Bit of a mixed bag

[Jiggy 67]

Last night finally cleared at around 10pm. My plan was to hunt some galaxies around the Markarian Chain region, maybe tick off some Messier objects I haven't observed for a while or even bag some new ones.........however, galaxies and I have a love/hate relationship...i love them and they hate me, I think they are scared of me, they always hide whenever I am out!!....they are my nemesis, probably as a result of the heavily light polluted skies I endure. As a result I tend to take any excuse to avoid them and I happened to come across an observing plan from a few nights ago which I wasn't able to complete due to cloud so I started on that at around 10pm with the 8 inch reflector. Seeing was reasonable and the moon was no-where to be seen.

I started with Epsilon Hydrae, a white star with a much smaller, perhaps 1/5 size, pale blue and very faint, very close (almost touching) companion at 4 o’clock. 4.5mm (x222 mag). I went on to Kappa Leonis, a bright white/orange star with a much fainter pale blue star easily separated with 17.5mm (x57 mag) at 7 o’clock. B star approx 1/5 size of A.

Next was my only galaxy of the night....grrrrrr.....M49. It was visible as a faint stellar object at 17.5mm (x57 mag) and likewise through all focal lengths with and without light pollution filter. At 6.5mm (x153 mag) and 4.5mm (x222 mag) appears as a blurry ill defined star, the bright core of the galaxy. Light pollution filter reveals what appears as nebulosity around the core. No detail visible at any focal length.

One of the highlights of the night was M3, a globular cluster with a lot to say. Globs are probably one of my favourite objects to observe and M3 never disappoints, Huge glob at 6.5mm (x153 mag). Beautiful and stunning! Numerous stars resolved and the glob takes up 50% of the field of view. Really nice at 17.5mm (x57 mag) as well where it appears as a large cloud.

Onto Alkalurops (Mu1 Bootis), Lovely triple star. Consists of a large white primary with a wide separation to a faint small star at 1 o’clock. Easily separated with 17.5mm (x57 mag).
6.5mm (x153 mag) and 4.5mm (x222 mag) show the secondary to be a close binary with two evenly matched small stars, one on top of the other. Very close seperation. And then Izar (Epsilon Bootis). Easily split with 17.5mm (x57 mag). Large bright white star with a much smaller and fainter blue star at 4 o’clock.

Xi Bootis was next, and another highlight of the night. Lovely double star. White primary with 1/2 size pink/auburn secondary very close with 4.5mm (x222 mag) at 8 o’clock
Very nice. Not far away is Pi1 Bootis, A beautiful pair of white stars, close separation, best at 9mm (x111 mag). Secondary approx 1/5 size of primary at 2 o’clock. Lovely binary system.

I had a go at Zeta Bootis and I started a separate thread on this one. If I say that this binary are currently separated by a distance similar to that of the distance from Mars to the Sun.......enough said.

I finished the night with M5, bizarrely a glob I have never observed before, or if I have, I have never recorded it. It was visible as a large cloud like structure with 12.5mm (x80 mag) but no resolvable stars. Unfortunately I had to cut this short due to clouds rolling in. It was now 1.30am and I had had a great night......but with only one galaxy!!

[Zermelo]

Nice report. There are some great doubles in Bootes.

[Epick Crom]

Nice report Jiggy. Galaxies are a challenge for me too, however I got M 87 and M 104 over the weekend. Both beautiful!

[wookie1965]

Yes its that time of year for Bootes double and triple stars although I still have a list for Leo, Coma Bernice's and Canes Venetici waiting to go.