Extending galaxies..

[mdstuart]

I was observing the edge on galaxy NGC 4617 tonight in my big dob. It is a mag 14 object in Canes Venatici. Here is an image.

 

It was hard to spot requiring averted vision. 

What struck me was that it grew at both ends as I applied averted vision. As I looked at it directly it was clearly an edge on galaxy but as I looked to the side of it with averted vision it grew at both ends.

So find an edge on galaxy and see if you can get it to grow and shrink by applying averted vision. It is the galaxy equivalent of blinking a planetary nebula!

Mark

[mdstuart]

I also observed Arp224 last night. In the image below I could only see the mag 13.6 star, ngc 3921 and ngc 3916 but I was pleased with that 😀. 

[Mark at Beaufort]

Enjoyable report Mark. I have become quite frustrated not been able to use the 12" Dob because of constant cloud cover.

[Paz]

I had that same thing last night - where an extended object grows and shrinks as you go between averted and direct vision!

[oldfruit]

Nice report, Its really satisfying when you bag a really faint galaxy. Interesting observation re averted vision. Will have to hunt this one out.