Leo Triplet

[russ]

hehe managed a first yesterday morning. Something i've not done in 25 years of observing......to see the Leo Triplet visually.

Had no problem framing M65 & M66 in the same field but was surprised how much i had to move the eyepiece to see NGC3628. I wonder if this is why i've never seen it? That and Leo has never been in good part of my sky.

Really surprised how bright M65/66 were considering how low Leo was and the fact it was positioned directly over the town centre and all it's LP.

So chuffed. Combine that with seeing dark streaks on Venus and it's been a good day.

Russ

[Doc]

:hello1: Russ.

Was that in your dob? Have yet to see these so fingers crossed.

[davo]

Top man! :hello1:

I've always wondered if "the third galaxy" can be seen visually. So it can be done!

Can't wait to have a go myself.

Dave

[russ]

Hi Mick, yes it was with the 12.5. First time i'd seen them with that aperture. Quite a difference from the 8" last year.

Dave, definitely possible. But 3628 is faint and i had no chance with the dust lane. The Neodymium helped finding it, the view was noticeably better with that filter. The Neodymium works wonders with my LP. But i think you need a really good sky to start picking out detail. Perhaps those with 16" LB's will have more luck.

Regards

Russ

[lunator]

Russ

Good catch

I have only managed the 2 brighter galaxies visually in my 8" Newt.

I hope to have a crack at the them with the OMC soon. I do have a Neodymium filte so may give them a try

Cheers

Ian

[Andrew*]

Perhaps those with 16" LB's will have more luck.

I'll do my best, Russ. Definitely on the agenda for when Leo gets up at sociable hours.

Well done that, man. Never managed no. 3 with the 8".

Andrew

[russ]

It's not really Leo season but i couldn't resist. Look forward to hearing how it appears in the LB16 and OMC.

cheers

Russ

[Talitha]

Well done, Russ! I wonder if you would have seen the third galaxy in the past if you'd have moved the scope a bit.. my guess is 'probably'.

Thankfully my sky is pretty dark, so seeing 3628 has never been a problem with the 8"SCT (much better averted), but I've never detected any details. The SCT's an f/10 which means all three galaxies won't fit in the fov at once, but they will fit if the f/6.3 focal reducer is used . I'll give it a try in a few months "when Leo gets up at sociable hours" (good way to put it, Andrew ).

[stefski]

Nice one rus . This is a really hard target visually in light polluted skies!

I managed 3628 in my old 8" Europa about a year ago. Just about got all three in the same fov. It was barely visible with averted vision, against an orange background. No detail at all, just a faint elongated smudge. Still, it was very exciting at the time .....I'll be going back to this one again I think!

Stef

[Astroman]

Just happened to observe Ngc 3628 in the 20" New Year's Eve, (actually, well into New Year's Day). Got all three in the 40mm EP, with tons of detail in M65 & 66, and a faint smudge across 3628. The 8.8mm SWA showed oodles of structure, but not the entire galaxy. The most pleasing view was in the 19mm SWA. Lovely! i like the way it's perpendicular to the nearly parallel M65 & 66. It was a great target at Grand Canyon last year, too. (The triplet, that is.)

[russ]

Hi Stef,

Yes it is incredibly faint, even in the 12.5. I think i read that you need a good sky and an 18" to start picking out the detail. So Astroman you are one lucky person.....a 20" and Arizona skies....hmmm sounds awesome!

Russ

[scotastro]

With good skies the triplet is easy in a ST102 refractor at low power.

Mike

[russ]

Mike, that just goes to show what good skies can do for you. In LP skies the 12.5 can just about see it.