Posts Made By: Dave Mitsky

Greetings,

Here are my lists of deep-sky objects for this month.

Dave Mitsky

Fifty deep-sky objects for February: NGC 2146, NGC 2403 (Camelopardalis); M41, NGC 2345, NGC 2359, NGC 2360, NGC 2362, NGC 2367, NGC 2383 (Canis Major); M35, NGC 2129, NGC 2158, NGC 2266, NGC 2355, NGC 2371-72, NGC 2392, NGC 2420 (Gemini); NGC 2419 (Lynx); M50, NGC 2232, NGC 2237, NGC 2238, NGC 2244, NGC 2245, NGC 2251, NGC 2261, NGC 2264, NGC 2286, NGC 2301, NGC 2311, NGC 2324, NGC 2335, NGC 2345, NGC 2346, NGC 2353 (Monoceros); NGC 2169, NGC 2174, NGC 2194 (Orion); M46, M47, M93, Mel 71, NGC 2421, NGC 2423, NGC 2438, NGC 2439, NGC 2440, NGC 2467, NGC 2506, NGC 2509 (Puppis)

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for February: M35, M41, M46, M47, M50, M93, NGC 2244, NGC 2264, NGC 2301, NGC 2360

Top ten deep-sky objects for February: M35, M41, M46, M47, M50, M93, NGC 2261, NGC 2362, NGC 2392, NGC 2403

Challenge deep-sky object for February: IC 443 (Gemini)

The objects listed above are located between 6:00 and 8:00 hours of right ascension.

Greetings,

Here are my DSO lists for this month.

Dave Mitsky

Thirty-five deep-sky objects for March: M44, M67, NGC 2775 (Cancer); Abell 33, M48, NGC 2610, NGC 2642, NGC 2811, NGC 2835, NGC 2855, NGC 2935, NGC 2992, NGC 3052, NGC 3078 (Hydra); NGC 2903, NGC 2916, NGC 2964, NGC 2968, NGC 3020 (Leo); NGC 2859, NGC 3003, NGC 3021 (Leo Minor); NGC 2683 (Lynx); NGC 2567, NGC 2571 (Puppis); M81, M82, NGC 2639, NGC 2654, NGC 2681, NGC 2685, NGC 2742, NGC 2768, NGC 2787, NGC 2841, NGC 2880, NGC 2950, NGC 2976, NGC 2985 (Ursa Major)

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for March: M44, M48, M67, M81, M82, NGC 2571, NGC 2683, NGC 2841, NGC 2903, NGC 2976

Top ten deep-sky objects for March: M44, M48, M67, M81, M82, NGC 2654, NGC 2683, NGC 2835, NGC 2841, NGC 2903

Challenge deep-sky object for March: Abell 30 (Cancer)

The objects listed above are located between 8:00 and 10:00 hours of right ascension.

How about an observing report for a change?

I was at a "local" dark site on the Saturday night with three fellow CAS members. Since I had to drive my wife's small convertible, I took my 101mm Tele Vue refractor. The other telescopes present were a 15" Obsession, a heavily modified 16" Meade LightBridge, and a 22" SDM Dob.

Imagine our surprise when we discovered that the area surrounding our secondary observing site (the primary site at the summit was not accessible due to snow) on Peters Mountain had been clear-cut, leaving us exposed to the almost constant wind, which hadn't been mentioned in the forecasts, and light from the closest small town.

Nevertheless, we still had a good time observing numerous celestial objects, including three comets (C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring), 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, and 81P/Wild) and many springtime galaxies and galaxy groups such as M51, M101, M104, NGC 3613, NGC 3619, NGC 3982, NGC 3998, NGC 4565, NGC 4631, NGC 4762, NGC 5746, NGC 5907, the wonderful Draco Trio or Draco Group (NGC 5981, NGC 5982, and NGC 5985), Hickson 44, Hickson 56, Hickson 61, Hickson 68, and Markarian's Chain.

