by Jeff Barbour
Well as I said, James, Denny, Phil, son Eric, and I (along with the official photographer whose name I know not what) were there to watch as Grave Saturn (Justice of the Peace) gathered Bride and Groom together and spake those fateful words of bonding that unite Man and Woman together in Holy Matrimony. (Well, like I said, this was only the rehearsal - the actual wedding takes place about a week from now.)
But though we watched, the view was none-too-good. For alas, despite the virtues of the assembled equipment (Eric's ST80, my MK67, Denny's Vixen 102mm ED, and Phil's 10 inch homebrew dobsonian), none of us caught much more than a hint of the extravaganza because our own world was making such a fuss about the whole thing. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, the Earth was in such a bluster that all we got to see through the assembled equipage were hugely bloated and unfocusable fuzzballs!
But, what do expect when the Bride never chooses to remove Her Veil? And the Best Man never wanders very far from "Home and Hearth"? While our own attendee (Bride's Maid Earth) got Herself into such a tizzy?
So having been effectively discouraged from continued contemplation, and after the departure of the official photographer whose name I know not what, we turned the assembled equipment (Eric's ST80, my MK-67, Denny's Vixen 102mm ED, and Phil's 10 inch homebrew dobsonian) to other purposes...
Better-positioned Jupiter came closest to achieving any kind of focus. (Saturn's rings by the way, could not be distinguished from its disk. We all agreed that it made for a fine "football-shaped" galaxy however!) No belt's detectable on Jupiter - irrespective of how low you dropped the magnification. Io could be seen to approximate the planet's western limb. Europa was lost to us (probably in shadow-eclipse at the time).
Leo now stands at skydark culmination. And by the time we broke off from following the Clestial Event to the West, 4.6 magnitude Kappa could be held unaided and direct. Soon the sky got as dark as it would (magnitude 5.0), and I made a swing to Praesepe. There 150mm Argo was just able to hold the cluster's designated 12.7 limiting telescope magnitude test star. (Required full aversion of the sight at 52x. At 70x, the same star was a tad easier. And at both 120 and 180x mild to moderate aversion was needed.)
Seeing was so poor that telescopic limiting magnitude "peaked" at an exit pupil of something above 1mm. Hmmm...
Such conditions were not well-matched to the evening's observing plan. For you see, I was hoping that 5.5 ULM & 7/10 skies would prevail overhead. And under such "optimal" conditions, 52x should reveal stars to magnitude 12.5 direct - and 13.5 with full aversion. This in turn, should allow me to unequivocably find the "average" deepsky study of the following types and brightness:
Given that I would only have a few hours to track down but a few examples, this particular night plan would include only a handful of globular clusters and galaxies (of the more condensed type). So started early on
NGC 2419 Lyn, Type: Globular Cluster, Mag: 10.4, Size 4.1' Pos: 7h 38m, 38d 52m N
Turned up the marker faint finder pair north of Castor quickly. (I visit this enigmatic rogue cluster often in its season). James and I were both just able to just hold this faint and distant cluster with moderate aversion through Argo. - Not good! A cluster on the limits of "findability" (by my definition) should be something you can "just hold" with direct vision. And since aversion of the moderate type typically adds .7 magnitudes of visual sensitivity (again based on personal experience), the sky would need to be... Let's see, "optimal" to hold this baby! (So OK, data associated with NGC2419 was actually used as a parameter in developing the algorithm calculating the above parameters...)
NGC 4387 Vir, Type: Condensed Galaxy, Mag: 12.0, Size: 1.4x0.7', Pos: 12h 25m, 12d 48m N
Swung Argo "East of Denebola". Turned up M98 (tough, but holdable direct). M99, (much easier with a sense of core-brightening). However, neither of these galaxies were part of the plan. As it turned out, couldn't find galaxy NGC4387 at all - neither in my Star Atlas nor the intended M84/86 field of view. Possibly too small (visible only as a faint star on aversion) at 52x. Moved on to:
NGC 4388 Vir, Type: Condensed Galaxy, Mag: 11.1, Size: 5.0x1.3', Pos: 12h 25m, 12d 39m N
This 12.9 magnitude average surface brightness galaxy was no problemo. Faint edge-on oriented roughly east-west forming an almost eqiuilateral triangle south of M86 in the M84&86 pair. I'm thinking "structure" here on a better night.
