Deep Sky

Based on the red shift study, a distance estimate (using a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) for this cluster is 1.2 Billion light years. At that distance the picture above covers 1.8 by 2.6 million light years, or roughly the distance from the Milky Way to the Andromeda Galaxy.

Galaxy Cluster Abell 0272 ( aka Zwicky 0152+33)

Number On Image

Object Name

Equatorial J2000.0

Mag-
nitude

PGC Number

Velocity/Redshift

Distance from object #02 (arcmin)

RA

DEC

km/s

z

1

Zw 139 -01

01h55m16.6s

+33d53m20s

17.6

...

26,222

0.087467

0.7

2

Zw 139 -02

01h55m13.6s

+33d52m56s

17.5

007144

26,983

0.090005

0.0

3

Zw 139 -03

01h55m11.5s

+33d53m09s

17.3

...

27,261

0.090933

0.5

4

Zw 139-04

01h55m10.8s

+33d53m21s

17.1

...

26,505

0.088411

0.7

5

Zw 139 -05

01h55m10.6s

+33d53m48s

17.4

007142

26,518

0.088454

1.1

6

Zw 139-06

01h55m07.3s

+33d55m05s

17.5

...

26,523

0.088471

2.5

7

Zw 139 -07

01h55m06.2s

+33d55m15s

17.5

...

...

...

2.8

8

Zw 139 -08

01h55m06.3s

+33d56m01s

17.0

...

26,844

0.089542

3.4

10

Zw 139-10

01h55m03.8s

+33d55m54s

17.7

...

26,936

0.089849

3.6

2M

2MASXi J0155127+335238

01h55m12.7s

+33d52m38s

...

...

...

...

0.4

Zwicky 0152+33

01h55m07.0s

+33d53m41s

Gal. Cls.

...

...

1.6

Abell 0272

01h55m19.1s

+33d56m41s

Gal. Cls.

26,292

0.08770

3.9

George Normandin, KAS

December 27th, 2000

Albireo (Beta Cygni) forms the head of the swan in the Constellation of Cygnus. Although it appears as a single star to the naked eye, just about any small telescope will show it to be a double star. Thanks to the blue and gold colors of its component stars Albireo is one of the most beautiful Double Stars in northern skies. Spectrographic studies have shown that the gold colored component is itself a double, meaning that Albireo is really a triple star. It's about 385 light years away.

George Normandin, KAS

November 14th, 2009

The "Cone Nebula", a part of NGC 2264, in Monoceros:

The CCD image shows only a small part of a vast complex of gas, dust, and newly forming stars. This nebula surrounds one of the youngest open star clusters known, NGC 2264. This cluster lies off the top edge of our image.

Radiation from hot, young stars has slowly eroded the dark Cone Nebula over millions of years. Ultraviolet light heats the edges of the dark cloud, releasing gas into the relatively empty region of surrounding space. There, additional ultraviolet radiation causes the hydrogen gas to glow, which produces the red halo of light seen around the pillar. The Cone Nebula is a cousin of the M-16 pillars, which the Hubble telescope imaged in 1995. Monstrous pillars of cold gas, like the Cone and M-16, are common in large regions of star birth. Astronomers believe that these pillars are incubators for developing stars. Click here to go to the Hubble image of the Cone Nebula.

Quote from "Burnham's Celestial Handbook":

"The most awesome and spectacularly beautiful section (of the nebula) is the famous Cone Nebula.... It appears as a great dark pinnacle some six light years high from north to south, wonderfully outlined against glowing nebulosity, and brilliantly illuminated at its summit; the whole structure forming a picture of such strangeness and splendor that it scarcely seems natural.... the modern observer is touched by a stange sensation of having been present at the drama of creation."

George Normandin, KAS

April 24th, 2010

CCD Image of Supernova 1997br in Galaxy ESO 576-40 taken on 5/8/97 at 3:15 UT. It is a 9 Minute exposure using an SBIG ST-6 thru Kopernik's 20 inch F/8.1 telescope. North at top; field: about 5x7 arc minutes.