I spent some time with an old Tasco 7x35 binocular that my wife had purchased at the swap meet at Stellafane. My primary target was M51, which was easily visible in my refractor at low power (35mm Panoptic) and a Celestron Ultima 10x50 that I borrowed. After a concerted effort, I was able to detect M51 with the Tasco.

When the waning Moon began to climb into the eastern sky, we began to tear down our gear. As I slewed my telescope to Saturn for a final view, I asked whether anyone had taken a look at it. Soon the big Dobs were pointed that way too. Dione, Tethys, Rhea, and Titan were easily visible through the 15" and the 22". The fellow with the 16" noticed that the S0sp galaxy NGC 4179 was also visible near the edge of the field of view. The conjunction of a planet and a galaxy is always a noteworthy sight.

Dave Mitsky

There's a huge solar prominence currently visible on the Sun's leading limb. Here's an afocal shot that I took through a 8-24mm Tele Vue zoom eyepiece and a Coronado PST.

Dave Mitsky

Here's another afocal shot of the prominence that just keeps on going.

Dave Mitsky

The 2010 Cherry Springs Star Party will take place from June 10 to June 13. For further information, see http://www.astrohbg.org/CSSP/Information.html

Dave Mitsky

The Astronomical Society of Harrisburg's public observing session dates for 2010 are now available at http://www.astrohbg.org/ASH-e/Public_Observing.html

Dave Mitsky

British amateur astronomer Nick Howes remotely imaged the breakup of C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring) using one of the 2-meter Faulkes Telescopes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8579963.stm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1260049/Exploding-comet.html?ITO=1490

http://faulkes-telescope.com/news/2284

Dave Mitsky

Greetings,

Here are my DSO lists for this month.

Dave Mitsky

One hundred deep-sky objects for April: NGC 4024, NGC 4027 (Corvus); NGC 3511, NGC 3513, NGC 3672, NGC 3887, NGC 3892, NGC 3955, NGC 3962, NGC 3981 (Crater); NGC 3091, NGC 3109, NGC 3145, NGC 3203, NGC 3242, NGC 3309, NGC 3585, NGC 3621, NGC 3717, NGC 3904, NGC 3936 (Hydra); M65, M66, M95, M96, M105, NGC 3098, NGC 3162, NGC 3177, NGC 3185, NGC 3190, NGC 3226, NGC 3227, NGC 3300, NGC 3346, NGC 3367, NGC 3377, NGC 3384, NGC 3389, NGC 3412, NGC 3437, NGC 3489, NGC 3495, NGC 3507, NGC 3521, NGC 3593, NGC 3607, NGC 3608, NGC 3626, NGC 3628, NGC 3630, NGC 3640, NGC 3646, NGC 3655, NGC 3681, NGC 3684, NGC 3686, NGC 3691, NGC 3810, NGC 3842, NGC 3872, NGC 3900, NGC 4008 (Leo); NGC 3245, NGC 3254, NGC 3277, NGC 3294, NGC 3344, NGC 3414, NGC 3432, NGC 3486, NGC 3504 (Leo Minor); NGC 2990, NGC 3044, NGC 3055, NGC 3115, NGC 3156, NGC 3166, NGC 3169, NGC 3246, NGC 3423 (Sextans); IC 750, M97, M108, M109, NGC 3079, NGC 3184, NGC 3198, NGC 3310, NGC 3359, NGC 3610, NGC 3665, NGC 3675, NGC 3738, NGC 3877, NGC 3898, NGC 3941, NGC 3953, NGC 3998, NGC 4026 (Ursa Major)

Top ten deep-sky objects for April: M65, M66, M95, M96, M97, M105, M108, NGC 3115, NGC 3242, NGC 3628

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for April: M65, M66, M95, M96, M97, M105, M108, M109, NGC 3115, NGC 3242

Challenge deep-sky object for April: Leo I (Leo)

The objects listed above are located between 10:00 and 12:00 hours of right ascension.

I had meant to include the following at the end of the first paragraph:

While we waited for astronomical twilight to end, Jupiter and Venus, only some two degrees apart, formed a stunning pairing in the western sky.

Dave Mitsky