CETUS
by Steve Coe
13.1" f/5.6 Newtonian at 100X unless noted
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NGC 45 Extremely faint
and pretty large at 100X. This galaxy is
elongated 3 X 2 and has a 10th mag star involved. Using the hood to
cover the eyepiece and my head helps some, but the object is still
averted vision only.
NGC 47 Very faint, pretty small,
considerably elongated and not
brighter in the middle at 100X. It is about 1/2 a magnitude dimmer
than NGC 50.
NGC 50 Faint, pretty small,
little elongated and much brighter in
the middle at 100X. A central nucleus is occasionally seen at 165X.
This is the brightest galaxy of a small group including NGC 47,50
and 54.
NGC 54 Extremely faint, small,
round and not brighter in the
middle. Averted vision only.
NGC 145 Faint, pretty large,
elongated 2 X 1 and very gradually
brighter in the middle at 100X.
NGC 151 Pretty faint, pretty
large, elongated 2 X 1 and somewhat
brighter in the middle.
NGC 157 Pretty bright, large,
elongated 2 X 1 and somewhat brighter
in the middle at 100X. An 11th mag star in involved on the east
side. At 135X this galaxy shows some mottling in moments of good
seeing.
NGC 175 Pretty faint, pretty
small, round and somewhat brighter
middle at 100X.
NGC 178 Faint, small, little elongated and somewhat brighter middle.
NGC 191 Very faint, Small, round,
not brighter in middle. This
object is pB for pretty bright in NGC description. That may be so
in Lord Rosse's 72", but in the 13" it is not much.
NGC 210 Pretty bright, pretty
small, little elongated and bright
middle at 100X.
NGC 227 Faint, pretty small,
round, much brighter in the middle
at 165X.
NGC 237 Faint, pretty small,
elongated 2 X 1 in PA 165 and
somewhat brighter in the middle at 165X.
NGC 245 Pretty faint, pretty
small, irregularly round, there
is an 11th mag star on the eastern edge at 165X.
NGC 246 is a very nice planetary
to break up all these galaxies. It
is bright, large and round at 100X. There are several dark areas in
this nebula and they combine to look like this is a doughnut someone
took a bite from. The UHC filter makes this effect more noticeable.
There are three stars involved at 165X. The filter does not make it
bigger, just more prominent.
Ultimate Star Party, McDonald Obs. S=6, T=8, 36" f/5--
NGC 246 in Cetus with 20mm; 4 stars involved; light grey-green;
20 percent the size of the FOV.
NGC 247 Pretty faint, very large, much elongated
(4 X 1) and has a
star at one end. It is not much brighter in the middle at 100X in
the 13". This object was much more conspicuous in my old 17.5"
at
130X. In either scope, this galaxy has a pretty low surface
brightness and does not deserve the 10th mag rating it gets in many
listings. The outer portions are mottled in both scopes, with good
seeing. Ultimate Star Party, McDonald Obs. Oct. 95, S=6, T=8, 18"
f/5-- NGC 247 in 18" with 20mm Nagler; the definition of mottling,
about 60 percent of the field, lots of dark markings.
NGC 255 Pretty faint, pretty
small, somewhat elongated and
gradually brighter middle. This galaxy looks somewhat like a
globular cluster.
NGC 268 Faint, pretty small,
elongated 2 X 1 in PA 90 and very
gradually brighter in the middle at 135X.
NGC 274 Pretty bright, pretty
small, round, suddenly much brighter
in the middle with an almost stellar nucleus at 135X. This is a
contact pair with NGC 275.
NGC 275 Pretty faint, small, round, not brighter in the middle at 135X.
NGC 283 Extremely faint, small,
round and not brighter middle at
100X. I looked in this area because this galaxy is the brightest in
a group. The field is a grainy glow, which probably is a background
of galaxies just beyond the capabilities of the 13".
NGC 309 Faint, small, not much.
NGC 337 Pretty bright, pretty
large, elongated 2 X 1 in PA 135,
gradually brighter in the middle and mottled at 135X.
NGC 337A Extremely faint, large,
very gradually little brighter
in the middle and round at 135X. There is a 12th mag star on
the southeastern edge. This low surface brightness galaxy is
just a glow with averted vision.
NGC 355 Faint, very small, elongated
2X1 in PA 135, little brighter
in the middle at 135x. Averted vision only.
NGC 357 Faint, small, irregularly
round, much brighter in the
middle at 135X. Averted vision makes it grow. There is an 11th mag
star on eastern edge, I tought it was a supernova, but it is
pictured in Vickers--too bad!
NGC 426-29-30 All are very faint,
small and round. They form a
triangle about 3' of arc across.
NGC 428 Pretty faint, pretty
small, little elongated and very
little brighter middle at 100X.
NGC 450 Faint, pretty large, elongated 2 X 1 and not brighter middle.
NGC 521 Very faint, pretty small, round, not brighter middle.
NGC 533 Faint, pretty small,
little elongated and somewhat brighter
middle.
NGC 578 Pretty bright, pretty
large, elongated 2X1 in PA 120 and
suddenly brighter middle. The bright middle is also elongated along
the same PA as the main body of the galaxy.
NGC 584 Faint, small, elongated 2 X 1, not
brighter middle.
NGC 586 Pretty bright, pretty
large, round, suddenly bright middle.