For more pictures of this galaxy & supernova, click here.

This galaxy is listed in the European Southern Observatory(ESO) galaxy catalog, and that is the reason for the name: "ESO 576-40".

.....from the Harvard University Supernova web site:

April 1997 .... spectrum shows this to be a peculiar Type Ia similar to 1991T before maximum. It does not appear to be highly reddened. This is a very unusual event.......

Image of Hickson 44 with the galaxies labled with their NGC numbers:

Quote from Paul Hickson's Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies:

"This is a well-know group of four near-by NGC galaxies (also known as Arp 316 and VV 307). All three spiral galaxies show morphological peculiarities and are radio sources. Note the prominent dust lane in NGC 3190 and the outer ring of NGC 3187."

Click here for larger scale images of NGC 3185, 3190, and 3193, plus additional information on each of these galaxies.

Classification: Sa(s)a pec,  Spiral, peculiar

Classification: E2, Elliptical

Classification: (R)SB(r)a, Barred Spiral, Outer Ring

Classification: SB(s)c pec, Barred Spiral, peculiar

George Normandin, KAS

July 12th, 2001

Click here for a larger version of this image, and a negative version with the galaxies and supernova identified.

This is a 16:10:10:20 minute exposure with a STL-1301E CCD camera thru Kopernik's 20-inch Ritchey Chretien Cassegrain telescope taken on April 10, 2005 at 0:30 UT. The field of view is about 20x20 arc minutes, with North at the top.

Hickson 57 - "Copeland's Septet" - Arp 320, Compact Galaxy Group:

Hickson 57 is a compact group of eight galaxies in the Constellation of Leo that are interacting and possibly merging. The group is also known as Arp 320 and VV 282. This group was first named "The Septet" by Ralph Copeland (1837-1905), while employed as an observer under Lord Rosse, Earl of Parsonstown, Ireland. He probably first observed the group while using the 72-Inch "Leviathan of Parsonstown" at Birr Castle. This speculum mirror telescope, built by Lord Rosse, enabled Copeland to observe this cluster with relative ease. This can be seen in the NGC deions he provided for members of this cluster. His original NGC deions for this group were pB (pretty bright) for members NGC 3745, 3746, 3748, 3750, and 3753. His original deion for NGC 3751 was F (faint), while his original deion for NGC 3754 was vF (very faint). Ralph Copeland latter went on to take spectral measurements of the supernova S Andromeda in 1885, travel overseas to view the conjunction of Venus with the sun, and once visited the famous 19th century optician, Alvan Clark, in the United States. He also served as Astronomer Royal of Scotland between 1889-1905.

Dr. Paul Hickson included this group as Number 57 in his "Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies". Hickson notes for No. 57: "...... Redshifts have been measured for 7 members, and are all found to be accordant. The small compact galaxy NGC 3754 interacting with the bright spiral NGC 3753 is a radio and infrared source."

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 3746 (Hickson 57b) was the host galaxy for Supernova 2005ba when the Kopernik image was taken. This galaxy was also the host for Supernova 2002ar, a Type Ia that reached a maximum magnitude of 16.5. A rough distance estimate to NGC 3746 and SN 2005ba is 480 million light years.

NGC

Hickson

R.A.

Dec.

Size

Mag

Galaxy Type

Notes

57a

13.6

Spiral

57b

14.2

Barred Spiral, inner ring

57c

13.9

Lenticular (uncertain)

57d

14.3

Barred Spiral

57e

14.8

Edge-on Lenticular or Spiral

57f

13.9

Barred Spiral

57g

15.2

Barred Spiral

57h

17.4

Barred Spiral

George Normandin, KAS

April 15th, 2005

Click here for a larger version of this image, and a negative version with the galaxies and supernova identified.

