Weird and unusal targets - for new knowledge and challenges

[Rallemikken]

Last year I stumbled upon a "targets-todo-list" here, and it kept me occupied for many nights. It was a list over odd and rare targets that seldom or never is mentioned. Along the way I learned a lot, about imaging, physics, the astromoners behind  and life in general. With an 8" reflector and a Canon DSLR I was able to get decent images of all, but one.

"The Galactic Wanderer", NGC 2419, was one of those, with a few peculiarities and a story to back it up. It was a target I could spend time on between the clouds while I was waiting for true clear skies. As weeks went by, I did the whole list with a few exeptions due to latitude.

I'm starting my fourth season this autumn, and I'd like to broaden my horizon. Any suggestions? Hopefully something I can try with pretty basic equipment? I'm also looking for pure beauty, small patches of sky that stands out without any Messier or NGC- number ????

[DaveS]

If you're looking for slightly off the beaten track try imaging the Hickson Compact Groups. There are 100 of them but a lot are southern hemisphere targets. I have started my own project on them but lack of clear nights mean that I might be dead from old age before completing them.

[Rallemikken]

40 minutes ago, DaveS said:

Hickson Compact Groups

Spot on! Some are small and very faint, though....   Found some data here: https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/db-perl/W3Browse/w3table.pl?tablehead=name%3Dhcg&Action=More+Options  Have made a spreadsheet, will stitch it up in my obsy!! The biggest should be plain sailing, even with my 8" newt. Based on dec and angular size, at least 15 should be in reach. We'll see where the journey takes me!

[ollypenrice]

I think a lot of the potentially 'new objects' have been overlooked because they are too large to have been perceived as single structures.

Olly

[Rallemikken]

2 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

I think a lot of the potentially 'new objects' have been overlooked because they are too large to have been perceived as single structures.

Olly

Yes, and we can think a little more about composition; framing a bigger piece. I did a picture of Navi last winter, with the star a bit right and above of center. IC63 came in from underneath and left, and IC59 sideways on the same side a bit above. A gem! Far from my technically best image last winter, but it made it to top three and earned a frame in my living room. I like buzy regions around big stars with long spikes! Drama and beauty, but sometimes hard to handle......

Edited Tuesday at 22:16 by Rallemikken

[DaveS]

Hickson Compact Groups

From Wikipedia, a list of the Hickson Compact Groups with some SDSS images.

HCG 44 is the well known Leo Quartet, so it's a nice big an (Relatively) bright target, HCG 92 is the well known Stephan's Quintet, but small and rather faint, often imaged along with NGC 7331.