Galaxy Pairs in Leo

10 February 2019, 20:15 – 23:15

Conditions: Cold, but not freezing; light wind. Some interference from the crescent moon, but the transparency improved considerably once it got out of the way. Only meant to stay out for 90 minutes, but it turned into something of a marathon session.


Began with a low-power sweep across Auriga, stumbled upon M37: rich, lovely cluster. 50x really shows the cluster in context of its surroundings, at the expense of the fainter stars.

Then revisited some old favourites to test a new Astronomik OIII filter:
M42, Orion Nebula: western section greatly filled in. View similar to Ultrablock, but even more contrast between nebula and surrounding sky.
M1, Crab Nebula: OIII made it bigger; the edges seemed “crisper” and more defined, but as always, the Crab is one of those telescopic objects where expectation far exceeds reality.
Rosette Nebula: nebulosity more evenly distributed around cluster, more expansive.
Eskimo Nebula: very bright in OIII, overwhelming the central star.
M97, Owl Nebula: The OIII really benefits this planetary nebula, transforming it into a bright disc with sharper edges. Averted vision brings out the two dark cavities (the Owl’s “eyes”). Faint star adjacent to nebula. Otherwise there’s not much to choose between this (the OIII) and the Ultrablock, but still a huge improvement on the unfiltered view.

NGC 2022, planetary nebula in Orion
Small annulus of light, seemed to have brighter patches on opposite sides. Compared to previous observation, the OIII filter made it look even more like a mini M57.

NGC 2420, open cluster in Gemini
Rich, condensed mixture of directly resolved stars and underlying haze that resolves with averted vision. Brighter stars form a rough outline resembling a three-legged spiral or a propeller with swept-back blades.

NGC 2371-2, planetary nebula in Gemini
Small, elongated, bi-lobed nebula, like two tiny comets travelling in opposite directions. One lobe appeared slightly brighter than the other, with suggestion of a condensed core.

NGC 2683, galaxy in Lynx
Bright, lens-shaped galaxy. Suggestion of mottling around core and dark lane to north.

NGC 2775, galaxy in Cancer
Not as bright as 2683, but rounder, more face-on than previous galaxy. Averted vision shows stellar nucleus.

M67, open cluster in Cancer
Rich, fully resolved at 133x, though would probably look better at lower magnification to provide context.

M41, open cluster in Canis Major
Quick look: rich, sprawling cluster, bright stars forming curved lines. Unfortunately hampered by low altitude (-20 degrees declination) and local light pollution.

NGC 2903, galaxy in Leo
Large and bright as non-Messier galaxies go. Extended envelope surrounding bright core, with suggestion of at least one spiral arm. Slightly ragged appearance – arms not tightly wound, so in that sense intermediate between M81 and M33.

M95, M96, M105, NGC 3384, NGC 3412 and NGC 3377, galaxies in Leo
This was a pleasant surprise after the trouble I had picking out faint galaxies last autumn. A casual sweep of the area revealed six bright galaxies all within a few degrees of each other. M105 and NGC 3384 formed a close pair; M95 and M96 a wider pair. Initial impressions: all six galaxies showed condensed star-like cores and faint outer envelopes, with individual variations in size, brightness and roundness. M95 and M96 looked like they might show more detail with prolonged observation.

NGC 3190 and NGC 3193, galaxies in Leo
The atlas showed this pair positioned halfway between two naked-eye stars in the head of the lion – Gamma and Zeta Leonis (Algieba and Adhafera), so I knew I wouldn’t have to waste too much time sweeping the area. As it turned out, they showed up really well in the XT10. Smaller and fainter than previous set, but a pleasingly contrasting pair of galaxies in a star-rich fov. One circular, other edge-on, like mini version of M81 and M82.

NGC 3226 and NGC 3227, galaxies in Leo
As before, another easy star-hop from Gamma Leonis (Algieba). Slightly fainter than previous pair. Very close pair of galaxies, arranged end to end, long axes aligned. Condensed cores.

M65 and M66, galaxies in Leo
Larger, brighter than the M95/M96 pair, but the outer regions have lower surface brightness. Averted vision suggested brightness variations around the nuclei.

NGC 3628, galaxy, Leo
Third member of the Leo Triplet: faint bar of light perpendicular to M65/M66 pair. No central condensation; possible distortion/hook at one end? This galaxy (and the previous pair) was still fairly low down when I observed it – with higher altitude I might be able to see the dark lane.