This is a 16:10:10:20 minute exposure with a STL-1301E CCD camera thru Kopernik's 20-inch Ritchey Chretien Cassegrain telescope taken on April 10, 2005 at 0:30 UT. The field of view is about 20x20 arc minutes, with North at the top.

Hickson 57 - "Copeland's Septet" - Arp 320, Compact Galaxy Group:

Hickson 57 is a compact group of eight galaxies in the Constellation of Leo that are interacting and possibly merging. The group is also known as Arp 320 and VV 282. This group was first named "The Septet" by Ralph Copeland (1837-1905), while employed as an observer under Lord Rosse, Earl of Parsonstown, Ireland. He probably first observed the group while using the 72-Inch "Leviathan of Parsonstown" at Birr Castle. This speculum mirror telescope, built by Lord Rosse, enabled Copeland to observe this cluster with relative ease. This can be seen in the NGC deions he provided for members of this cluster. His original NGC deions for this group were pB (pretty bright) for members NGC 3745, 3746, 3748, 3750, and 3753. His original deion for NGC 3751 was F (faint), while his original deion for NGC 3754 was vF (very faint). Ralph Copeland latter went on to take spectral measurements of the supernova S Andromeda in 1885, travel overseas to view the conjunction of Venus with the sun, and once visited the famous 19th century optician, Alvan Clark, in the United States. He also served as Astronomer Royal of Scotland between 1889-1905.

Dr. Paul Hickson included this group as Number 57 in his "Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies". Hickson notes for No. 57: "...... Redshifts have been measured for 7 members, and are all found to be accordant. The small compact galaxy NGC 3754 interacting with the bright spiral NGC 3753 is a radio and infrared source."

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 3746 (Hickson 57b) was the host galaxy for Supernova 2005ba when the Kopernik image was taken. This galaxy was also the host for Supernova 2002ar, a Type Ia that reached a maximum magnitude of 16.5. A rough distance estimate to NGC 3746 and SN 2005ba is 480 million light years.

NGC

Hickson

R.A.

Dec.

Size

Mag

Galaxy Type

Notes

57a

13.6

Spiral

57b

14.2

Barred Spiral, inner ring

57c

13.9

Lenticular (uncertain)

57d

14.3

Barred Spiral

57e

14.8

Edge-on Lenticular or Spiral

57f

13.9

Barred Spiral

57g

15.2

Barred Spiral

57h

17.4

Barred Spiral

George Normandin, KAS

April 15th, 2005

Quote from Paul Hickson's Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies:

"Group 56 consists of five galaxies, three of which appear to be in contract and interacting. Two of these three galaxies (B and D) are radio sources. Infrared emission is also detected from this interacting system."

This interesting group, found in the Constellation of Ursa Major, belongs both to the list of Vorontsov-Vel'yaminov (1959; number 150) and to that of Arp (1966; number 322). It is characterized by the spectacular stream of matter linking galaxies B and C. Galaxy C shows a conspicuous asymmetric halo but galaxy D has a simple outer luminosity profile. Finally, we note that galaxy A and galaxy D are Seyfert galaxies.

Based on their red shift, a rough distance estimate for the Hickson 56 galaxies is 425 million light years.

Classification: Sbc,  Edge-on Spiral

Classification: SB0, Barred Lenticular

Classification: (R')S0/a pec:, pseudo outer ring, Lenticular, peculiar (uncertain)

Classification: SA(s)0/a pec: Sy2, Spiral, S-shaped, peculiar (uncertain), Seyfert Type II

Classification: SB0 pec:, Barred Lenticular, peculiar (uncertain)

George Normandin, KAS

May 15th, 2002

Based on the red shift study, a distance estimate (using a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) for this cluster is 536 Million light years. At that distance the picture above covers 0.8 by 1 million light years.

