[AZ-Observing] Re: Observing from TIMPA

Andrew Cooper wrote:
NGC650/651 (M27) (18" f/4.5, 174x) Very nice planetary, good sized,
bright, distinct dumbbell shape, much brighter on the southern lobe.  I
had been unaware that Herschel had assigned two separate numbers to the
separate lobes, Dreyer also assigning two separate numbers in the NGC. 
I did not see the outer halo, need to try again with an OIII filter. 
http://www.seds.org/~spider/ngc/ngc.cgi?650
Actually, William Herschel catalogued both lobes of this planetary nebula 
(M76) as I 193. His description reads, "Two close together. Both very bright. 
Distance 2' south-preceding, north-following. One is [M]76 of 'Connaissance des 
Temps'." Later, Dreyer assigned NGC 650 to Mechain's observation and NGC 651 to 
Herschels. Dreyer's treatment of Herschel's observation as of only one 
portion should be considered an error and the NGC 651 designation dropped.

Of course, observing M76--whatever NGC designation one chooses to 
apply--still satisfies the quest to complete the H400.

There are a couple of H400 objects, which are more problematic. NGC 2372 is a 
duplicate observation of NGC 2371. NGC 6882 is most likely a duplicate 
observation of NGC 6885. So, the official H400 is actually an H398. I added NGC 
4039 
and NGC 4340--both William Herschel objects and almost impossible to miss, if 
you complete the AL list--to round out my total to 400 discreet objects.

NGC1245 (18" f/4.5, 174x) Good sized, very rich, innumerable stars in a
circular patch at the center of the constellation, anchored at the NE
and SE corners by a pair of bright stars. 
http://www.seds.org/~spider/ngc/ngc.cgi?1245

As Andrew's description suggests, that circular arrangement is really 
striking: http://members.aol.com/billferris/n1245h.html

NGC1342 (18" f/4.5, 60x) Large, bright, coarse, 50 or so brighter
members in a roughly rectangular patch 15' x 10' with the long axis
angled NE to SW. http://www.seds.org/~spider/ngc/ngc.cgi?1342

NGC1444 (18" f/4.5, 174x) I missed this one at first as I was searching
at lower magnification looking for a bright cluster, my data showed a
magnitude of 6.5.  But this bright magnitude represented the central
star only, the remainder of the cluster is much dimmer and clustered in
tight around the central star, easily missed at lower magnification.  An
interesting small cluster of a dozen or so stars tightly grouped around
a bright double (Struve 446). 
http://www.seds.org/~spider/ngc/ngc.cgi?1444 

NGC1513 (18" f/4.5, 174x) Coarse, rich, several dozen stars scattered
across 10', a chain of brighter members along the SE margin.  The shape
reminded me of a tadpole curled in its egg or the bright half of a
yin/yang symbol.

NGC1528 (18" f/4.5, 174x) Bright, large 20', coarse, filling the field
with stars arranged in very distinct clumps

NGC 1528 also features a striking stellar pattern of seven stars in two 
parallel rows: http://members.aol.com/billferris/n1528h.html

My earlier Herschel 400 notes can be found at http://www.siowl.com/
Thanks for sharing your notes, Andrew.

Regards,

Bill Ferris
"Cosmic Voyage: The Online Resource for Amateur Astronomers"
URL: http://www.cosmic-voyage.net


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