Object of the Week - Feb 17, 2019 - Andromeda's Parachute

Object of the Week –
Andromeda’s Parachute - J014709+463037
Gravitational Lensed Quasar
R.A.: 01h 47m 09s
Dec.: +46° 30' 37"
Magnitude: 15.4 – 17.7 (R mag)
Apparent Size: 3.8”
Distance: Pretty far, about 11billion light years.

I picked Andromeda’s Parachute for my first OOTW on my way back into the fold for two reasons. It was the highlight in my observing in the last couple years and I haven’t made it out since I rejoined the rotation. I had something in mind in Ursa Minor, but decided on this one as it is still up in the NW skies and winter nights tend to be nice and steady for something we need super steady skies to even have a chance to get a good look at it.

Most gravitational lensed quasars are typically pretty tough, with the exception of the Double Quasar in Pegasus, which is doable in a 12” scope. For this week, let’s take a look at Andromeda’s Parachute. It was recently discovered in 2017 and Wouter was kind to share this object right here on DSF. A week or so later, I ran out to one of my observing sites at 7,600 feet above sea level and took a shot at it and was surprisingly easy to find and see, but challenging to resolve. I was able to pick off two of the four points of light.

My notes are as follows:
At 690x, it immediately appeared as an elongated star, but when the seeing steadied, it popped into two individual points (A & B only). I was not able to repeat seeing C (saw it only once), so not confirmed. I most certainly did not see component D.
My observing buddy confirmed that he saw the elongated star in the same orientation as I saw it, but he did not split the “star”.
The condition is typical for this site and seeing was fair (3/5) and transparency was good (4/5), but deteriorating as the smoke started to cover parts of the sky. I will re-observe this object several more times as it was only 20 degrees above the NE horizon when we looked at it.
22: f/4 with 6mm Zeiss ZAO-II with TMB 1.8x ED barlow

Pretty cool object, especially thinking what I was looking at.

For a finder chart and rest of details, check out my site. http://faintfuzzies.com/OR-Jul022017-SR.html

Having said this, you will need steady skies and high magnification, at least 600x.

"Give it a go and let us know"

PS: I did'nt post any pictures as I don't have privs to do so at the moment.

Alvin are you sure you have the right co-ordinates as that puts it in Perseus? I think they should be

01 47 09 +46 30 37

Owen

Oops, that is right. Sorry 01h not 04h. I can't edit my post.

Alvin,
I was able to snag this beauty after I saw a post of it a couple of years ago. Like you, I had to use high magnification, 770x with a 22". My notes:"6mm + 2x barlow. Andromeda Parachute quasar. Moments of steadier seeing allowed split of the 2 brighter components. 11.4 Bly!"

Hey Al, right and glad that you confirmed what I saw. I wonder what Jimi would see through his 48"!

I took a look at Andromeda's Parachute in September 2017 with my 24-inch at the CalStar star party. The lensed quasar lies 0.3' NW of a mag 12 star and 0.6' N of a mag 14.8 star and was immediately seen as a 15th magnitude "star" or nearly stellar object without difficulty, but not "resolved".

At 500x, the quasar appeared slightly "squashed" in an ~E-W direction [the combined glow the three brightest components with a separation of only 2.5"]. When the seeing was fairly steady, a sharp stellar point [the brightest component?] was resolved on the west end with the remaining two components just attached fuzz.

I have two observations from the Oregon Star Party in August 2017, a few days before the total solar eclipse:

"I had help from Ronald Stoyan (of Interstellerum) to zero in on the correct start field. So! There it is, not all that faint but averted vision brings out the two brightest components with a a faint hint of the third. The seeing needs to be steadier to pile on more magnification to be sure though. But for tonight seeing this much is a marvelous thing and a great memory. 695x, 21.75 SQM (light smoke)"


"1210x was too much power for the seeing but 720x to 952x gave the best views. I can see the angle the two brightest components form relative to the field stars better (tonight) but the hazy third component is more difficult. 21.67 SQM. (light smoke)"

Attachment 3438 Attachment 3439

Alvin, I'd like to see this through Jimi's 48-inch too!