NGC 586 and NGC 584 are in the same field about 5' apart in an E-W
direction.
NGC 596 Pretty bright, pretty
small, round, much brighter middle at
100X. Has a stellar core at 135X in moments of good seeing.
NGC 600 Extremely faint, pretty
small, round, not brighter in the
middle, at the limit of the 13".
NGC 615 Pretty bright, pretty
small, somewhat elongated, much
brighter middle.
NGC 636 Pretty faint, small, round, much brighter middle.
NGC 681 Pretty faint, small,
much bright middle, with 11 mag
star on west side. I have noted this objects as round on one
night and then elongated 2 X 1 on another.
NGC 701 Pretty faint, pretty
small, elongated 3 X 1, much brighter
middle.
NGC 720 Pretty bright, pretty
large, much elongated 3 X 1, somewhat
brighter middle with bright almost stellar core.
NGC 748 Pretty faint, small, round and somewhat brighter middle.
NGC 779 Pretty bright, Large,
much elongated, much bright middle.
Somewhat mottled at 165X.
NGC 788 Faint, small, round, not much.
NGC 864 Faint, pretty large,
round, somewhat brighter middle, 11 mag
star on NE side.
NGC 895 Pretty faint, pretty large, round, brighter middle.
NGC 908 Pretty bright, large,
elongated 2 X 1, gradually brighter
middle. At 165X the core of this galaxy is elongated in the same PA
as the galaxy.
NGC 936 Pretty bright, pretty
large, round, much brighter middle.
This is a barred spiral, but I could not see any central bar
structure.
Sentinel 8=S+T 150X bright, pretty large, much brighter
in the
middle. The central bar is in PA 90 and is easily spotted on a
good night.
NGC 941 Very faint, pretty large,
round, not brighter middle. In
the field of NGC 936 and much fainter than 936.
NGC 945 Pretty faint, pretty large, round, little brighter middle.
NGC 947 Extremely faint, pretty
large, very much elongated (4 X 1),
gradually brighter middle, at the limit of the 13".
NGC 955 Pretty bright, pretty
large, elongated 3 X 1, much brighter
middle.
NGC 958 Pretty faint, pretty
small, little elongated 1.2 X 1 in PA
90, little brighter in the middle at 135X. There is a 12th mag star
which is one arc minute southwest.
NGC 988 Not seen at 100X. Only
suspected at 150X. At 220X it is
pretty faint, pretty large, little brighter in the middle, elongated
1.8X1 in PA 120. It has a 7th mag star on the western tip. Averted
vision helps distinguish it from the star.
NGC 991 Pretty faint, pretty
large, irregularly round and very
little brighter in the middle at 135X. There is a 12th mag star 20'
south.
NGC 1016 Pretty faint, pretty
small, round, much brighter middle.
Has 3 dim companions in the field that are at the limit of the 13".
NGC 1022 Pretty bright, pretty
large, round, somewhat brighter
middle.
NGC 1052 Pretty bright, pretty
small, round, much brighter middle.
This is the brightest galaxy in a small group. The central three
galaxies offer an interesting contrast. NGC 1052 is round and
pretty noticeable at 100X. One nearby companion is round and very
faint, while another is pretty faint and elongated 3 X 1. They all
fit in a 20 mm Erfle eyepiece which has a 30' field and gives 100X
on the 13". A very nice grouping.
NGC 1035 Pretty bright, pretty
large, much elongated 3 X 1 in PA
165 with a 13th mag star on the southeastern tip at 135X.
NGC 1042 Faint, large, round,
little brighter in the middle and
mottled at 135X.
NGC 1055 Pretty bright, pretty
large, much elongated (3 X 1),
bright middle. Averted vision makes this object grow larger and will
just bring out a dark lane running along the galaxy edge.
NGC 1068 M77 Bright, large,
little elongated, very bright middle.
An 11 mag star is at the edge of the galaxy on the east side.
Spiral structure is more noticeable at 135X, an arm extends out from
the body of the galaxy and several dark lanes mark out spiral
structure among very mottled arms. At 165X there is a stellar
nucleus in the center of the bright core area.
Ultimate Star Party, McDonald Obs., Oct. 95, S=7, T=9, 36" f/5--
M 77 in 36" with 14mm; stellar core and bright oval
around it.
Obviously spiral.
Sentinel S+T 8/10 11X80 just seen. 100X bright, pretty large
irregularly round, suddenly much brighter in the middle with a
stellar nucleus. Going to 220X shows a bright central oval in PA 60
that has a very bright stellar nucleus in the middle. A pretty faint
outer shell surrounds this "cat's eye" cental section. This
compact
galaxy needs higher powers to show detail.
NGC 1073 Very faint, pretty large, round,
not brighter middle.
NGC 1087 Pretty bright, pretty
large, little elongated, little
brighter middle.
NGC 1090 Pretty faint, pretty large, elongated, not brighter middle.
NGC 1094 Extremely faint, pretty
small, round, not brighter middle.
At the limit of the 13".
IC 1613 Very faint, large,
elongated 1.2 X 1 in PA 90 at 100X.
There is a 12th mag star on the west side, with four very faint
stars involved. The entire galaxy is very grainy.
Eagle Eye 6" f/6 S+T=7 40X--not seen, even with hood. Guaranteed on correct field of view.
New 1 Very faint, pretty large,
round, very little brighter in the
middle, somewhat grainy at 100X.