Fiddletown on 9/1/02

by Steve Gottlieb

It was a hot evening (T-shirt and shorts until moonrise) at Fiddletown last night with one of the largest turnouts I can remember (at least 15 scopes?) including a large showing from the Sacramento crowd and Dennis Beckley, Jim Webster and myself from the bay area. Seeing was quite steady (particularly early in the evening) and I was able to easily use 300x-400x with steady views on deep sky objects, but smoky haze from local fire(s) kept the transparency noticeably below average.

I took a couple of looks at Comet Hoenig during the evening and it was easy to see motion as it passed near a couple of stars. The warm temperatures made for a lazy, social evening, but I still logged about 20 objects before the moon was a nuisance at 1:30. A few hightlights were pairs UGC 480/MCG +05-03-003, UGC/MCG+06-02-017 (all within the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster) and IC 65/UGC 622. I also took a look at the "Tadpole Galaxy" (Arp 188) -- not much visually, but the new HST image of its long tidal tail fluttering in a sea of distant galaxies is mesmerizing. Finally, as Gary Manning and Jane Smith were hunting down Barnard's galaxy I focused on two bright HII knots at the north edge of the galaxy which are pretty easy at moderate to high power.

UGC 480 = MCG +06-02-016 = CGCG 519-021 = VV 527	00 46 31.9 +36 19 32	V = 12.5; Size 1.5x1.2; SB = 13.0; PA = 177d
17.5": fairly faint, fairly small, irregular shape and surface brightness, 1.0' diameter, broadly concentrated. For the right angle of a small isosceles triangle with two mag 13.5-14 stars 1.4' N and 1.3' W. Forms an interacting pair with MCG +06-02-017 1.4' E. Member of the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster.
MCG +05-03-003 = CGCG 500-094 = CGCG 501-013 = LGG 014-025	00 47 10.5 +32 41 40	V = 14.2; Size 0.4x0.4; SB = 12.3
17.5": very faint, small, nearly round, 0.3'x0.25'. A mag 13.5 star is at the N edge, 20" from center. Located 2' WNW of a mag 9.4 star which interferes with viewing. Forms a pair with edge-on UGC 484 3.1' WSW.

UGC 484 = MCG +05-03-001 = CGCG 500-091 = CGCG 501-001 = VV 441 = LGG 014-005	00 46 55.9 +32 40 28	V = 13.1; Size 2.2x0.8; SB = 13.5; PA = 25d
17.5": faint, moderately large, edge-on 5:1 SSW-NNE, 1.0'x0.2', low even surface brightness with no noticeable core. A mag 13.5 star is just off the following side, 30" from the geometric center. Located on the SW side of a circular group of a dozen stars including a mag 9.5 star on the E side. The group is detached and seems like a poor cluster. Forms a pair with MCG +05-03-003 3.1' ENE in the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster.
MCG +06-02-017 = CGCG 519-022 = VV 527	00 46 38.7 +36 19 53	V = 14.5; Size 0.8x0.4; SB = 13.2; PA = 174d
17.5": very faint, small, elongated 2:1 N-S, 0.5'x0.25'. This disrupted galaxy form an interacting pair with brighter UGC 480 1.4' W.

IC 65 = UGC 625 = MCG +08-03-005 = CGCG 551-004 = LGG 016-003	01 00 55.6 +47 40 55	V = 12.8; Size 3.9x1.1; SB = 14.3; PA = 155d
17.5": fairly faint, fairly large, edge-on 4:1 NNW-SSE, 2.5'x0.6'. Contains a slightly brighter, bulging core. The outer tips fades into the background, so it was difficult to estimate extent. A faint star is just off the following side of the core and a pair of mag 14 stars are off the SE extension. Located in a rich star field 8.5' WSW of mag 8 HD 5982.
UGC 622 = MCG +08-03-004 = CGCG 551-003 = LGG 016-002	01 00 28.1 +47 59 42	V = 13.5; Size 1.0x0.7; SB = 13.0; PA = 160d
17.5": faint, fairly small, elongated 3:2 NNW-SSE, 0.6'x0.4'. Located 3' SE of a mag 10.7 star and 5' ESE of mag 7.1 HD 5764. Brighter edge-on IC 65 lies 19' SSE.

UGC 10214 = MCG +09-26-056 = CGCG 275-023 = Arp 188 = VV 29 = Tadpole Galaxy	16 06 03.9 +55 25 32	V = 13.7; Size 1.5x0.7; SB = 13.6; PA = 79d
17.5": the "Tadpole Galaxy" appeared very faint, small, elongated ~E-W, 0.5'x0.3', low surface brightness. The previous month I mistook fainter MCG +09-26-052 located 12' NNW for this galaxy from the Sierra Buttes. In poorer conditions (haze from fires cut down transparency) from Fiddletown I couldn't see MCG +09-26-052.

Hubble V	19 44 52.2 -14 43 09	Size 40"x30"
17.5": at 140x-280x (unfiltered) this is preceding of a pair of fairly easily visible HII regions at the north end of Barnard's Galaxy. There is a good contrast improvement using an OIII filter at 140x.
Hubble X	19 45 05.3 -14 43 18	Size 1.0x0.9
17.5": following of a pair of HII regions with Hubble V at the north end of Barnard's galaxy. Visible with direct vision at 220x without a filter and there is mild contrast gain using an OIII filter at 140x.