Object of The Week February 20, 2022- IC 2461 A Dagger in Lynx

[Jimi Lowrey]

IC 2461
LYNX
RA
09 19 58
DEC
+37 11 27
Type Seyfert II Galaxy
Mag 14.8

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On the night of April 2 1900 Steven Javelle discovered IC 2461 with the 30” Nice refractor. It is had for me to understand how the beautiful dagger of a galaxy was missed until 1900. Although It is in a pretty sparse
Location in the sky for other galaxies nearby.

36A1A24C-A60A-452C-A4C9-15DE89254504.jpeg

I have observed IC 2461 many times with my old 25” and 48” reflectors over the years. The core is bright as you would expect with a type II Seyfert AGN. Challenge is to see the dark lane under the core. I have only seen it on nights of good seeing at high power. I am interested in hearing you’re results of seeing this pencil thin dark lane. It has been a few years since I have viewed IC 2461 and long overdue for a revisit.

I look forward to hearing your reports of your observations of this dagger of a galaxy in Lynx and as always

GIVE IT A GO
GOOD LUCK and GREAT SEEING

[KidOrion]

My observation of this flat galaxy:

04/19/20
EUREKA RIDGE (OR)
SUNSET: 8:00 PM
MOON: 24 days (rose at 4:37 AM; 27% illuminated)
SEEING: 7-9
TRANSPARENCY: 7
SQM: 21.5
NELM: not checked
WEATHER CONDITIONS: temps to 43F; no dew; temps moderate; high winds beyond treeline
OTHERS PRESENT: JO, DB, LR

All observations: 20? f/5 Obsession truss-tube Dobsonian, 14mm ES 82? eyepiece (181x, 0.45? TFoV) and 7mm Nagler (363x, 12.6’ TFoV) unless otherwise noted

10:41
IC 2461 (Lyn): This flat galaxy is much smaller than IC 2233: 1.5’ x less than 1/8’, with due NP-SF orientation [PA 135?]. It’s brighter than IC 2233, but also doesn’t have the bright star on the edge complicating things that 2233 has. It’s pretty well defined, and the whole thing visible in direct vision (unlike many flat galaxies); averted only brightens it, rather than making its fainter edges seem larger. There’s no notable core but it has a semi-substellar nucleus. SP the galaxy by 3’ is a 13.5-magnitude star; S slightly P by 4.5’ is a 9.5-magnitude star, and there’s a 10.5-magnitude star S very very slightly P the galaxy by 4.75’. S very very slightly P the galaxy by 14’ is an 8.5-magnitude star that’s the brightest in the field (it’s actually just outside the field); that star is at the F end of a line of three that get gradually fainter as they run P-ward, and this line is 5’ long. I’m changing eyepieces to the 7mm Nagler (363x, 12.6’ TFoV): the nuclear region actually contains a very small, tentative core (?). There seems to be a flash of nucleus too. A 16th-magnitude star lies SP the galaxy by 1’. The extra magnification of the Nagler helps bring the galaxy out of the background.

[Uwe Glahn]

Very nice dagger Jimi. But no success to see the dark lane with the 27-inch.