Leaping Lactescent Luminaries in Leo

by Randy Muller

It was absolutely clear for the first time in a couple of months, so I seized the opportunity to observe from my backyard on the night of February 29, 2000 -- a notable day in our calendar for being an exception to an exception in the "every 4 year" rule for leap years. The exceptions cancel, and voilá -- it's a leap year -- the first time in three hundred years that a year ending in 00 in this country was a leap year.

Such weighty concerns were not really on my mind as I set my 10" newtonian scope up. I was mainly concerned about catching a glimpse of some of the brighter springtime lactescent luminaries in the constellation Leo, the Lion.

My lawn was extra squishy and slippery as I set up. The temperature was very moderate -- probably in the mid-50's.

I immediately set about assessing the seeing, which turned out to be excellent, by easily observing 6 stars in the Trapezium: The cluster of stars at the center of the Great Nebula in Orion.

I assessed the transparency as "very good" by observing (just barely) M109, a galaxy in the Big Dipper. It has been a while since I have observed regularly in my backyard -- the extensive light pollution ruins the night sky, so I have tended to go elsewhere to observe in recent years. My old test for transparency was being able to observe M109. If I could see it, it was extraordinarily transparent.

Well, I could see it tonight, but I don't think it was all that transparent. I think my observing skills have grown in the time since I observed from my backyard, and I can now see things that I would not have been able to way back then, about 2 years ago.

At any rate, these chores accomplished, I eagerly turned my scope on Leo's hindquarters, where I immediately found my old friends, M65 and M66 and NGC 3628, the famous Leo Triple of galaxies.

Back in the old days, I never even used to look for or see NGC 3628, But with some experience I began to venture further afield to observe it. It is considerably fainter than M66 and M65, but I was able to see it clearly, even if it was ghostly. M66 and M65 were like beacons.

I looked for the nearby galaxy NGC 3593, and failed to see it.

I looked at M44, the large and glorious Beehive cluster, with my naked eyes, and it was easily visible halfway between Leo and Gemini, even if Cancer (the constellation it is located in) was completely missing. To my eyes, M44 appeared as a small dim patch of sky that was slightly lighter than the surrounding sky, but never moved (as a cloud would).

I moved on in Leo to observe M105 and NGC 3384, a pair of very bright galaxies near Leo's belly. Nearby galaxy NGC 3389 eluded me this night.

I rounded out the short night with the other bright galaxies in the neighborhood, M96 and M95.

I had tried for some fainter stuff near Regulus, but I kept coming up short as the lactescent sky hid these treasures.

It was wonderful to see stars and galaxies in the sky once again. Spring cometh!

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