DEEP SKY OBSERVING
December 2007
by Mark Wagner

Primary targets are in bold large font. Additional targets range from more difficult (large font) to difficult (regular font) and most challengingt (small font). Targets are within a one hour section of right ascension, north to south, and at a comfortable eastern elevation at astronomical dark. Available for download as a Megastar .obs file or Excel spreadsheet.
 Object  Const.  Type
Size 
Mag 
R.A.
Dec.
Abell 3 Cas. PN
60"
18.2P
02 12 06
64 09 03
22" f/4.1. SH2-189 PK13+2.1.  18" f/4.5. Very faint disk 110X and OIII
N0896 Cas. BN
21.0'
02 26 40
62 05 00
10" f/5.6. Bubble-like, one side of much brighter than the other. Connected with IC 1795 and part of IC 1805 complex.
Sh2-190 Cas. BN
96'x80'
02 32 48
61 30 00
LBN 654 IC 1805.  18" f/4.3. OIII filter, cluster encased in glow.
NGC 1027 Cas. OC
20.0'
6.7
02 42 36
61 35 42
10" f/5.6. Easily seen but hard to break out of  rich background.
Sh2-193 Cas. BN
2.0'
02 47 40
61 58 33
Sh2-192 Cas. BN
1.0'
02 47 18
61 57 58
Sh2-194 Cas. BN
2.0'
02 47 23
61 55 00
Sh2-198 Cas. BN
9.0'
02 50 01
59 42 00
Sh2-197 Cas. GX
5.8'x1.7'
02 41 55
59 36 15
Maffei 2
Sh2-195 Cas. BN
3.0'x1.0'
02 40 04
59 37 02
Sh2-191 Cas. GX
3.4'x1.7'
11.4
02 36 18
59 39 19
Maffei 1
NGC 884 Per. OC
29.0'
6.1
02 22 20
57 08 00
Can you split the Double Cluster into two halves naked eye?
NGC 869 Per. OC
29.0'
5.3
02 19 04
57 08 06
Can you split the Double Cluster into two halves naked eye?
M34 Per. OC
35.0'
5.2
02 42 08
42 45 00
NGC 1039. Nice binocular object, and visible naked eye.
Abell 4 Per. PN
20.0"
16.7P
02 45 23
42 33 03
22" f/4.1. PK144-15.1.  18" f/4.3. Direct vision continuous no filter averted. 
NGC 891 And. GX
14.3'x2.4'
10.8
02 22 33
42 21 03

