Eclectic EAA session

[AKB]

Monday, Nov 1, was an observing session for the local (Abingdon) astro club.  We're still doing this via Zoom, and I for one could not be happier with this approach.  It allows multiple locations – almost essential with the UK weather – and there's almost always someone with something to see.  Jocular is, undoubtedly, the weapon of choice for these sessions.

I have recently acquired (secondhand, from here) a different mount (Mesu e200) which has allowed me to put together a dual scope system and save the not inconsiderable trouble of swapping between them.  I have a 5" APO and a 9.25 SCT on there at the moment, but apart from balancing, hadn't done some essential stuff like align both scopes with the guide scope, or collimate the Hyperstar that I use on the SCT for EAA.  Equally rashly, I'd had to change the electronic focuser since the previous one was tied to the other mount electronics, so hadn't had much time to practise with that.  Also, I couldn't find the power cable for my Atik-460EX mono camera, so used, instead, the trusty (but smaller, and USB-powered) Ultrastar.

OK, excuses over, we had a great session, between all the different contributors.  My targets included:

• NGC 891, edge-on spiral in Andromeda
• NGC 1023, the Perseus Lenticular galaxy
• NGC 1514, planetary nebula in Taurus
• Messier 33
• Messier 45
• Comet 29P

My collimation and focusing issues were such that, although they gave passable results on the night, I'm too embarassed to share that night's shots, but, wonder of wonders, the weather for a few nights after has also been kind to us, so I've sorted that out, revisted the above, and also added:

• NGC 1169, galaxy in Perseus
• NGC 7479 in Pegasus
• NGC 1055, galaxy in Cetus
• Messier 34
• ARP 113, peculiar galaxy in Andromeda
• IC 405, Flaming Star nebula in Aurega
• Messier 76, plantary nebula in Perseus

I'll post some of the more worthy targets in their relevant sub-forums shortly, but just put here a crowd-pleaser from the Zoom session, which also demonstrates that my collimation on the Hyperstar is not yet quite perfect (nor the diffraction from the camera cable.)  Nonetheless, it does show some good nebulosity in just 12 x 30 second exposures.

Tony

[RobertI]

Great to see EAA working so well - that’s a good haul you have there. Your hyperstar results are superb - the perfect setup for wide field EAA.  Please do post some of your other images, we EAA’ers don’t care about such things as coma and out of focus stars! 😉

[AKB]

2 hours ago, RobertI said:

Please do post some of your other images, we EAA’ers don’t care about such things as coma and out of focus stars!

Well, since you ask...

• NGC 1055 – two shots here, one zoomed in, the other widefield to show M77, since together they are a binary system.  Discovered by Willam Herschel, it look somewhat lop-sided, allegedly because one of its spiral arms occludes the upper part of the central bulge.
• NGC 7479 – Another of WH's discoveries, this is a Seyfert galaxy (having strong emission line spectra from its nucleus.)
• NGC 1169 – barred spiral, and yet another WH discovery
• NGC 925 – (The Amatha galaxy) a barred spiral, and  a member of the NGC 1023 group.

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by AKB

[RobertI]

2 hours ago, AKB said:

Well, since you ask...

• NGC 1055 – two shots here, one zoomed in, the other widefield to show M77, since together they are a binary system.  Discovered by Willam Herschel, it look somewhat lop-sided, allegedly because one of its spiral arms occludes the upper part of the central bulge.
• NGC 7479 – Another of WH's discoveries, this is a Seyfert galaxy (having strong emission line spectra from its nucleus.)
• NGC 1169 – barred spiral, and yet another WH discovery
• NGC 925 – (The Amatha galaxy) a barred spiral, and  a member of the NGC 1023 group.

 

 

 

These are great, a very interesting selection nicely captured, thanks for posting. I shall go away and do some research on Seyfert galaxies now - I know about them but never really looked into in detail, you've piqued my interest.

[Mike JW]

I have enjoyed seeing your results and info. Some detail in them.

Mike

[Martin Meredith]

Glad you had a good club session. Some fascinating targets here. Aesthetically I particularly like NGC 1169 as I have a soft spot for galaxies in the midst of a rich star field.

Martin

[AKB]

 

12 hours ago, Martin Meredith said:

I particularly like NGC 1169 as I have a soft spot for galaxies in the midst of a rich star field.

...speaking of which, do you have any idea what the fuzzy at about 4 o-clock near the edge of this capture might be?

Plate solving with the catalogues that I have loaded does not label it...

 

 

I can't find it in Pretty Deep Maps, either...

 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by AKB

[Mike JW]

WISEA J030220.32+461751.4  I think.

Mike

[AKB]

50 minutes ago, Mike JW said:

WISEA J030220.32+461751.4  I think.

Mike

Oh, thanks.  Does that mean I'm missing a catalogue in Jocular, or something?

How did you do that?

[Mike JW]

Hi Tony,

I have Aladin downloaded onto my laptop. Called up NGC 1169, then I have to get Aladin to download object info for the area...No catalogues missing from Jocular.

Mike

[AKB]

9 minutes ago, Mike JW said:

I have Aladin downloaded onto my laptop.

Oooh.  Useful.  Just given that a try.

I'm thinking:

2MASX J03022035+4617511

just from the look of it...

http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=2MASX+J03022035%2B4617511&

 

[Mike JW]

I think the two names refer to the same galaxy.  I put the 2MASX name into Aladin and it came up with the same galaxy - all good fun.

Mike

[AKB]

Here's one target on the original list that I forgot to post...

...actually three edge-on (or nearly so) galaxies in Andromeda:

• NGC 891
• NGC 898
• PGC2192261

 

 

[Mike JW]

Hi Tony, that is a cracking shot and to get three edge on (well nearly edge on) is a dream for me. I normally have to pick them off one at a time. 891 was always a favourite visually with the 20" Dob. Great to see the lumpiness of the dust lane and the way it bends at each end. It seems to me that you have found a set up that is superb for EEVA - wide fov, pinpoint stars and detail in the object of interest - the perfect set up possibly both with scope/hyperstar and the ultrastar - rather envious.

Looking forward to more posts.

Mike

[Martin Meredith]

Agreed, what a wonderfully wide field you're getting with that setup.

BTW I obviously need to take more account of the galaxy orientation when deciding on label placement (in case you're wondering why the NGC 891 label is so far off).

Martin