OBSERVATION REPORT 2020-03-27

OBSERVATION REPORT
2020-03-27
TELESCOPE- CELESTRON C9.25
20:20 HRS UTC.

C/2019/Y4 Atlas.

C/2029/Y4 was very easy to see through the 24mm TV Panoptic. It had a nebulous coma, but I wasn't able to see any hint of a tail.
Does the comet appear in the same field with a line of magnitude 7 stars?.

Having spent some time looking at Comet Atlas. I decided it was time for some Galaxy observing.
Normally at this time of the year, the skies are cloudy for the start of galaxy season. How nice it was for me to use my much-neglected C9.25 for this purpose under a very clear sky.

NGC 4244
This was my first target. This is a fine edge on galaxy in Canes. At M+10 it should have been very easy to see. However. I wasn't certain, I could see a thin needle of light. I used my 24mm and 18mm Altair Ultra Flat.
With the 18mm ep. I thought I saw something but I wasn't certain. I will have to return again to this area and see whether I can identify the galaxy.

M106
With the 18mm UF. M106 has a bright core, fading into grey nebulosity. M106 is an intermediate spiral galaxy and this is very obvious in the 18mm at this high altitude.

NGC 4217
This galaxy is faint (+10.7) and difficult to see. Even with my 9mm Altair LER Flatfield ep, it was just a faint glow. With averted vision. I was able to catch glimpses of it.

NGC3607-NGC3608
Very easy. Two circular nebulous ghosts in Leo. 18mm UF ep, both galaxies are visibly surrounded by faint nebulosity. The galaxies are visible in an area devoid of bright stars.

M65-M66
These two galaxies are very easy to see in the C9.25. But NGC 3628 I thought was difficult.

M100
This galaxy was just visible with averted vision but very faint.

NGC 4100
Using a 13mm Badder Hyperion, the galaxy was very difficult to see. With averted vision, I did manage to see something that looked like a needle of grey light.

NGC 4157
This was another faint object. But I did manage to see something.

The rest of the evening was ideal to just look at some of the more showie galaxies that we know and love.
M64.
This was magnificent through the 18mm UF. I also had a good look at M53. This is a messier globular cluster that's new to me. I was not disappointed. M53 is faint but resolved when using averted vision.

M51
Was another magnificent galaxy. Because it was at the zenith. M51 and NGC 5195 were very clear. M51 looked like a spiral galaxy.

M94
Was another very well resolved galaxy in the 18mm UF.

Finally. I was lucky to see the Northern Skies best globular cluster. M13. With the 24mm Pany - 18mm Altair UF and 13mm Baader ep's M13 was simply gorgeous.
--
Regards
Paul A Brierley
Observing Coordinator Macclesfield AS.
I've been looking up, for "30" years.