewing with 20x80 binoculars on a parallelogram mount should be very relaxing  

Thanks for sharing, 

Piero