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NGC5631 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec 14h26.6m, +56d35')
Observer: Dave Mitsky (e-mail: djm28@psu.edu, web: http://www.ezonline.com/ash/obs.htm)
Instrument: 17-inch equatorial reflector Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA
Light pollution: moderate Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Tue Jul 13 06:14:00 1999 UT Obs. no.: 464
NGC 5631 is a small (0.7'x0.7' AL) but obviously non-stellar 11.4 magnitude spiral galaxy. I used 118, 202, and 259x on this object, which is found in the vicinity of M101. NGC 5631 was circular and had a somewhat bright nucleus. It formed a triangle with two 12th magnitude field stars to the north.
Other (Other, est. mag 13.3, est. to be in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec 9h21m52s, +51d00'07")
Observer: Dave Mitsky (e-mail: djm28@psu.edu)
Instrument: 17-inch equatorial reflector Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: excellent Seeing: good
Time: Mon May 10 03:00:00 1999 UT Obs. no.: 453
I have done a lot of observing so far this year and have been remiss in sending reports to AAOL on the most interesting of the celestial objects that I have viewed. I will post some of these in the near future but there is visible currently an object that demands attention. The type Ia peculiar supernova SN1999by is located in the northern half of NGC 2841, a bright (9.3 magnitude) Herschel 400 spiral galaxy located about two degrees southwest of Theta Ursae Majoris. The supernova is just to the southeast of an embedded 11.1 magnitude field star and was slightly brighter than two nearby 13th magnitude (13.5 and 13.8 magnitude) field stars. I used magnifications of 118, 202, 259, and 381x to observe SN1999by.
M108 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec -)
Observer: Eero Holmström (e-mail: holmerkki@altavista.net, web: http://www.fda.iwarp.com)
Instrument: 4-inch equatorial reflector Location: Pernajan Kirkonkylä, Pernaja, Finland
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: excellent
Time: Thu Jan 7 01:30:00 1999 UT Obs. no.: 496
A nice, small, rather elognated galaxy easily in the same field of view as M97. M97 showed up a lot easier, although the visual magnitude is 12.0 (M108 is 10.7).
Other (Other, est. mag ~13th, est. to be in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec 11h56m,+55d07')
Observer: Dave Mitsky (e-mail: djm28@psu.edu)
Instrument: 17-inch equatorial reflector Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA
Light pollution: moderate Transparency: poor Seeing: good
Time: Thu Apr 23 01:55:00 1998 UT Obs. no.: 327
Despite the terrible transparency, I was able to see the recently discovered supernova SN1998aq on Wednesday evening. This exploding star is located in NGC 3982, an 11th magnitude H400 spiral galaxy located in the "bowl" of the Big Dipper, about 1.5 degrees north of Gamma Ursae Majoris. Supernova 1998aq formed a triangle with 2 nearby faint field stars. It was fainter than either of the field stars. According to the IAUC 6875, SN1998aq is located 18" west and 7" north of the center of NGC 3982. NGC 3982 appeared as a very dim circular glow. It was the first night of the spring Astronomical Society of Harrisburg observational astronomy class at the Naylor Observatory and after later showing the class the supernova I trained the 17" on M3, Algieba, Castor, and M35. The poor observing conditions limited what I could show the class, of course.
NGC4026 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec 11h57m,+50d58')
Observer: Dave Mitsky (e-mail: djm28@psu.edu)
Instrument: 17-inch equatorial reflector Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA
Light pollution: moderate Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Fri Apr 3 02:12:00 1998 UT Obs. no.: 317
After observing Supernova 1998S in NGC 3877 once again and determining that it had dimmed since my last observation on 3/31, I moved on to other galaxies in the neighborhood of NGC 3877 in Ursa Major. I logged 5 new galaxies, 4 of them H400 objects. NGC 4026 is a 10.7 magnitude elliptical galaxy which appeared as circular and small with a "stellar" nucleus. The other galaxies were NGC 3953, NGC 3998, NGC 3990, and NGC 3982. Earlier that evening I observed M64, M97, M108, and M109.
NGC3893 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec 11h49m,+48d43' )
Observer: Dave Mitsky (e-mail: djm28@psu.edu)
Instrument: 17-inch equatorial reflector Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA
Light pollution: moderate Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Wed Mar 25 02:05:00 1998 UT Obs. no.: 316
NGC 3893 is a H400 spiral galaxy that lies to the northeast of Chi Ursa Majoris. At 202x it appeared to be circular with a somewhat brighter nucleus.
NGC3893 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec 11h49m,+48d43' )
Observer: Dave Mitsky (e-mail: djm28@psu.edu)
Instrument: 17-inch equatorial reflector Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA
Light pollution: moderate Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Wed Mar 25 02:05:00 1998 UT Obs. no.: 315
NGC 3893 is a H400 spiral galaxy that lies to the northeast of Chi Ursa Majoris. At 202x it appeared to be circular with a somewhat brighter nucleus.