Welcome back to OOTW Alvin.

My observation of the Parachute was a while ago on a so so night. At 375X it looked like a small elongated star. AT 813X it still looked elongated but the A B and C component's were visible like A H II knot in a galaxy. C was the most difficult of the three and would come and go with the seeing. To my surprise the D component appeared with A V. I only could catch it 3 times even after a long time trying with extreme AV. The image below is what the A B and C looked like but the D in the image is much brighter than I could see it.

Attachment 3440

From ~600x the elongation was visible without problems. When increasing the magnification above 1000x (observation were made while switching between 1172x and 1465x) first thing to see was the bean shape structure of the object. The middle peak was by far the most easiest detail within the "bean". Although best seeing condition I had problems to resolve A and B. More easy to me was the split from A to C. C itself seems to be a little bit more distance to A than A to B. This could also be a illusion because C is much fainter than B. The duo A-C I could hold for seconds each. The triple peaks I could only separate in moments of perfect seeing. I could not hold all three peaks for more than seconds but all three peaks were definitely visible at the same moment. I also tried D but could never see even a pop of the faint companion.

sketch: 27", 1172x-1465x, NELM 7m0+, Seeing II
Attachment 3444

The Uwe for sharing your observations. That is really encouraging that we can possibly see the three brighter components in a 30" or smaller scope.

Nothing but blackness from the southern hemisphere (Argentina) under relatively good skies but with an altitude of only 9º at transit with a 14". I'll keep trying! It's tough for quasar observation here...

Hi @ all,

with 12" at 300x starlike and weak, at 700x longish appearance in correct position angle. Hard stuff but doable.
Humidity 70%, Fst around 6m5-6m8.
Sometimes somethin seems to flash out of the tiny streak, but hard to confirm.

CS
Norman

Hi All,

I had the opportunity yesterday to have a look at this gravitational lensed quasar. Here are my notes.
Average conditions: NELM 6.5v, SQM 21.35, S3.0"
Dobson 25", 520x

Andromeda parachute is a quadruple gravitational lensed quasar. The object is easy to find, and the asterism constituted by E1*/E2*/E3* gives the field orientation: there can be no error on the fact that the parachute is E3*.

The weakness of the object means that you have to use the adverted vision: you have to look at E2* in direct vision to analyse E3*. Its magnitude seems equal to that of E2*.

E3* initially appears as a blurred star with no precise shape; and after at least one minute, the object becomes an elongated light, a/b ~ 3, in the correct postion angle. Then we understand that this object is made of several spots, maybe 2 or 3.

Finally, during 2 or 3 glimpses in 5 minutes of observation, in a turbulence hole, the drawing of the three components A, B, and C appears, but fugitive: the glimpses are inferior to one second. It is perceived that A, B, and C are not aligned, but with a curvature. The intensity of the three components is equal.

Component D was never seen or even suspected, as was the galaxy.

E1* TYC 3279 1686, M12.479V, E2* A2 1350 01678812, M15.1V

Clear skies
Bertrand
http://www.deepsky-drawings.com/

Attachment 3450

Here is a better close up of what I saw
Bertrand

Attachment 3451

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bertrand Laville

Here is a better close up of what I saw
Bertrand

Attachment 3451

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Thanks Bertrand for sharing your observations. Pretty good that you were at least partially able to resolve the three components!

10/04/22 Andromeda’s Parachute. Have seen it a few years ago as not too difficult stellar spot in my 10”. At 440x in my 16”, members A and B were seen as an elongated spot. At 600x, I could see both A and B but not cleanly split them (1.3” separation). I couldn’t seem to quite detect member C. Doubt it is possible, but I may have to try to see if I can detect the elongation of A and B at 400x in my 10”!

Scott