6".Long thin ghostly edge on galaxy with obvious dust lane.
AGC 347 And. GXCL
56'
13.3
02 25 48
41 52 00
Few dozen galaxies mag 13.3 to 15.7 in 56' field near NGC 891.
N1003 Per. GX
5.5'x1.8'
12.0B
02 39 16
40 52 22
18" f/4.5. Bright spindle galaxy 6'x2' E/W with brighter core.
NGC 1023 Per. GX
8.7'x2.3'
10.4
02 40 24
39 03 46
Arp 135. 18" f/4.5. Very bright core with long tenuous arms to the E&W.
N1058 Per. GX
3.0'x2.7'
11.8B
02 43 30
37 20 30
18" f/4.5. roundish -  with a darker area (opening?) to the SW.
NGC 752 And. OC
49.0'
5.7
01 57 48
37 51 00
18" f/4.5. easy cluster to identify, rich, but spread out.
N0890 Tri GX
2.7'x1.8'
12.2B
02 22 01
33 15 47
8' f/6. shows faint nebulosity surrounding a bright central core.
N0925 Tri GX
10.5'x5.9'
10.7B
02 27 16
33 34 41
9.25". Large galaxy. Not round or enlongated, pieces everywhere.
N1060 Tri GX
2.3'x1.7'
11.8
02 43 15
32 25 29
11". a bright little brushstroke with a stellar core,
N1012 Ari. GX
3.1'x1.5'
13.0P
02 39 15
30 09 11
12.5". Hint of elongation, not much brighter center, diffuse oval.
HCG 20 Ari. GX
0.5'x0.2'
17.2
02 44 12
26 05 58
22" f/4.1. PGC10364. 22". Of 6 galaxies, four visible form right trianble.
NGC 772 Ari. GX
7.2'x4.2'
11.2
01 59 19
19 00 30
Arp 78. 18" f/4.3. bright, very large, elongated. Impression of spiral arm.
HCG 18 Ari. GX
1.0'x0.2'
15.5B
02 39 09
18 22 02
UGC 2140A. Arp 258. 17.5" f/4.5. required averted vision. Key to observing is high magnification.
HCG 17 Ari. GX
0.3'x0.3'
16.8
02 14 05
13 18 38
PGC8561. 22" f/4.1. Very challenging. 5 members in about 1' diameter. 2 members observed.
N0821 Ari. GX
2.1'x1.5'
11.7B
02 08 21
10 59 44
12.5". Very small, pretty dim. Can see it with direct vision.
N0706 Psc. GX
1.8'x1.3'
13.2B
01 51 50
06 17 44
17.5" f/4.5. fairly faint, fairly small, almost round, faint nucleus.
N0741 Psc. GX
2.9'x2.8'
12.2B
01 56 21
05 37 44
17.5" f/4.5. Moderately bright, round, prominent core.
N0718 Psc. GX
2.3'x2.0'
12.6B
01 53 13
04 11 46
17.5" f/4.5. moderately bright, fairly small, round, very faint halo.
HCG 15 Psc. GX
1.2'x0.7'
14.7B
02 07 53
02 10 03
UGC 1624. 17.5" f/4.5. Five of the six members visible at 280x.
Arp 10 Psc. GX
1.5'x1.4'
13.8P
02 18 26
05 39 12
UGC1775. 20". Small oval, core is bright. Brighter arc on the NW edge. This arc is the one of the arms.
N1070 Psc. GX
2.3'x1.9'
12.7P
02 43 22
04 58 08
17.5" f/4.5. moderately bright, moderately large, elongated 3:2.
N1073 Psc. GX
4.9'x4.4'
11.5B
02 43 40
01 22 34
16" f/4.5. Nice low surface brightness ringed barred-spiral galaxy.
N1032 Psc. GX
3.3'x1.1
12.6B
02 39 23
01 05 37
16" f/4.5. High surface brightness elongated patch with a distinct dust lane screaming across the center.
NGC 1055 Psc. GX
7.6'x2.6'
11.4B
02 41 44
00 26 31
18" f/4.3. bright, large elongated galaxy, nearly edge on.
M77 Cet. GX
7.1'x6.0'
9.6B
02 42 40
-00 00 48
NGC 1068. Arp 37. 150mm f/12. tight spiral with many arms. Use high power to observe structure.
N1090 Psc. GX
4.0'x1.7'
12.5B
02 48 33
-00 14 50
13". faint, moderately large, diffuse, slightly elongated ~E-W.
N1087 Psc. GX
3.7'x2.2'
11.5B
02 46 25
-00 30 03
17.5" f/4.5. Large, elongated, brighter halo, small bright core.
NGC 936 Psc. GX
4.7'x4.0'
11.1B
02 27 37
-01 09 17
8". bright, moderately large, very bright core, oval NW-SE.
NGC 779 Psc. GX
4.0'x1.1'
12
01 59 42
-05 57 52
17.5" f/4.5. Bright, very elongated, brighter core, stellar nucleus.
HCG 14 Psc. GX
1.3'x0.5'
14.9B
01 59 52
-07 05 11
MCG-1-6-22 17.5" f/4.5. "A, B, C" seen with progressive difficulty. Other observations have four in a distnict chain.
HCG 16 Psc. GX
1.4'x1.1'
12.1
02 09 24
-10 08 09
NGC 835 Arp 318 17.5" f/4.5.  Bright gals!  Four of them.
NGC 720 Psc. GX
4.6'x2.3'
11.2
01 53 00
-13 44 21
17.5" f/4.5. Bright, 2.0'x1'. Well defined core, faint outer halo.
NGC 1022 Psc. GX
2.4'x1.9'
12.1B
02 38 32
-06 40 42
8" f/6. faint, small, diffuse, broad concentration, slightly elongated.
N0991 Psc. GX
2.7'x2.4'
12.4P
02 35 32
-07 09 15
17.5" f/4.5. Large, diffuse, weak concentration. 
NGC 1084 Eri. GX
3.2'x1.7'
11.3B
02 45 59
-07 34 42
17.5" f/4.5.  Lots of detail.  Bright, mottled, dark lanes, irregular.
N1035 Psc. GX
2.6'x0.9'
12.9B
02 39 29
-08 07 57
13.1" f/4.5. Fairly faint, very elongated (nearly edge-on) NW-SE.
NGC 1052 Psc. GX
3.0'x2.4'
10.4
02 41 04
-08 15 22
13.1" f/4.5. Very bright, small, round, intense core. Large group.
N1045 Psc. GX
2.3'x1.2'
12.9
02 40 29
-11 16 38
17.5" f/4.5.  Bright, small, prominent core, stellar nucleus.
HCG 19 Psc. GX
0.8'x0.6'
14.2B
02 42 38
-12 25 15
MCG-2-7-73 22". Four members, which three were detected. Forms a slightly obtuse 30-60-90 degree triangle.
N1114 Eri. GX
1.7'x0.7'
13.6
02 49 07
-16 59 41
17.5" f/4.5.  Fairly faint, 2.0'x0.7'.  Brighter middle, no nucleus.
HCG 21 Eri. GX
2.5'x0.8'
13.1
02 45 17
-17 42 30
NGC1099 17.5" f/4.5.  All five seen easily Ellipticals & one spiral. Widely spaced.
NGC 908 Psc. GX
6.0'x2.6'
10.8B
02 23 05
-21 13 59
17.5" f/4.5.  Fairly bright, large, irregular, possible nucleus.
Arp 77 For. GX
12.7'x9.4'
10.2
02 46 18
-30 16 21
16" f/4.5. Very impressive barred spiral galaxies. Look for a fairly bright companion, NGC 1097A NW from the center.

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:

Thanks to Steve Gottlieb and Alvin Huey for their help.

visitors since August 31, 2007