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Date: May 31, 2014
Location: Blue Canyon at 5,200 feet in the Sierras
NELM: Average at 6.5
Telescope: 22” f/4.0 reflector sitting on a Crossbow EQT-200 equatorial platform
Eyepieces (not all are used): 24mm Panoptic (finder eyepiece), 16, 10, 6 and 4mm ZAO-II’s, 12.5, 9, 7 and 5mm BGO, 12, 10, 8, and 6mm Delos, and TMB 1.8x ED Barlow.
Selected objects: Galaxy Trios
This session ended early as we had a medical emergency at the location.
Images are from PanSTARRS unless noted.
Note: This page was added on June 2026 as I am catching up on the ORs for half of 2013 and all of 2014. At some point, I'll find a way to incorporate my ORs (mid 80s to 2008) from a spreadsheet into an acceptable format.
MCG+7-19-51 galaxy trio 09 16 46.8 +43 42 44
22" at 328 and 383x
MCG+7-19-51: Considerably bright glow with a nearly stellar core. 0.2' across.
MCG+7-19-52: Considerably faint, very small round glow. 0.1' across.
MCG+7-19-53: Very faint round small glow. 0.2' across.
NGC 2798, 2799, UGC 4904 (KTG 22) 09 17 22.9 +42 00 02
22" at 230 and 328x
NGC 2798: Bright 2:1 elongated glow with a much brighter round center. Nearly stellar core. With averted vision the very faint halo extends 20-25" further non both ends. PA = 20 and total length is about 1.7' long.
NGC 2799: Considerably faint thin even surface brightness glow that is very slightly bent to the south. Slightly brighter center and defined edges. PA = 45 and 1.1' long. The center lies 1.5' from the center of NGC 2798.
UGC 4904: Very faint round glow with diffuse edges. 15" across and 5.2' south of NGC 2798.
NGC 3016, 3020, 3024 (KTG 27) 09 50 08.9 +12 45 16
22" at 287 and 383x - Not sure which three would be classified as a trio as there are four NGC galaxies in the field. I assume that it is the brightest three which is on the corners of a 30-60-right triangle with the fourth member right in the middle.
NGC 3016: Faint slightly elongated diffuse glow. About 0.8' long and PA = 100.
NGC 3020: Considerably faint 4:1 glow with a slightly brighter center. Defined edges. With averted vision, a very faint halo extends to the west and south more than the other directions. PA = 90 and the brighter part is 1.2' long. Halos extends 20" to the south, 30" to the west and 10" to the east and none to the north. Lies 8' NNE of NGC 3016.
NGC 3024: Considerably faint 5:1 even surface brightness glow. Defined edges. PA = 45 and 1' long. Lies 9.8' ENE of NGC 3016.
NGC 3019 is a very faint round glow. 20" across. Lies 5' NE of NGC 3016.
NGC 3299, 3306, CGCG 65-69 (KTG 30) 10 36 23.9 +12 42 47
22" at 230 and 328x
NGC 3299: Large low surface brightness very diffuse glow. 1.5 x 1.3' across and PA = 0
NGC 3306: Considerably bright 3:1 elongated glow with somewhat defined edges. Brighter elongated center. PA = 45 and 0.6' long. Lies 11.7' ESE of NGC 3299.
CGCG 65-69: Faint round glow with diffuse edges. 0.5' across. Lies 10.7' ENE of NGC 3299. A bright mag 7.7 star lies 5.9' slightly west of due north.
NGC 2957A, 2957B, 2963 09 47 15.4 +72 59 10
22" at 328 and 383x - Double galaxy with a third member 2.6' away.
NGC 2957A/B: Appears as a close double galaxy of equal brightness, but uneven shapes. Needed 383x to easily spit the double. NGC 2957A is considerably faint round glow with defined edges. Brighter center. 10" across. NGC 2957B is almost touching "A" on the SE edge. Appears as a 5:2 elongated even surface brightness glow with a brighter center. Defined edges. PA = 135 and 20" long. A 14th mag star lies 40" SW.
NGC 2963: Considerably bright 3:2 elongated glow with a brighter center. With averted vision the a very faint halo extends in both directions to the N and S. PA of the brighter center is 45 and 0.4' long. Halo is 0.8' long.
NGC 3465, 3523, UGC 6090 (KTG 34) 11 01 18.8 +75 09 30
22" at 255, 328 and 383x - spread of three members in a large flat isosceles triangle. Longest side is 14.5' long and PA = 70.
NGC 3465: considerably faint, round glow with diffuse edges. Even surface brightness. 30" across. A faint mag 15.3 star lies 40" SE.
NGC 3523: considerably faint, round glow with diffuse edges. Even surface brightness. 45" across. Lies 14.5' slightly south of due east of NGC 3465.
UGC 6090: Considerably bright small 3:1 elongated glow with a brighter center. PA = 135 and 25" long. A faint 30-60-right triangle of 15-16th mag stars almost brackets this member.
CGCG 315-48, -49, -50 (KTG 44) 12 35 07.1 +63 57 37
22" at 255 and 328x
CGCG 315-48: Considerably faint, slightly elongated even surface brightness glow. PA = 0 and 20" long. A mag 14.8 star lies 20" due west.
CGCG 315-49: Considerably bright 5:2 elongated glow with a brighter center. Defined edges. PA = 170 and 20" long.
CGCG 315-50: Considerably bright 3:2 even surface brightness. Defined edges. PA = 100 and 20" long
NGC 5965, 5963, 5969 (KTG 63) 15 34 32.5 +56 34 25
22" at 287x - large group of three brighter NGCs with a smaller one in the field.
NGC 5965: Bright thin edge on. Brighter center and slightly bulging. A faint dust lane detected running in the middle 50% and doesn't reach the tips. PA = 135 and 3.5' long.
NGC 5963 Considerably bright slightly elongated glow with well defined edges. With averted vision an extremely faint halo was suspected. PA = 135 and 45" long. Lies 8.6' SSW of NGC 5965. Two stars (mags 13.2 and 14.3) lies 0.8' and 1.6' SE respectively.
NGC 5971: Faint 2:1 elongated glow with defined edges. Diffuse Halo pops in with averted vision. PA = 45 and total length is 50" long. Lies 18.5' SE of NGC 5965.
NGC 5969: Considerably faint round glow with diffuse edges. 15" across and lies 15.6' SSW of NGC 5965.
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