M51 & NGC 5195, Whirlpool Galaxy in Canes Venatici
In a night of highlights, this was the undoubted stand-out. After staring at M51 for a couple of minutes I realised I could see the spiral arms quite clearly, defined by the dark space separating them. One arm curling out from core region around a foreground star. A magnificent sight at 133x, even though it was still some way from the zenith. With averted vision it started to look like a ghostly monochrome photo. A sketch might be in order.

M101, spiral galaxy in Ursa Major
Faint, hard to find (again). Hint of spiral structure, but my eyes were starting to feel tired by now.

M82, cigar galaxy in Ursa Major
Extended streak of light tapering to points at either end. High surface brightness, lots of detail in the form of bright condensations and dark dust lanes and notches. Best edge-on galaxy by far. Again, another sketch might be in order.

M81, spiral galaxy in Ursa Major
Bright core, extensive outer region. Possible dark patches near nucleus, but my eyes were getting really tired now, so time to call it a night.

Nature note 
Two frogs mating in the pond. I guess it’s never too early…

Orion in Forty Minutes

30 January 2019, 19:00 – 19:40

One of those frustrating nights where you collimate the mirror, extricate a spider (a real spider, not the structure that holds the secondary mirror in place) and its web, take the scope outside, let it cool down, and then – just as you’re ready to begin observing – the clouds start rolling in. That said, I did manage to see a few new targets through the ever-narrowing gaps, although the observations were brief and my eyes weren’t fully dark-adapted.

All observations with the Nagler 9mm (now established as my eyepiece of choice for this scope).


NGC 2169, open cluster in Orion
A small, condensed grouping of bright stars. Not particularly rich, but visually pleasing – worth a longer look under more favourable conditions. Begs the question: at what point does a multiple star system become a cluster?

NGC 2022, planetary nebula in Orion
Appeared as a small faint annulus at 133x, like a diminished version of M57. Suggestion of brightness variations – Ultrablock and/or higher magnification should give an improved view.

NGC 1999, reflection nebula in Orion
Small patch of nebulosity roughly south of M42. (I noticed this on the uncropped frames of my December image and thought it might be bright enough to detect visually.) The central condensation looked stellar, but I suspect that higher magnification may prove otherwise. Suggestion of dark patch/hole with averted vision. I wonder how many other DSOs are neglected because of their proximity to the Great Nebula?

Rigel (Beta Orionis)
Close double, easy split at 133x even though the companion coincided with one of the diffraction spikes. Cloud starting to interfere, but used this as an opportunity to fine-tune the alignment on the EZ Finder.

NGC 1788, reflection nebula in Orion
Very faint patch of light north of Beta Eri. Faint star at centre? Literally had less than two minutes to look at this before the clouds finally put an end to the session.

Winter Nebulae

28 January 2019, 19:15 – 21:15

The first clear, moon-free night in over a month. Cold, but not bitter. Light wind. Good transparency. Scope seemed to take longer to reach ambient temperature; best views were at 133x (9mm Nagler).

M45, Pleiades, Taurus
Viewing at 50x (24mm Panoptic); Merope nebula easier to see now I’ve got my bearings: visible as a misty patch fanning out from Merope to the south, framed by dark “lanes” on either side. The nebulosity in the Pleiades is much easier to see when you know which stars aren’t involved in it, such as the distinctive line of stars trailing from Alcyone.

NGC 2024, Flame Nebula in Orion
Tough to see because of the glare from Alnitak. Better contrast at 133x, but more condensed at 50x. IC 434 (the glow behind the Horsehead) was only suggested at best, but NGC 2023 clearly visible as a small patch of light surrounding a star, swelling with averted vision.

M78, reflection nebula in Orion
Twin stars immersed in a cloud, like headlights shining through fog. Some mottled structure apparent with averted vision, sharp cut-off on northern side – NGC 2071 visible on the other side of this dark gap: smaller and fainter than M78, no structure visible.

