Sunglow AZ Apr 2-4

Rob Hawley

Robert and I had a great time at Sunglow ranch. This experience is the polar opposite of a GSSP. Warm bed, flush toilets, gourmet food. One could get used to this! Robert drove (2 days one way). I flew into Tucson and rented a car for the two hour drive to the site in southeast Arizona. Each night was in the 30s which is consistent with the nearly 5000 foot elevation.

Wednesday night started cloudy, but at midnight the sky cleared. We worked until twilight began and were treated to a rising moon.

Thursday was clear, but wind kicked up some dust that cut transparency somewhat at the start of the evening.

Friday was clear.

Most of the observations are using either GOTO or DSC. The Wednesday stuff is old school. Since we had Robert's 20" many of the objects I selected were in the serious faint fuzzy category that were beyond the reach of my scope. Even the Eye Candy stuff we did benefitted from the larger aperture and high and dry skies.

Here is some of what I logged. I did not bother with the Messier objects we looked at.

Object        Type          FOV           Notes

Friday                        
Hickson 57    Gal Grp       0° 14'        3753 3746 3749 3750
NGC 5940      Galaxy        0° 14'        
Hickson 51    Gal Grp       0° 14'        3653 3651-1 IC 2759
NGC 4244      Galaxy        0° 23'        Nice Edge on
NGC 4656      Galaxy        0° 23'        Hockey Puck Lots more detail due to More aperture and dark skies
                        

Thursday                        
Hickson 70    Gal Grp       0° 23'        IC 4370 IC 4371 dimly vis with 3 or 4 of group
NGC 2655      Galaxy        0° 14'        BRIGHT CENTER ELONG
NGC 3003      Galaxy        0° 19'        relatively dim for eye candy edge on some center brightening
NGC 3344      Galaxy        0° 14'        
NGC 4414      Galaxy        0° 19'        bright probably spiral bright center did not see spirals but int of flatness
NGC 4494      Galaxy        0° 19'        
NGC 4562      Galaxy        0° 19'        dim

NGC 4565      Galaxy        0° 19'        spectacular edge on w bright center
Hickson 62    Gal Grp       0° 14'        4761 4766 4778
Hickson 61    Gal Grp       0° 23'        4173 4174 4169 4175 in square
NGC 3631      Galaxy        0° 23'        def size w bright center Dim halo hint of spiral
                        
Wend                        
NGC 4145      Galaxy        0° 23'        dim but definite spiral
NGC 4151      Galaxy        0° 23'        
NGC 4156      Galaxy        0° 23'        
C/2007 B2 Skiff Comet       0° 13'        
C/2007 W1 Boattini Comet    0° 13'        
NGC 4301      Galaxy        0° 23'        
NGC 4676-1    Galaxy        0° 13'        dim but one extension visible