A Feast of Coma and Uma Galaxies: 12" Newt 22nd February 2023

[Captain Scarlet]

Notwithstanding my recent acquisition of a 5.5” refractor and my frustrations trying and failing to get the latest firmware on my Nexus DSC to work with my AZ-EQ6, with clear sky in prospect I decided nonetheless yesterday to use my 300mm Orion/Helmerichs Newt and the Nexus to try to take advantage of the last properly dark Moon-down night this Lunar cycle. I am worried that the whole Orion season will pass me by this year without a proper 12” session on it. The new frac can wait until the Moon is up.

As it happened, I still didn’t get my Orion session in, for a couple of reasons, but I did have a mammoth tour of 20-30 mostly faint galaxies in Ursa Major and Coma Berenices, almost all of them new sightings, for me.

Early evening, whilst still light around 6pm I hoiked all my stuff out around the back to the one place reasonably sheltered from the howling gusting NNE wind. Wind which was supposed to become more acceptable later on, but at that time it was strong, and cold. My new wheelbarrow makes the equipment-trip around the house so much easier though. 2-3 trips instead of 6-7: the wheelbarrow can take the 3x5kg counterweights, AZ-EQ6 head, 255mm Rings, battery, collimation kit, bags of cables and knick-knacks all in one go. Nice when setting up, GODSEND when packing away at 0130.

I couldn’t help noticing the 8.5% Moon sitting beautifully between Jupiter and Venus, so I had to quickly set up my DSLR and take the picture:

That sheltered place meant I only had a view from East to South, and a bit higher up to the West. I had wanted to spend some time in Orion early on, but by the time I’d sorted out various problems, Orion was behind a hedge. I fear a proper full-darkness Orion session might have passed me by this year. Perhaps next Lunar cycle might provide one.

As I was having dinner, after setting up, I noticed a huge black mass approaching from the North. Wind suddenly picked right up and rain battered the windows. I pretended it wasn’t happening hoping it would pass quickly and that the mount and scope were sheltered enough to survive a short squall. They did: by the time I got out again everything was dry and good.

Anyway, the problems: mount alignment was a nightmare, but I was half-expecting it. The latest firmware versions for the Nexus DSC do not play well with the GOTO on the AZ-EQ6. I thought I finally had it working during testing during the afternoon, but for insurance I’d loaded a previous firmware version on a USB stick and stuck that in my pocket. In the event during the session, after about ten attempts to get the mount to either align or work properly, I downgraded the firmware “in the field”. After that it behaved perfectly, but Orion had gone. Oh well, Leo, Coma B and Ursa Major would have to suffice instead.

The night turned into a feast of galaxies. I was using the Nexus “Tour” function to start with an object I knew in a given area, and it returns all objects within selected catalogues within a certain angular distance. I made it 7 degrees radius. I’ve related what I saw more as a list rather than a narrative – there were just too many!

Leo Triplet: M65, M66, NGC 3628 – of course these need no introduction. At 183x I had to look at them individually.

In Ursa Major (I had no idea there were so many bright galaxies in this region):
M109 – not appreciably in a different brightness league from many of those that follow, but somehow it gets a Messier label whereas the others do not. Dimmer than I was expecting.

And others in the so-called Ursa Major M109 Group: NGC 4102 mag 11.2; NGC 3982 mag 12.0 pure face-on therefore dimmer than mag 12 would suggest; NGC 3998 mag 12 lenticular; NGC 4026 mag 10.7 edge-on Lenticular; NGC 4088 mag 11 spiral; NGC 3756 mag 12 spiral which Wikipedia says does not exist, but also lists it in the M109 group; NGC 3922/24 two names for the same galaxy apparently, mag 13.5; NGC 3893 mag 10 face-on spiral. I stopped at this point as I was on the top step of my 2-step ladder, and only selecting targets that allowed for lower altitude!

