Dark and transparent night: Brightening nova and fading supernovae

[John]

Pretty nice night here to have a 12 inch scope out

After getting some good views of the nova in Cassiopeia, v1405, which has definitely brightened and is about magnitude 7 I felt, I moved on to see if I could find the couple of "bright" supernovae that I have been observing lately in Virgo and Draco.

In Virgo we have SN 2021 hiz which resides within the faint galaxy IC 3322A. Last time I observed this one it was around magnitude 13 and I even managed to spot it with a mere 100mm refractor on the 17th April. This SN is fading now and I reckon is around magnitude 14 as of this evening. Somewhat harder to spot even with the 12 inch scope but once acquired it was just about visible with direct vision at 198x magnification.

In Draco there is SN 2021 hpr sitting in the outer regions of galaxy NGC 3147. A brighter host galaxy this one and quite easy to find. The SN though has never quite got as bright as 2021 hiz and tonight seems also to be gradually fading. I had to work hard and use high magnification (338x) and needed a combination of averted vision and the "1000 yard stare" to pick it out. It's currently estimated at magnitude 14.5 I think and it certainly seemed just as dim to me !. Magnitude 14.7 is the dimmest point source that I've managed to see so far with my 12 inch scope so this target was pushing things. Pleased to see it again though.

Probably the last views I will get of these distant, catastrophic supernovae, unless they flare up again. It's nice to have had 2 to observe at the same time for a while though. There is another SN currently shining at magnitude 12.9, SN 2021 jad in NGC 1964 but that is in Lepus which is well below my horizon here.

Phew !!! - I think I need to take in some easy stuff for a bit - plenty about with these nice skies

Hope others are having some fun as well

Edited May 6, 2021 by John

[John]

I've wrapped up for the night now but had some lovely "easy win" views of Messier 51 more or less at zenith with some subtle spiral structure showing and the Cats Eye nebula which I did think was showing a faint yellow / green tint but that might have been my mind playing tricks on me !.

I then the plugged in an 8mm eyepiece to gaze at the lovely globular cluster Messier 92 for a while at 199x, a real beauty in it's own right. Then switched to the hyper-wide 17mm eyepiece to take in one of my favourite spring deep sky views - a fully resolved globular cluster Messier 13 with the galaxy NGC 6207 sitting in the same 1 degree circle of sky. Messier 13 is far off at 22,000 light years away but NGC 6207 is a massive jump further again at 30 million light years. Great way to end a session  

Edited May 7, 2021 by John

[mdstuart]

Yes a lovely clear night. Just come in from a very enjoyable tour around. Ended with the starfish galaxy ngc 6240 in OPH.

I could pick up the three brightest stars above and the glow of the core of the galaxy with averted vision in my 20 inch. 

It was low down so I was able to look at it while sitting down.

Mark 

Edited May 7, 2021 by mdstuart

[Zermelo]

Yes, very transparent here too, about as good as it gets. Seeing was not as good, but the jet stream is quite active.
But three new Messiers, five new doubles. I too had a look at M51 and it's probably the best I've seen it (or am likely to, with a 6" from this location).
Also had another look at globular M3 in Canes Venatici.  Last time out it was a disappointing blob, but tonight there were many resolved stars at 150x.  M13 of course was better still. It looks like it might be the last clear one for a while.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Nice observing report guys. I had a 3 hour zoom meeting which ended just before 10pm. Too tired to take the scopes out so laid back in the recliner with the 15x70 binos. I did try to view M83 and found its exact location - thought I could see a glimmer but not totally convinced.