And as I now recall, Galaxy NGC4387 should have turned up in the middle of the M84/86/NGC4388 triangle. Hmmm... A darker night and even at 52x - if you know precisely where to look. Something to look forward too...
NGC 4402 Vir, Type: Condensed Galaxy, Mag: 11.7, Size: 3.3x1.0', Pos: 12h 26m, 13d 6m N
This one was tough! Found very close to and just north of M86. Faint blur direct. Only verifable with aversion. Not unequivocal. Needs a deeper night.
NGC 4476 Vir, Type: Condensed Galaxy, Mag: 12.3, Size: 1.9x1.0', Pos: 12h 30m , 12d 21m N
Dropped down to that Giant Elliptical - M87 - probable Capital-Galaxy of the entire Coma-Virgo Supercluster! Even on this particular evening, brilliant! But my goal lay some 20' west. Caught a small, diffuse brightening with star-like nucleus on aversion. Interestingly, thought I also glimpsed a hint of NGC4478 as well. Galaxy 4478 lay closer to and slightly southwest of the Great Ellipse. At magnitude 11.2, this three-quarter arc-minute sized galaxy didn't exactly "demand" immediate attention...
So among the galaxies, mixed results. Larger dimmer studies to magnitude 12.2 achievable. Smaller brighter ones - very difficult at 52x - but probable under darker/sharper conditions.
So how about a few more globulars. As you may recall the Intergalactic Wanderer (NGC2419 in Lynx), only possible using "tricks of the eye". But again conditions significantly poorer than optimal. What about a large dim one?
NGC 5053 Com, Type: Globular Cluster, Mag: 9.80 Size 10.5', Pos: 13h 16m, 17d 41m N Unlike the Wanderer, this one demanded every trick of aversion to just get a sense of "imaginosity". Although I am confident in turning up its locale (5' west of a 10th magnitude star near a finderscope triangle of other stars), call this one a "no show". With a 60x average surface brightness (ASB) of magnitude 14.6 - no surprise here!
Let's try something of a similar apparent size but twice as bright, shall we?
NGC 5466 Boo, Type: Globular Cluster, Mag: 9.10 Size: 11.0' Pos: 14h 5m, 28d 31m N
At an ASB of 14.1, very straightforward. Very large and coarse to the perception. Should be partially resolvable through a ten inch. But by this time, the cold and late hour had left me alone in the parking lot (with son Eric hunkered down under a denim "blanket" in the passenger seat of the hatchback).
But earlier, did get a chance to show James the "Flashlight Globular" - NGC5634 in Virgo.
NGC 5634 Vir, Type: Globular Cluster, Mag: 9.60, Size: 4.9 RA, Dec: 14h 29m, 5d 59m S
Here was a globular that mapped well against conditions. Bearing an ASB of 12.9, the core of this cutie could be seen quietly illumining the sky some three arc-minutes due west of an "illuminating source" - an 8th magnitude bluish white star. Thus, "The Flashlight". Check it out! An easy find south of triple star Phi Virginis on the line between Mu and Iota. But bring a wee bit more magnification to bear on a darker night to really get that "flashlight beam" sense!
So OK, obs plan now accompli. Packed Argo away (Eric had dissassembled the 80mm Pup much earlier. His main quest had been to sweep the sky vainly for a comet reputed to lie in the region of Fleet-Footed Mercury.) After locking up and on the drive back, Eric and I discussed how what I do differs from "real" astronomers. And how what I do differs from most amateurs. I explained that professionals get degrees, get funding, and get paid. While most amateurs prefer to "find stuff" and look at it. While, I like to do "soft science". Meaningless data collection based on equipment, seeing conditions, under a "plan" that ultimately is of no interest other than myself.
Eric understood this concept and said "The only way I would have stayed out in that cold was to do something like that."
Sure, and if I weren't doing something like that, I probably wouldn't be out at all...