More Observations from September 4th, 2010; NGC 488, NGC 520, NGC 612, NGC 250

Well, with all that has been going on, I have been processing my sketches in terms of scanning the originals. The digital versions are coming along and I find it to be relaxing when I can't sleep at night to process these. I am glad that though it is full moon this weekend, that I am off on Friday, I hope to have all of these older ones wrapped up and head south to the observatory to do some double viewing and perhaps some open clusters on the Obsession. In October I am off for 3 weeks from work and it is my month with the Obsession so I am going to use it a TON!



Object: NGC 520 Galaxy in Pisces; Date: September 4th, 2010; Time: 12:22a.m. MDT or 06:22 UT; Location: Wolf Creek Pass, Utah; Conditions: Clear, Mild (for 9879 feet); Antoniadi I; LVM 6.6 to 6.7; Mag. 11.16; Size 4.6 x 1.9''; Instrument: XX14i; Eyepiece 14mm Pentax XW;
Notes:
Small galaxy, laying NW to SE, rather irregular in shape in the eyepiece. Seems to have a star imposed on the SW edge. With more observing there is a dust lane in the middle and this looks like two galaxies merging. NSOG confirms these are two irregular galaxies merging.





























Object: NGC 488 Galaxy in Pisces. Date: September 5th 12:20a.m. MDT or 06:20 UT; Location: Lakeside, Utah; Conditions: Clear and cool, Antoniadi II, LVM: 6.5 ; Mag. 10.3v; Size: 5.5' x 4.0'; Instrument: XX14i; Eyepiece: 14mm & 10mm Pentax XW;
Notes:
Direct vision shows a very bright stellar core to this galaxy. The galaxy is very round/circular. Averted vision shows more of the size of the surrounding halo around the core. The galaxy is face on and not a lot of features. NGC 490 lies to the NE though it is not in the sketch.





























Object: NGC 250 Lenticular Galaxy in Pisces; Date: September 4, 2010; Time: 01:16 a.m. MDT; 07:16 UT; Location: Wolf Creek Pass, Utah; Conditions: Clear, cool, Antoniadi I; LVM: 7.0; Mag.: 11.47; Instrument: XX14i; Eyepiece(s): 10mm & 14mm Pentax XW;
Notes:
A small but brighter galaxy. It has a bright round core surrounded by a diffused halo. It almost reminds me of a planetary nebula the way it looks. It lays near the center of a right triangle.