DEEP SKY OBSERVING
August 2008
by Mark Wagner

Targets are rated 1 to 4 for challenge, with 1 very easy, 4 most difficult. Targets are in a one hour window of R.A., and arranged north to south, for easy star hopping. Available as a Megastar .obs file or Excel spreadsheet.
Rating Object Const. Type
Size
Mag
R.A.
Dec.
1
 Beta Cep Double
13.3
3.2/7.9
21 28 42
70 34
  SAO10057 - blue giant with a faint companion easily resolved:
4
 Sh2-136 Cep BN
5.0'
21 16 05
68 15 11
  18" - 94x, 10th mag star encased in a low sb glow ~5'. No improvement using filters.
2
 N7129 Cep OC
8.0'
11.5
21 42 00
66 05 00
  17.5" - open cluster and reflection nebula. A small cluster of stars with a diffuse glow around 3 of them
2
 NGC 7142 Cep OC
4.3'
9.3
21 45 12
65 46 23
  17.5" - faint grouping of 50+ starts approx 15'x15' and dispersed in a pattern
1
 Xi Cep Double
7.7
4.4/6.5
22 03 56
64 38
  SAO 19826 - most attractive binary in Cepheus, blue-white primary, yellow (or reddish) companion
3
 N7139 Cep PN
77.0"
13.3P
21 46 08
63 47 41
  17.5" - large and circular, but faint, with indistinct edges. A very faint star on the SE side
4
 Abell 75 Cep PN
56.0"
17.0P
21 26 23
62 53 33
  NGC 7076 - 17.5" - 79X OIII, fairly faint, slightly elongated, mod large, faintly visible unfiltered.
1
 NGC 7160 Cep OC
7.0'
6.1
21 53 48
62 36 00
  18" - 40 stars 8'x6' group, extended SW-NE. Dominated by mag 7 and 8 stars separated by 1'.
4
 S 2780 Cep Double
1.0
6.0/7.0
22 11 42
59 59
  SAO 33210 - 12.5" - just barely split.
2
 15 Cep Double
11.1
6.7/11.4
22 03 54
59 49
  SAO 34016 - No information.
4
 B366 Cep DN
10.0'
3
21 40 03
59 34
  Roundish; dusky; diam. 10'; 12' S of BD +59 2409 (magnitude 6.9); two small stars on N border
1
 b 690 Cep Double
19.5
4.1/12.3
21 43 30
58 47
  Herschel's Garnet Star - Mu Cephei - SAO 33693 - seemed reddish-gold, but not deep red.
2
 S 2816 Cep Double
11.7
5.6/7.7
21 39 00
57 29
  SAO 33626 - multiple binary, a very attractive triple
4
 Abell 77 Cep PN
76.0"x 49.0"
16.4P
21 32 10
55 5242
  Sh2-128, PK97+3.1 - 17.5" - 105x 0III filter; very faint, mody large, round, steadily averted
1
 S 2840 Cep Double
18.8
5.5/7.3
21h 52.0m
55 48
  SAO 33819 - Two bright stars of almost equal brightness form this double, well split at 67x.
4
 Sh2-127 Cyg BN
1.0'
21 28 41.9
54 37 15
  No information.
2
 NGC 7128 Cyg OC
3.1'
9.7
21 44 00
53 43 00
  17.5": 22 stars mag 11-13 in rich and compact 2.5' region.
2
 NGC 7086 Cyg OC
9.0'
8.4
21 30 30
51 35 00
  17.5": about 75 stars mag 10-14 in a 10' diameter. Fairly rich and contains six brighter stars.
1
 M39 Cyg OC
31.0'
4.6
21 32 12
48 27 00
  17.5": very bright, very large, about 30' diameter, scattered. Includes 18 stars mag 7 and 8.
2
 N7067 Cyg OC
3.0'
9.7
21 24 12
48 01 00
  17.5": about 20 stars in a 3' field. Faint but fairly rich, most stars very faint.
4
 Sh2-125 Cyg BN
8.8'
21 53 05
47 16 18
  IC 5146 - Coccoon Nebula - 17.5" - 82x with HBeta filter, fairly bright, very large, ~ 10' diameter.
2
 N7082 Cyg OC
24.0'
7.2
21 29 24
47 05 00
  17.5": fairly bright, large, 15' diameter, scattered, no distinct borders, in very rich field.
2
 NGC 7209 Lac OC
24.0'
7.7
22 05 12
46 30 00
  17.5": 100-125 stars, bright, large. Locagted in very rich star field, so does not stand out well.
2
 NGC 7062 Cyg OC
6.0'
8.3
21 23 28
46 23 03
  17.5": about 30 stars mag 10 and fainter in a 5' diameter at 220x.
4
 B156 Cyg DN
8.0'
3
21 33 59
45 35
  Diam. 8'; sharp pointed to N; BD +44 3865 (magnitude 4.1) in center
4
 B155 Cyg DN
13.0'
3
21 32 08
44 58
  Round; diam. 13'; indefinite; four small stars in a line crossing it E and W
4
 Sh2-123 Cyg BN
13.0'
21 42 05
44 32 24
  No information.
3
 NGC 7044 Cyg OC
5.0'
12.0
21 13 09
42 29 44
  17.5": at 100x, faint, small, a few stars are resolved over a 4' glowing spot at 220x.
4
 Sh2-113 Cyg BN
15.0'
21 20 30
38 05 29
  No information.
4
 Abell 78 Cyg PN
2.0'x1.7'
16.0P
21 35 29
31 41 44
  Not visible without OIII. At 193X dim glow 2'x2.5' NNE/SSW with a star offset inside to SE.
2
 NGC 7217 Peg GX
3.9'x3.2'
11.0B
22 07 52
31 21 33
  17.5": very bright, fairly large, round, dominated by small very bright core, surrounded by larger halo.
1
 Mu Cyg Double
1.4
4.8/6.1
21 44 00
28 45
  SAO 89940 - Nice close double!
4
 Abell 74 Vul PN
13.8'
12.2P
21 16 52
24 08 52
  PK72-17.1 -17.5" - 100x w/OIII, highly suspected, extremely weak, sighting very marginal.
2
 N7177 Peg GX
3.1'x2.0'
12.0B
22 00 41
17 44 18
  17.5": very bright, mod large, elong. Unusual very bright core elongated nearly at 45 degree angle.
4
 Arp 169 Peg GX
0.6'
14.6P
21 14 45
13 50 46
  NGC 7236, NGC 7237, 7237C - 17.5": all equally spaced on a NW-SE line.
3
 N7042 Peg GX
2.0'x1.7'
12.8P
21 13 45
13 34 31
  17.5": fairly faint, moderately large, round, bright core. Forms a pair with NGC 7043.
1
 M15 Peg GC
18.0'
6.3
21 29 58
12 10 01
  17.5" (8/5/94): extremely bright w/ halo to ~11' di.r,very bright core, 30" intense nucleus.
3
 N7156 Peg GX
1.6'x1.3'
13.1B
21 54 33
02 56 34
  17.5": fairly faint, small, round, weak concentration, irregular surface brightness, appears mottled.
4
 Shk81 Aqr GX11
1.3'
17.8
21 57 58
-01 44
  No information.
1
 M2 Aqr CG
16.0'
6.6
21 33 27
-00 49 12
  17.5" (8/2/86): > 100 stars resolved over the entire disc at 286x. Superb view at this magnification.
2
 S 2838 Aqr Double
17.6
6.3/9.1
21 54 36
-03 18
  SAO 145735 - Split at 100X, yellow and light blue in a nice curved stream of stars.
4
 HCG 89 Aqr GX4
0.9'x0.5'
15.4B
21 20 01
-03 55 19
  17.5" - HCG 89A pretty tough, extremely faint, small, round, 10" diam. At times arms glimpsed.
1
 12 Aqr Double
2.8
5.9/7.3
21 04 06
-05 49
  SAO 145064 Yellow and white double, split with a power of 117x.
4
 Shk297 Cap GX11
1.7'
21 42 18
-10 54
  2MASX J21421149-1050566 - No information.
3
 N7171 Aqr GX
2.6'x1.5'
12.9B
22 01 01
-13 16 09
  13.1" (9/3/83): faint, very diffuse, moderately large, weakly concentrated
4
 Shk296 Cap GX16
3.4'
21 40 34
-14 18
 
