4 NGC galaxies in/around UMa (3 sketched)

It was a short night before the moon rose, and the transparency wasn't very good to start with. So I stuck to moderately bright galaxies in and around UMa:

NGC2768 2/24/2008 21:00 UTC; Pickering 4, NELM 5, SQM 20.4

175x shows a reasonably bright galaxy, elongated perhaps 5:1 E-W with a well-condensed core, also showing elongation perhaps 2:1. Bright foreground stars to N, E and W.

Extent reduced at 260x, but core shows hints of mottling, or perhaps even an hour-glass shape oriented E-W, more pronounced on N side, with a semi-stellar center.

NGC2681 2/24/2008 21:00 UTC; Pickering 4, NELM 5, SQM 20.4

Fairly circular with a highly-condensed near-stellar core. Large, dim evenly-shaded disk/halo at 175x; diminishing at 260x.

Begs for darker skies....

NGC3079 2/24/2008 21:00 UTC; Pickering 4, NELM 5, SQM 20.4

Great big slightly bent streak of a galaxy at 260x. Brightening to center also highly elongated. Bend less prominent at 175x, but still noticable. (DSS img suggests dimmer extent of disk -- which is more uniform -- was not visible.)

NGC2683 2/24/2008 21:00 UTC; Pickering 4, NELM 5, SQM 20.4

Another big streak of a galaxy, this one showing more of a tilted disk shape with a gradual brightening to a large core.

Fantastic at 260x where the disk picks up greater extent on either side of core across short axis in averted vision, giving it a pronounced 3D effect. This is one of the few tilted spirals that really gave me the impression of looking across a tilted disk rather than just looking at an elongated galaxy.

-- Jeff.

Stop it, Stop it!!

You're giving me apeture fever!!

Keep 'Em coming Jeff. I think I am going to start using your posts to plan observing sessions! Beautiful Sketches with all the info I need about magnification etc to get the best views possible in my 12in.

Lovely work Jeff. Keep 'em coming!
About how long would each sketch take?
What lighting do you use to ensure you can see what you are sketching yet keep complete night vision?

Cheers,

Thanks Keith and Michael!

Those three sketches each took about 20min. Of that, I spent 5 - 10 minutes studying the target first, then 5 min sketching the field stars, followed by 5 - 10 min sketching the target itself.

I do this with one of the ubiquitous two-LED dimmer flashlights (sold by Celestron, Orion and others). It's not a perfect solution -- you have to turn it up about 1/3 of the way to get a large section of the sketch illuminated, which does have some effect on my night vision. I'd rather leave it at its lowest setting, but then I find it too hard to see what I'm sketching.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.

Inspiring again.

Thanks
Donal

Jefff, Those are lovely sketches, You surehave agreat view through the 16 inch, it feels like you are actually looking at them yourself!

Keith..