Object of the Week, June 21, 2020 - Sancho's Object in Draco
Object of the Week – Sancho’s Object (MAC 1510+5810 and MAC+5810A)
RA: 15 10 17 Dec: +58 10 39
Size: 0.5 x 0.4’ Mag: 16.0v
Const: Draco
Going through some of my favorite lists, this time I choose to look through Larry Mitchell’s Advanced Observing Programs for the Texas Star Party. This object is from the “2002 Interactions” list. Look here if interested.
Larry Mitchell is a well-known observer from Texas. He brings his 36” Obsession Telescope to TSP every year. There were only 4 of these built by Kriege at Obsession Telescopes. Starting in 2000, he produced an annual advanced observing list to encourage deep sky observers to push themselves to the limit and give the Advanced Observing Program a shot. It is a fun list and it definitely helped many visual observers to improve their craft. If an observer observes at least 20 objects from the list, they would get a cool pin from Larry. A few examples are below.
He hangs out with folks like Barbara Wilson, Bill Christianson, Bill Chandler, Jose Sancho, etc. I’m sure that there are many others, their names escapes me. During one of the MegaStar updates, Jose Sancho independently discovered this galaxy pair, thus was named “Sancho’s Object” by Larry (I think).
From Larry’s notes in 2002. “It was named for Jose and Susan Sancho, who are two of the finest visual astronomers anywhere on the planet. These interacting galaxies were listed in a 1998 Astrophysical Journal article as SBSG 1509+583, for the Second Byurakan Survey of Galaxies, named for the Astrophysical Observatory in Armenia. The observatory also completed a study of “blue” (Markarian type) stars (SBSS). Since this object is also a strong emitter of infrared light, it also goes by the name of IRAS F15090+5821. Everyone who successfully observes Sancho’s object will belong to a very select handful of people who have ever visually seen this object glowing faintly at 16.5 magnitude and at a distance of nearly half billion light years away.” Keep in mind that this was written nearly 20 years ago, so I think quite a few deep sky hounds may have seen this object. I just thought it was pretty cool.
My latest observation of this galaxy pair was back in 2010 in the high Sierras at about 5,400 feet above sea level.
22” at 383 and 460x - This object consists of two very close interacting neighbors. MAC 1510+5810 is a considerably bright 3:1 elongated glow. PA = 150 and 0.3’ long. MAC 1510+5810A is a considerably bright round glow with high surface brightness. They were separated at 383 and 460x at about 15” apart. A bright mag 12.0 star lies 0.6’ due west of the pair. This pair appears brighter than the listed magnitude, closer to 15.0.
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