April 15 to 19, 2012 at Ft. Davis

NELM 7.0 to 7.8 variable as sky glow due to higher than normal solar activity

Seeing 3/5 to 4/5

Transparency 4/5

Telescope: 48” f/4.0 reflector

Eyepieces:  10 and 6mm ZAO-II, 10mm Delos, 8mm TMB Supermonocentric

Images are from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Note:  My observing notes are pretty short as my intent in re-observing them is to view them again in a far larger scope then during my original set of observation with my 22" and 30" reflectors.

Arp 243 – NGC 4509 in Cancer

08 38 24.1  +25 45 15  2.4x0.7’  14.0b

48” (488x) - Very nice integral signed galaxy with a very bright 3:2 elongated core.  The east arm is slightly brighter than the west arm.  The east arm is faint and fairly diffuse and held 100% of the time with averted vision.  About 1’ long.  The west arm is slightly straighter than the other arm.  The west arm stretches about 0.8’ long.  A faint round glow appears just south of the core.

Arp 24 - NGC 3445 and MCG+10-16-24 in Ursa Major

10 54 35.1  +56 59 16  1.6x1.4’  12.9

1.0x0.3’  15.7

48” (488x) - NGC 3445 - A bright mottled low surface brightness glow with diffuse edges.  The primary intent for this object with the 48” is to see if I can observe the connector to MCG+10-16-24, which I did as a very faint connector which goes about 1/3 of the way to the MCG.  MCG+10-16-24 – Faint 3:1 elongated diffuse even surface brightness glow.  PA = 90 degrees and 0.4’ long.  MAC1054+5700 – Very faint 2:1 even surface brightness glow with a bright round very compact core.  PA = 60 and 0.2’ long.  A blazing mag 10.0 star lies 2.1’ NE.

Arp 151 – MCG+9-19-73 in Ursa Major

11 25 35.2  +54 23 15  1.1x0.3’  16.6

48” (488x) – MCG+9-19-73 - A thin glow with three knots, the southern knot is by far the brightest 3:2 elongated knot.  The middle one is a second brightest knot and is nearly stellar.  The last, NW knot is the dimmest and is stellar.  Each knot is about 20-25” apart.  0.8’ long and PA = 150 degrees.  MAC 1125+5423, located 2’ due west is a 2:1 bright elongated glow with somewhat diffuse edges and a much brighter round core.  PA = 90 and 0.2’ long.  A blazing mag 8.7 star lies just 1’ north of Arp 151.

Arp 270  NGC 3395 and 3396 Leo Minor

10 49 50.1  +32 58 58  1.8x1.6’  12.0v,  4.2x1.4’  12.6p

48” (488x) – Two very mottled glows with quite a few large knots and brighter centers.  A couple knots detected in the connecting arm.

Arp 97  MCG+5-29-11 and MCG+5-29-10 in Ursa Major

12 05 44.7  +31 03 17  1.4x0.5’  15.3, 1.6x0.5’  15.7

48” (488x) - Very cool coat hanger looking group of galaxies.  The hook off MCG+5-29-11 is considerably faint, but obvious.  It hooks to the west side hooking to the south.  It is brighter than the connecting streamer to MCG +5-29-10, which lies 2.4’ due north.  The two mentioned galaxies group forms a coat hanger with MCG+5-29-12, despite that there are no bridges to MCG+5-29-12.  Very cool object in the 48”

Arp 148  MCG+7-23-19 and MAC 1103+4050 in Ursa Major

11 03 53.9  +40 51 00  0.5x0.3’  15.4, 0.4x0.3’  16.5

48” (488 and 610x) - The penetrator is a 3:1 elongated fairly high surface brightness glow with defined edges.  The interesting feature is that it has 3 bright knots along the middle.  The ring galaxy is considerably faint and even surface brightness with defined edges.

Arp 57  MCG+3-34-12 in Coma Berenices

13 16 47.3  +14 25 40  0.9x0.6’  14.8

48” (488x) - MCG+3-34-12 easily shows the spiral structure with the north arm sharply bends more than the south arm.  The south arm is connected to the companion galaxy at the tip and doesn’t bend nearly as sharply as the north arm.  The galaxy is about 0.5’ due south of the core of MCG+3-34-12.  MCG+3-34-13 is a bright round diffuse glow and lies 1.3’ SE of MCG+3-34-12.

Arp 149 IC 803, MAC 1239+1635B/C/D in Coma Berenices

12 39 37.6  +16 35 18  0.5x0.2’  15.9, 0.2x0.1’  17.5, 0.3x0.2’  16.5, 0.2x0.1’  17.0

48” (488 and 610x) - The east component (consisting of IC 803, MAC 1239+1635B, D)  is a 4:1 elongated glow with three knots.  The middle one is the brightest knot.  The lone galaxy, NAC 1239+1635C, lies 25” due west of the middle knot and is a very bright stellar core with a diffuse halo.  0’2 across. We didn’t see the extension to the SW.

Arp 274 NGC 5679B/A in Virgo

14 35 08.8  +05 21 32  1.1x0.7’  13.8

1.3x0.6’  14.5

48” (488 and 610x) - The original goal of observing this object with the 48” is to fish out the attached companion that lies about 40” SE from the center of NGC 5679B.  The companion is a considerably faint very small round glow.