Other (Other, est. mag 13, est. to be in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec 11h46m,+47d29')
Observer: Dave Mitsky (e-mail: djm28@psu.edu)
Instrument: 17-inch equatorial reflector Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA
Light pollution: moderate Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Tue Mar 17 03:00:00 1998 UT Obs. no.: 314
On 3/17 UT I observed the recently discovered supernova 1998S located in NGC 3877, an 11th magnitude spiral edge-on galaxy near Chi Ursa Majoris. 1998S was listed at 13.5 magnitude and was said to be offset 16" west and 46" south of NGC 3877's nucleus in the IAU CBAT circular #6829. It is believed to be a type-II supernova. I also observed M34, Stock 2, the Double Cluster, NGC 2451, NGC 2362, h3945, M93, M42, Sigma Orionis, Struve 761, M66, M65, and NGC 3628.
M97 (Owl Nebula) (Planetary Nebula, in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Wed Dec 31 06:15:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 290
A large, pale, ghostly circle, easily detected with averted vision at 38x. No "eyes" seen in the quick look I had before clouds moved over it.
M108 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Wed Dec 31 06:10:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 289
Swept up after noting its location in the Audubon Field Guide to the Night Sky map for UMa. A subliminally dim glow with averted vision at 38x, elongated E-W.
M82 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Wed Dec 31 05:55:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 288
Swept up along with M81. A very thin, elongated fuzzy streak running E-W. Obvious at 38x; no central condensation noticed in the quick look I got before clouds moved over it.
M81 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Wed Dec 31 05:55:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 287
Playing tag with high clouds drifting through from the S, I shifted my telescope to the other side of the yard so I could point it at the N sky. M81 was swept up after referring to the small chart of UMa in the Audubon Field Guide to the Night Sky. A big, bright, fuzzy oval patch elongated N-S at 38x. A fairly large, condensed center.
M40 (Multiple Star, in Ursa Major)
Observer: Jeff DeTray (e-mail: jeff@detray.com, web: http://top.monad.net/~jdetray)
Instrument: 50-mm binoculars Location: Troy, NH, US
Light pollution: none Transparency: good Seeing: good
Time: Wed Dec 3 05:30:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 265
At last! After many failed attempts to observe M40 with 7x35 binoculars during the summer and fall, my new 10x50's finally brought it into view. It popped in and out, but I could hold it for many seconds at a time. M40 is listed as mag. 9, which was near the limit of what I could see this night. M40 is the 63rd Messier object I've observed with binoculars since June.
NGC3898 (Galaxy, in Ursa Major, Est. RaDec 11hr 47m, 56.00)
Observer: Alan Shaffer (e-mail: milkyway@gte.net, web: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/3693/)
Instrument: 150-mm other Location: Mt. Pinos, California, US
Light pollution: none Transparency: excellent Seeing: excellent
Time: Sat Jun 7 10:00:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 148
This was a strange one. I took a photo of Ursa Major (2 min. using 800 ASA Fuji Super G film) and when I got it developed and went to my Skt Atlas 2000.0 to pinpoint the stars, I picked up two strange blobs of light. After checking another sky atlas, I realized that I picked up two very faint galaxies on film. NGC 3898 and NGC 3888 were a complete surpirse. The sky gods were very kind to me that night.
M109 (Galaxy in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 50-mm binoculars Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: poor
Time: Fri Jan 31 08:22:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 31
No dice. Unable to detect it with the 7x50s.
NGC2841 (Galaxy in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 50-mm binoculars Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: poor
Time: Fri Jan 31 08:14:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 30
Detected, though with difficulty, in the 7x50s as a small, very faint patch with a faint star just to the E.
M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy) (Galaxy in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 50-mm binoculars Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: poor
Time: Fri Jan 31 07:55:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 29
Detected with difficulty in the 7x50s as a very faint, medium-sized patch that appeared fleetingly when I used steady averted vision. It was only about 30 degrees high in the sky at the time, which probably didn't help.
M108 (Galaxy in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 50-mm binoculars Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Thu Jan 30 07:05:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 28
Failed to observe it with 7x50s despite extensive trying. At least, failed to distinguish it from a faint star, though I suspect it may have been visible, given that the "Easiness" rating in dObjects is a "2" (that is to say, relatively easy), compared to M97's "4". When my new telescope comes I'll revisit the field and see what higher power reveals.
M97 (Owl Nebula) (Planetary Nebula in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 50-mm binoculars Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Thu Jan 30 07:05:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 27
Spent a half hour trying (and failing) to spot it with the 7x50s. I actually think I may have glimpsed it several times once I got serious about figuring out just where it was, but it was pretty subliminal. I sketched the location, though, and it seemed to match the 13-inch Lowell Observatory photo in Burnham's. Sigh. I'll try again with the binoculars some night when the transparency is better.
M82 (Galaxy in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 50-mm binoculars Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Thu Jan 30 06:30:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 26
Made a nice contrast in the same binocular field as M81. It was much smaller, though definitely still fuzzy under averted vision.
M81 (Galaxy in Ursa Major)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 50-mm binoculars Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Thu Jan 30 06:30:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 25
My first viewing of this object. It was easy in the 7x50s; a small, elongated fuzzy patch.
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