M42, Great Nebula in Orion
Breathtaking spectacle; can appreciate it even more now I’ve photographed it (above). 133x gave the best view for contrast and detail even though it was too big for a single fov. Intricate detail seen with direct and averted vision, including nebulosity within the “fish-mouth” area. The dark lane between M42 and M43 contrasts nicely with the fainter nebulosity beyond the Huygens region, illustrating that the nebula is much more extensive than its initial bird-like appearance implies. Brighter arc seen on opposite side of cavity, corresponding with sculpted section seen in photos.

Trapezium stars E and (to a lesser extent) F were oddly easier to see at 133x than 240x (clearly not a night for high-power viewing).

The southern wing of the nebula was remarkable: long and irregular but with well defined edges, like a ribbon of light. The adjacent part of the nebula was not the same colour as the ribbon, but hard to say what exactly other than “not green”. Maybe the slightest hint of violet, but it was right on the limit of perception.

The Ultrablock significantly filled out the northern half of the nebula and made the Huygens region seem more boxy, sharper-edged, but otherwise not that much improvement (not a criticism of the filter; just that M42 is bright enough not to need it.)

M43, emission nebula in Orion
Comma-shaped haze surrounding single star. Dark lane visible with averted vision.

Also quick looks at NGC 1981 open cluster and the Running Man Nebula, the latter’s gauzy appearance clearly more akin to the Merope nebula than M42. Averted vision suggested a “bite” taken out of the southern edge.

NGC 2174-5, open cluster + emission nebula, Orion
Obvious and surprisingly large patch of light, somewhat elongated. Nebulosity seemed concentrated around central star, but no obvious cluster, at least not at low magnification.

NGC 2392, Eskimo Nebula, Gemini
Lovely winter planetary. Small, but immediately obvious fuzzy star at 50x. Nearby star helps confirm its nature. Central star visible at 133x. Averted vision showed two concentric rings of material. Seemed more blue-green than typical grey-green, but difference is subtle; certainly nowhere near as blue as the Snowball in Andromeda. Ultrablock filter improved contrast but not really required for such a bright nebula.

NGC 2264, Christmas Tree Cluster, Monoceros
Very pretty (and “right” way up for a change). Very bright blue star at “base” – seemed to be surrounded by haze, but hard to tell if it was genuine nebulosity. No obvious sign of the Cone Nebula, but while sweeping south I soon arrived at…

NGC 2261, Hubble’s Variable Nebula, Monoceros
Small and bright (but obvious even at 50x) fan-shaped nebula. 133x showed bright condensation at apex, but I think it would take a still higher power to show significant detail.

NGC 2237-9 (Rosette Nebula), surrounding open cluster NGC 2244 in Monoceros
Took a while to find – the lack of bright stars in Monoceros (not to mention the ever-present lure of Orion) make it a challenge to navigate via star-hopping. Appearance: Boxy cluster surrounded by large, diffuse nebula – too large for fov even at 50x. Brighter arc on northern side. Potential photographic target for TV60.

While sweeping across Monoceros I stumbled upon what I later identified as NGC 2301 – a distinctive rich cluster, well worth a return visit (if I can find it again).

Quick looks (cold, condensation and tiredness starting to play a part):

M97 (Owl Nebula), planetary nebula in Ursa Major
Large and faint (the opposite of the Eskimo). The Ultrablock dramatically improved the view. Hint of dark cavities (the owl's eyes).

M108, galaxy in Ursa Major
Faint sliver of light, with field star imposed over centre. Another potential photo target (pairing with Owl Nebula).

M81, M82, galaxies in Ursa Major
Not as impressive as previous observations – a sign it was time to pack up for the night.

Comet 46P/Wirtanen and M42

9 December 2018

A night of imaging Comet Wirtanen and M42 with the TV60.

Conditions: surprisingly mild, and a good dark sky. Opportunities like this are few and far between at this time of year, so on this occasion I left the XT10 indoors to make sure I could give polar alignment, BackyardEOS etc. my full attention. Though I did have time to scan the Milky Way with the 7x50 binoculars once the imaging session was up and running.

Comet 46P/Wirtanen was faintly visible to the naked eye and appeared as a little fuzzball through binoculars, like a defocused globular cluster, or a diminished version of Comet Holmes during its famous outburst. Not the most exciting comet admittedly, but the first naked-eye one I’ve seen in quite a while.

I saw five meteors, four of which were Geminids. I also saw several winking and flaring objects east of Orion’s belt – presumably geostationary satellites (another one also photobombed a few of my M42 light frames).