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Mirach's ghost?


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I was having a look at it the other night in my 10" and it stands out quite well in that, quite an impressive sight alongside Mirach. It's very well placed at the moment, almost directly overhead, so you certainly have a chance with your 6".

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It's a nice galaxy :icon_biggrin:

I've seen it with my ED120 refractor. Nice and easy with my 12" dob. I've tried showing it at outreach events. Some folks can see it but some can't. I expect they mistake it for an optical artifact !

My usual naked eye limit is around 5.5 so I'ms sure it's within the grasp of a 6" scope.

 

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NGC404 is not a difficult object; the "ghost" nickname came about because the relative proximity to Mirach led to the galaxy being omitted from some of the star atlases used by amateurs in former decades - it was easy but unmarked. There are many targets made obscure by neighbouring stars. For a serious challenge there's the "Ghost of Zosma" (NGC 3588) - tricky in a 12-inch. But perhaps the ultimate challenge is the "Ghost of Alnilam" (NGC 1990) - which is non-existent, despite being in the second Herschel 400 list. A true ghost!

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Easy to see in my 8" f/4 Hofheim traveldob in moderate skies (NELM 5.6). As Ben the Ignorant says above, it is important to keep Mirach just out of view. I'm using my "non-observing" eye to get to the right spot, then change over to my preferred observing eye to avoid a slight loss of dark adaption. To me, it shows best in an eyepiece with few glass elements, e.g. Plössl or orthoscopic.

Stephan

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