I wanted to have a more systematic look down the Markarian Chain of galaxies in Coma Berenices than the last time I was able, 2-3 years ago. The Nexus unit allowed me to do this perfectly. I started at M84, a bright giant mag 9 lenticular, and first of all panned East noticing lots of brightish blobs all over the place. Returning to M84, I used the Nexus Tour feature again. I noted NGC 4387, a mag 10 lenticular nearby; NGC 4388 a mag 11 nearly edge-on spiral; M86, the bright mag 9 elliptical, NGC 4425, a mag 11.8 lenticular; NGCs 4435 & 4438, a pair known as “The Eyes” a striking even pair at mag 10. Aka Arp 120 (my first Arp!); NGC 4431, a 12.9 lenticular, near to NGC 4440, also seen, mag 12.7; I moved along a bit to M88, a mag 9.6 spiral, magnificent in proper photos. I finished off the region with M91, a mag 10 face-on (therefore quite dim to eye) spiral. Next time I’ll do all the local Messiers (no shortage) from M85 down to M60, around 14 Messier galaxies in all!

All the above I observed using my Delos 10, giving me 183x. I must say that the GOTO, after  my troubles, was spot on each time. Very impressive at such magnification.

I fancied a wider-field view by now, so I switched to the Nagler 31 - 59x and 1.4 degree field - and panned across the local area without referring. Just a lovely view, galaxies all over the place.

I went back to Ursa Major and had a look at M51. Lots of detail, spiral just tantalizingly visible with direct vision, a sight of which I never tire. I went to M101 which as expected was easily noticed and much brighter than when I collect it in binoculars. I would have gone for M81/82 as well, but they were almost at zenith, and even with my steps I wouldn’t quite have reached the eyepiece! I need better steps.

I could see by now that M45, Pleiades was visible over my house to the West, so I thought, let’s have a go at deciding once and for all whether I could see nebulosity. There was NO dew, the top of the OTA was quite dry, extremely unusually. As soon as I slewed to Alcyone, there was mistiness! That decided it, I was looking at nebulosity, and to confirm I used @Nyctimene’s test: one side of Ally’s Braid vs the other. Sure enough, one side of the line of stars was distinctly fuzzy, the other black as pitch. I was very pleased.

As a final hurrah, I made yet another attempt at IC342 / Caldwell 5 / The Hidden Galaxy. A mag 9 face-on, it’s reputedly (actually) very difficult to see. Especially through a tree! Which was the case tonight. Although said tree (Sycamore, the tree-weed) had no leaves yet, I maintained my 100% record with IC342 – NOT SEEN.

So, a lot of galaxies. I was expecting it to be just one fuzzy blob after another: tick, tick, tick. But, dark-adapted, they all had noticeable shapes and it was in fact interesting, much more than just the thought of far big and how far. In the end, it was the noting them down on my phone that drove me to finish. My right-hand fingers got very cold in the 4 degrees and wind, and simply unscrewing eyepiece-holding screws was a challenge at 1am.

Once again, thanks for enduring Astronomy War and Peace vol 997

Cheers, Magnus

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by Captain Scarlet
added the bit about M45 nebulosity

[jetstream]

Excellent report Magnus!

That 10mm Delos is THE eyepiece to use in that application IMHO. Nice galaxy haul!

[globular]

🤩

[Epick Crom]

Thanks for the enjoyable read Magnus. 

What a galactic haul ! 👍

[Kon]

Excellent report and galaxy season seems to be on!

[josefk]

Really enjoyed that vicariously here through your descriptions. Thanks. 

[wookie1965]

Wow

[Mr Spock]

Good report and a nice selection of targets. There are so many bright galaxies it makes you wonder if Messier just gave up!

[Mark at Beaufort]

A great report and so many galaxies to enjoy. Brilliant.

[Froeng]

Thanks for the enjoyable report Magnus!

May I ask what focal length your Newtonian is?

Thanks

Frank

[Captain Scarlet]

7 minutes ago, Froeng said:

Thanks for the enjoyable report Magnus!

May I ask what focal length your Newtonian is?

Thanks

Frank

The mirror is Orion Optics 1590mm FL, which goes up to around 1830mm with the Paracorr2, ie ends up as f/6.2.

[jetstream]

2 hours ago, Froeng said:

Thanks for the enjoyable report Magnus!

May I ask what focal length your Newtonian is?

Thanks

Frank

Magnus knows what hes doing- the PCII at 1830mm increases the image scale while still giving vg eye illumination and with top eyepieces for the job ie Delos.

The difference between this set up and my un PCII 15" f4.8  would be small IMHO, on galaxies.

[Sunshine]

A great read! that first image is just super!

[mdstuart]

Very enjoyable report and read.

I can relate to the steps limit point!

I must get some new steps with different heights!

Mark