2MASX J21404094-1416322 No information.
3
 N7184 Aqr GX
6.0'x1.4'
11.7B
22 02 39
-20 48 50
  17.5" - bright, large, very elong WSW-ENE, small bright core, long faint extensions 5'-6' length.
4
 Arp 325 Aqr GX
0.3'x0.3'
16.0
22 06 21
-21 04 07
  PGC 68034 - 20" - 423x glow a little easier to hold, would divide into two or three objects.
4
 Palomar 12 Cap GC
2.9'
11.7
21 46 38
-21 15 03
  17.5" - The globular appeared an irregular 3' glow at 220x with ill-defined edges.
1
 M30 Cap GC
12.0'
6.9
21 40 22
-23 10 45
  17.5" - very irregular, strings of stars emanating from a irregular bright, partially resolved core.
3
 HCG 90 PSA GX4
2.3'x1.2'
12.9B
22 02 01
-31 52 11
  NGC 7172 - 17.5" - one of brightest Hickson groups, one of the few for an 8" scope.

Source catalogs:

Messier, Arp, Abell Planetary, Abell Galaxy Cluster (AGC), Hickson Compact Galaxy (HCG), Sharpless HII Regions, Barnard Dark Nebulae, Herschel 400, Herschel 400-II.

Herschel 400 are identified as NGCXXXX,
Herschel 400-II are indentified as NXXXX.
Descriptions are from the following web-sites:
Special thanks to Alvin Huey for his observing notes.

visitors since August 31, 2007