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August new moon trip, Abell PNs and Hicksons, with sketches
August 29, 2019. Spruce Knob (West Virginia, 4800 ft). 20-inch F/4.
1st night "transparent" by CSC, SQM 21.7-21.8, wind reasonable and humidity moderate. First two hours of astronomical dark rendered little usable by some fog blown across the summit from the western slope, which then completely dissipated. Getting into the groove by casually reobserving bright and/or famous objects. Never seen (or do not remember seeing) such fine texture in the Veil in addition to such contrast with the background.
2nd night clear, relatively calm and dry, "transparent" to "average" by CSC, SQM 21.6-21.7. Abell PNs and Hicksons, including the OOTW Hickson 5 (already posted in that subforum). What follows is the sketches and notes as recorded.
Abell 48. Aql. Round, faint, ~30 arcsec. Doubtful with 8 mm, many faint stars. Not seen with OIII. With 5.5 mm, visible and responds to OIII. Hints of very slight NNE-SSW extension and annularity.
Abell 52, Aql. Visible in 8 mm, elongated EW 1:2. Visible also with OIII, same appearance, slightly kidney-shaped, convex to N, and E end brighter and thicker.
Abell 2, Cas. Immediately visible, bright. 8 mm with OIII. Slightly elongated NS, vaguely annular with a broader N side and weaker S side.
Abell 3, Cas. Visible in 8 mm with OIII as two arcs (WNW and ESE) immediately to the W of a close star pair. The arcs are shallow and the W one is more easily seen. Similar but more difficult view with 13 mm and OIII, not visible in 13 mm without filter.
Abell 82, Cas. 13 mm + OIII. Bright. Faint stars involved. Bilobed. SE of a brighter star. NW segment longer and has an enhanced N tip. SE segment visible primarily S of the star on the SE edge.
Attachment 3631A nightscape image by Jeff Ball (downsampled by me because of the image limitations here). The observer in the frame is yours truly. Jeff has more from this trip
here.
Hickson 5. Group obvious with 13 mm, NGC 190 (i.e. A) dominates and has a halo in addition to a core sized similarly to B and C. The halo is enhanced on W and E edges. D glimpsed but not definite. 5.5 mm: Relatively compact enhancement on WNW edge of the halo in A, two such enhancements in contact form the E and SE edge. B on S edge. D definite and elongated NE-SW without concentration. Appears larger than on [the] DSS [print].
Hickson 3 (Cet). A strongly elongated NW-SE, appears larger than on DSS print. B slightly elongated ENE-WSW. C fainter, elongated like A. D brighter, compact, very slightly elongated NS.
Hickson 2 (Psc). A, B, C and elongation in A and C visible already with 13 mm. A and B bright and well-defined, C has no concentration. 5.5 mm brings out D. D very slightly extended NE-SW. C has a core on E side and a halo extended to the W with a well-defined, possibly enhanced, edge. Overall elongated NS. A elongated NS rather strongly, has a thin NS core, ENE enhanced edge of halo leading to a more defined compact enhancement on N end of galaxy, and an enhanced edge from SW around S end. B very slightly extended parallel to A.
Hickson 1 [And]. AB visible as one extended object in 13 mm. In 5.5 mm, A and B are two almost touching objects (i.e. only the core of A is seen). C is just SW of the line between 2 stars W of AB. D is actually easier to see, as it is farther separated from the stars, to the W on the A-C line. [Not sketched.]
