Star cluster in M104 SUCD 1

[Jimi Lowrey]

Last week during the Texas star party. I observed SUCD 1( Sombrero Ultra Compact Dwarf) in M104.

This is one of the brightest UCD's (Ultra Compact Dwarf) that I have found. It was easy direct vision object. I wounder what the smallest aperture is that can catch this star cluster?

RA
12 40 03
Dec
-11 40 04

659 660

[MarcE]

Jimi,
i remember well observing this interesting object with your telescope last week.
Uwe, Frank and i were very impressed of it and asked ourselves the same question: could we see it with Jerry Morris 30" scope?
So we tried it Thursday night at Jerrys observatory (a little window between the quite cloudy skies).
With success! But it was neither with direct vision nor easy visible. Quite difficult for me, but sure i saw it. Same with Uwe and Frank.
I will try it next new moon with my 24 incher, but have the impression it could be very hard to see with this aperture.
Clear skies
Marc

[Marko]

I 'gave this a try' last Saturday night from a 21.5 sort of site when seeing was very good at times and transparency would come and go but could get very good at times. Of course I had no real hope of seeing the UCD but was curious.

The UCD was not seen but I wanted to mention that the object is particularly misleading as there is a mag 15.6 or so star very close and just SW of the target. This star I was only just able to see if I waited for good transparency. So of course in my 18" I have never seen anything down to mag 18 but again, this was just to take a look for the heck of it and enjoy M104 a bit this being the first time I took a look this season.

I may try again or bribe Steve Gottlieb to take a peek in his 24 in a few months when it is at best viewing, bit early nowdays as moon came up at 1:40 and this would have only been nicely two hours later.

So the quest will continue another day in a larger scope perhaps.