Date:  June 8, 2013

Location: Blue Canyon at 5200 feet

NELM: 6.2 – 6.5  (zenith)

Transparency: 3/5

Seeing: 3/5

Telescope: 22” f/4.0 reflector sitting on a Crossbow EQT-200 equatorial platform

Eyepieces:  24mm Panoptic (finder eyepiece), 10 and 6mm ZAO-II’s, 12, 8 and 6mm Delos and TMB 1.8x ED barlow

I decided to start working through some of the VV objects in my newly released guide.  Click on the "Downloadable Observing Guides" link on the left to access the guide.

All object parameters in parenthesis are listed in RA and Dec without commas.

Images are from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey - DR8.

VV 213  (16 04 35.3  +17 43 09)  GPair

22” f/4 (287 and 383x) –   double galaxy.  Both are faint to very faint even surface brightness glows with defined edges.  VV 213a is slightly brighter than VV 213b. 

VV 213a is 0.2 across while its companion, VV 213b, is 0.1’ across.  They are 0.3’ apart, aligned NE-SW. 

Nearby galaxy, IC 1170, is a very faint 2:1 elongated even surface brightness glow.  PA = 90 and 0.2’ long. 

VV 156  (16 00 14.7  +18 22 32)  GPair

22” f/4 (383x) – Extremely faint very small diffuse glow.  Held 50% of the time with averted vision.  Nearby galaxy, MCG+3-41-21 is slightly brighter and also very small round glow.  1.3’ WNW from VV 156.  Three mag 9 to 10 star lies within 5’ from VV 156 rendering a bit difficult with a wide field eyepiece.  Employing my 6mm ZAO-II orthoscopic eyepiece made it a lot easier to see it as all three mentioned stars are off the field.

VV 90  (16 02 08.2  +15 41 38)  GPair

22” f/4 (287, 383 and 690x) – double galaxy easily split.  0.3’ apart. 

The NW member, VV 90a, is considerably faint small round glow.  Even surface brightness with slightly diffuse edge.  0.2’ across.

The SE member, VV 90b, is considerably faint (same surface brightness as IC 1165A), round very small glow.  0.1’ across.

VV 91  (16 02 02.4  +15 40 43)  GPair

22” f/4 (287, 383 and 690x) – Only one member, VV 91a, was detected as a very faint small round glow.  0.1’ across.  VV 91 lies 1.1 NNE from VV 90.

VV 92  (16 02 08.7  +15 42 39)  GPair

22” f/4 (287, 383 and 690x) – only one member, VV 92a, was seen as a very faint very small round glow.  0.1’ across.  VV 92 lies 1.9’ SW from VV 90.

VV 214  (16 06 18.2  +15 40 29)  GPair

22” f/4 (287, 383 and 690x) – not detected at all even at 690x.

VV 215  (16 06 25.7  +15 41 23)  GPair

22” f/4 (287 and 383x) –

VV 215a is a considerably faint small round glow with diffuse edges.  0.4’ across.

VV 215b is a faint slightly elongated glow with diffuse edges.  0.3 x 0.2’  PA = 90.  Slightly fainter than VV 215a.  Lies 0.5’ north of VV 215a.   

Nearby galaxy, 2MASX J16062053+1540471, is a very faint very small glow with a stellar core.  0.1’ across.  Lies 1.3’ WSW from VV 215a.

VV 327  (16 06 05.1  +20 47 13)  GTrpl

22” f/4 (287 and 383x) –

VV 327a is a very faint small 2:1 elongated diffuse glow.  Slightly brighter center.  0.6’ long and PA = 165.

VV 327b is a very faint small 3:1 elongated even surface brightness glow.  PA = 45 and 0.6’ long.  A mag 16 star lies 0.5’ NW.  Another mag 16 star lies 0.3 due south from the center of VV 327b.

VV 192  (16 15 34.8  +19 27 27)  GPair

22” f/4 (287 and 383x) – Both members are considerably bright round glows with defined edges.  Both have brighter round centers and 0.2’ across.  About 0.7’ apart.

VV 129  (16 18 06.3  +21 33 39)  GGroup

22” f/4 (287 and 383x) – only three of the five members was detected.  I didn’t try 690x, so this is an “observe again” object. 

VV 129a is a very faint small round diffuse glow.  0.2’ across. 

VV 129c is extremely faint very small round glow.  Lies 0.5’ due north of VV 129a.  0.1’ across.

VV 129e is also extremely faint small round glow.  1.0’ ENE from VV 129a.  0.1’ across.

The other two members were not seen.