April 15 to 19, 2012 at Ft. Davis

NELM 7.0 to 7.8 variable as sky glow due to higher than normal solar activity

Seeing 3/5 to 4/5

Transparency 4/5

Telescope: 48” f/4.0 reflector

Eyepieces:  10 and 6mm ZAO-II, 10mm Delos, 8mm TMB Supermonocentric

Images are from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Shakhbazian Compact Groups of Galaxies is a compilation that totaled 377 compact groups of galaxies found on the Palomar Sky Survey red charts. The survey was done between 1973 to 1979 by a Russian professional astronomer, Dr. Romela Shakhbazian and her collaborators. Some have considered this list as the “next” Hickson Compact Galaxy group list…so if you have tackled that list, then this list is a good one to work on.

The notes are very raw as I just wrote the notable differences between galaxies, otherwise I just drew the ones I’ve seen.

The listed magnitudes on the images are from NED.

All images are from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (color) or DSS (monochrome)

Shakhbazian 098 in Ursa Major

Cluster of 10 galaxies, mag 16.7, Size: 3’   RA: 08 52 11.5  Dec: +53 35 32

48” at 488, 610 and 813x – A curved chain of seven faint galaxies (marked as B to I), which seven are nearly stellar.  I didn’t detect tehe galaxy labeled as “C”.  “A” is just off the SE edge of NGC 2675.  “J” is the brightest of the very small stellar galaxies and lies about 45” east of the upper middle part of the chain.  A 13.0 mag star lies 30” east from the center of the chain.  Nearby galaxy, NGC 2675 is a very bright slightly elongated glow with diffuse edges and a much brighter small core.

Shakhbazian 006 in Ursa Major part of AGC 1218

Cluster of 7 galaxies, mag 16.0, Size: 1.7’   RA: 11 18 47.4  Dec: +51 44 40

48” at 488 and 813x - Nice group of five faint very small round glows forming a backward “L”.  The long end is 0.9’ long and the short is 0.2’ long.  MAC 1118+5144A, labeled as “F” is a fairly faint small amorphous even surface brightness glow.  G was not seen.

Shakhbazian 060 in Ursa Major

Cluster of 9 galaxies, mag 16.5+, Size: 1.6’   RA: 11 24 33.4  Dec: +40 25 08

48” at 488x - Seven galaxies seen in a rough crescent arrangement with the cusp pointed to the west.  2’ long from N to S and 1.2’ wide.  “A” is the brightest of the bunch with a very faint nearly stellar companion that is barely resolved on the SSE edge.  “E” was detected as a nearly stellar galaxy while “F” is a 2:1 even surface brightness glow.  PA = 135 and 0.1’ long.  The rest are very faint very small round glows and all are <0.1’ across.

Shakhbazian 199 in Ursa Major

Cluster of 13 galaxies, mag 16.72+, Size: 4.7’   RA: 11 35 23.4  Dec: +30 43 02

48” at 488x – Only 7 galaxies seen in the field and labeled as A to G.  “A” is a considerably bright round glow with a brighter center and diffuse edges.  0.2’ across.  “C” is a nearly stellar fuzzy star.  The rest are faint to very faint round glows.

Shakhbazian 191 in Leo Minor

Cluster of 23 galaxies, mag 15.2+, Size: 3.9’   RA: 10 48 09.5  Dec: +31 28 46

48” at a488 and 610x – A total of 13 galaxies seen and all are labeled.  The brightest galaxies are the two MACs labeled on the chart, and both are fairly bright round glows that are almost merging.  About 0.1’ apart.  “F” is the third brightest and detected as a small round glow with defined edges.  0.1’ across.  “C” is extremely faint nearly stellar glow.  The rest are faint to extremely faint very small round glows. 

Shakhbazian 374 in Coma Berenices

Cluster of 5 galaxies, mag 17.29+, Size: 1.3’   RA: 13 15 57.5  Dec: +21 25 06

48” at 488 and 813x – Five very faint small round glows detected in a rough L shaped asterism.  A smoking and blazing mag 7.5 star lies just 1.9’ due south and best at 813x with the 6mm ZAO-II eyepiece just to keep the star off the field.  1.0’ long and 0.5’ wide.

Shakhbazian 009 in Coma Berenices

Cluster of 17 galaxies, mag 16+, Size: 2.5’   RA: 13 24 04.0  Dec: +19 01 51

48” at 488x – A total of 7 galaxies seen in a chain with one off the west side.  A faint double star lies just 9” west of the brightest galaxy, “E”.  All are faint to very faint small round glows.  A blazing mag 8.1 star lies 4.5’ SW from “A”.

Shakhbazian 323 in Virgo

Cluster of 8 galaxies, mag 17.19+, Size: 1.2’   RA: 12 19 17.4  Dec: -07 24 09

48” at 488 and 813x – A very faint elongated glow punctuated with 3 very faint stellar equidistant cores.  0.4’ long and PA = 75 degrees.  A mag 9.6 star lies 0.9’ east of the east end of the chain.

Shakhbazian 213 in Bootes

Cluster of 6 galaxies, mag 15.07+, Size: 1.9’   RA: 13 45 11.2  Dec: +26 53 19

48” at 488x – Total of six galaxies seen.  MAC 1345+2653 is by far the brightest of the bunch and is slightly elongated even surface brightness glow.  “C” is a nearly stellar glow just off the NNE edge.  A and B are slightly further, but very close to the edge of MAC 1345+2653 and are very small round glows.  MAC 1345+2654 is a 5:2 elongated even surface brightness glow with defined edges.  A 10.0 mag star lies 1.7’ WSW of MAC 1345+2653.  D is a faint, very small round glow

Shakhbazian 011 in Bootes

Cluster of 9 galaxies, mag 17, Size: 2.8’   RA: 14 11 08.0  Dec: +44 43 19

48” at 488 and 610x – Seven galaxies detected as faint to very faint small round glows.  A faint star is just 10” east of “G”.  A very faint star is just 10” NE of “B”

Shakhbazian 219 in Bootes part of AGC 1984

Cluster of 13 galaxies, mag -, Size: 2.7’   RA: 14 52 37.1  Dec: +27 58 34

48” at 488 and 610x – Only 5 galaxies seen.  The Two brighter ones labeled as the PGC and MAC are fairly faint round glows and almost merged.  B to D are very faint small round glows.  A very faint star is among the B to D group.  E and A was not seen.

Shakhbazian 079 in Bootes

Cluster of 10 galaxies, mag 17.3, Size: 1.0’   RA: 15 32 40.9  Dec: +43 03 39

48” at 488x – Not much was seen but an unresolved glow. 

Shakhbazian 022 in Draco

Cluster of 13 galaxies, mag 16.5+, Size: 2.4’   RA: 15 45 43.0  Dec: +55 06 47

48” at 488x and 610x – Total of five galaxies seen.  “A” is a fairly faint small round glow with “E” just off the west edge.  The other three, B to D, are faint small round glows.

Shakhbazian 360 in Serpens  part of AGC 2113

Cluster of 14 galaxies, mag -, Size: 1.3’   RA: 15 41 27.0  Dec: +04 44 08

48” 488 and 813x – 10 members seen in a very tight crowded field.  Needed to spend a little more time than usual to resolve the individual members.  B was the brightest while A was the second brightest.  The rest are faint to very faint very small round glows.