After a bit of fence-sitting regarding the weather prospects last night (5 Feb), Bob Douglas and I took our 28-inch and 24-inch Starstructures to Lake Sonoma (80 min drive north of Berkeley) and was pleased to find darker then usual skies there ( SQM readings in the 21.50-21.55 range). Furthermore, although the seeing was predicated to be poor or fair, it was very good and Sirius B (the white-dwarf Pup) was easily visible at 450x and rock steady using an occulting bar.
Here's the field surrounding the photogenic Integral Sign Galaxy (http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/obs.../integral.html), which is the current OOTW! UGC 3714, the nearby bright galaxy, is actually the brightest member of a nearby poor group (LGG 141) at z = .01.
UGC 3665
07 07 59.2 +71 33 16
V = 14.4; Size 1.1'x0.25'; Surf Br = 13.1; PA = 103d
Fairly faint, failrly small, elongated 5:2 WNW-ESE, 0.6'x0.25', well concentrated with a bright core and fainter extensions. Located 24' SW of UGC 3714 and UGC 3697 and a member of the same group.
UGC 3697 = Integral Sign galaxy
07 11 22.6 +71 50 10
V = 12.9; Size 3.0'x0.2'; Surf Br = 12.3; PA = 76d
At 125x the Integral Sign Galaxy was easily visible just south of a line connecting mag 6.4 HD 54070 12' ESE and mag 7.0 HD 52762 13' NW. At 375x, the galaxy extended ~130"x10" E-W. The galaxy has a fairly even surface brightness with just a slightly brighter core, though fades on the west end as it bends or hooks towards the north. This extension has a very low surface brightness. 1' off the east end is a mag 14.5 star. A fainter mag 15.5 is close south on the west side at the point where the galaxy bends north and dims. No structure or bending was seen on the east end and the brightness falls off rapidly at the tip.
UGC 3701
07 11 42.7 +72 10 10
V = 13.9; Size 1.8'x1.8'; Surf Br = 15.0
This member of the UGC 3714 group appeared as a faint, low surface brightness glow, small, round, 18" diameter. Situated at the center of an equilateral triangle (sides 3') of mag 13-14 stars. The V magnitude (≈ 14) of this face-on Scd galaxy is misleading as the surface brightness is very low and only the slightly brighter core was picked up. Located 20' N of UGC 3697 (Integral Sign Galaxy).
UGC 3714
07 12 32.9 +71 45 03
V = 11.9; Size 1.8'x1.5'; Surf Br = 12.7; PA = 35d
Fairly bright, moderately large, round, 45" diameter, moderately concentrated with a bright core and overall high surface brightness. Located 7.7' SW of mag 6.4 HD 54070 and 4' S of right triangle of mag 10.5-11 stars (two are collinear with the galaxy). Brightest of five within 25' (viewed at 375x) including the Integral Sign Galaxy 7.6' NE and CGCG 330-032 5.5' SE.
CGCG 330-032
07 13 07.3 +71 40 13
B = 15.9; Size 0.4'x0.2'; PA = 36d
Very faint to faint, very small round, 12" diameter, low even surface brightness. Located 5.5' SE of UGC 3714 and faintest of five galaxies in a 45' circle centered on UGC 3697.
Also a member of this same physical group is UGC 3804, which I've previously viewed in my 18". Finally, far in the background is Blazar S5 0716+71, which can be found 16' SSW of UGC 3804 but lies at a distance of ~3.4 billion light years (z = .3).
UGC 3804
07 22 34.7 +71 35 56
V = 12.4; Size 1.7'x1.2'; Surf Br = 13.0; PA = 13d
This bright UGC galaxy (member of the UGC 3714 Group) appeared moderately bright, moderately large, elongated 3:2 N-S, 0.9'x0.6'. Broadly concentrated to a small, brighter core region that is not differentiated by a zone. The Integral Sign Galaxy (UGC 3697) lies 54' WNW and Blazar S5 0716+71 lies 16' SSW!
S5 0716+71
07 21 53.4 +71 20 36
V = 13-15
This blazar was immediately picked up at 175x as the northernmost in a N-S line of three stars, just 16' SSW of UGC 3804. At 275x, the blazar appeared slightly brighter than the star 1.3' S (GSC mag 13.5) and slightly fainter than the star 2.4' S (GSC mag 12.4), so it may be near the maximum brightness. Radio, optical, UV, and X-ray monitoring reveals intraday variability!
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Originally Posted by Jimi Lowrey