Galaxy Group Hickson 76 ( part of Abell 2085)

Hickson-76 ID

Object Name

Equatorial J2000.0

Mag-
nitude

Type

Velocity/Redshift

RA

DEC

km/s

z

A

NGC 5944

15h31m48s

+07d18m29s

15.87

spiral

10,088

0.03365

B

NGC 5941

15h31m40.2s

+07d20m20

14.91

elliptical

10,002

0.033363

C

NGC 5942

15h31m36.8s

+07d18m44s

15.31

lenticular

10,663

0.035568

D

MCG +01-40-002

15h31m42.2s

+07d17m14s

15.83

elliptical

10,150

0.033857

E

PGC 055325

15h31m50.3s

+07d18m39s

17.35

lenticular

10,328

0.034450

F

CGCG 050-011

15h31m38.8s

+07d20m51s

17.27

lenticular

10,109

0.033720

G

PGC 055307

15h31m35.8s

+07d20m57s

17.65

spiral

9,843

0.032833

George Normandin, KAS

May 8th, 2001

Quote from Paul Hickson's Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies:

"Group 82 is a relatively loose quartet with a very high velocity of dispersion. The irregular galaxy Hickson 82c (NGC 6161) is a radio and infrared source. The compact object at the south end of this galaxy is probably a star."

This group is roughly 571 million light years away.

Classification: E3,  Elliptical

Classification: SBa, Barred Spiral

Classification: Im, Irregular

Classification: SOa, Lenticular

George Normandin, KAS

June 20th, 2001

Image of Hickson 86 with the galaxies labled:

Quote from Paul Hickson's Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies:

"This is a relatively loose quartet of (elliptical) type galaxies. Another galaxy (ESO 461-5) of comparable brightness can be found to the west, and may be related to the group."

These five elliptical galaxies are in Sagittarius. Based on their red shift, a rough distance estimate for Hickson 86 is 315 million light years.

Classification: E2,  Elliptical

Classification: E2, Elliptical

Classification: SB0, Lenticular

Classification: SO, Lenticular

Classification: SO, Lenticular

George Normandin, KAS

October 9th, 2001

Quote from Paul Hickson's Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies:

"Group 99 is an accordant quintet containing a close pair of interacting galaxies (B and C). Galaxy C has a very pronounced bar and ring. Galaxy A (with a bright star) has an interesting spiral structure."

The Hickson 99 Galaxy Group is in the Constellation of Pegasus. The largest member of the group is a spiral galaxy seen nearly edge-on. It was the host for Type II Supernova SN 2006jb discovered on October 11th, 2006 by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search group. Unfortunately it had faded from view when the Kopernik image was taken at 3:00 UT on November 22, 2006. Astronomers D. Bettoni and G. Fasano of Padova Observatory in Padova, Italy have discovered that galaxies B & C are surrounded by a common halo of stars.

Based on their red shift, a rough distance estimate for the Hickson 99 galaxies is 457 million light years.

Classification: Sab,  Edge-on Spiral

Classification: E, Elliptical

Classification: SBc, Barred Spiral

Classification: S0a, Lenticular

Classification: SO, Lenticular

George Normandin, KAS

November 28th, 2006

Supernova 2000cb:

Discovered: April 27th, 2000, by Lick Observatory Supernova Search Team and independently by the Beijing Astronomical Observatory.

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Barred Spiral Galaxy IC 1158:

Quote from the Dreyer's Index Catalog to the NGC:

Most extremely faint, pretty large, and irregularly round.

This face-on barred spiral galaxy is in the constellation of Serpens. Its low surface brightness ( 14th magnitude ) makes it difficult to observe except in large telescopes. A rough distance estimate for IC 1158 is 100 million light years, and at that distance, the diameter would be 74,000 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

June 24th, 2000

Quote from: The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Eight arc minutes in diameter; 40 stars; brightest = magnitude 12.14; Moderately rich in stars; moderate brightness range; slight central concentration; detached."

The Dreyer's original 'Index Catalog' (IC) and 'Burnham's Celestial Handbook' both say that this cluster involves a nebula. The IC says it's 4 arc minutes in size, while Burnham's says 2 arc minutes. 'The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000' describes IC 1369 as a cluster of 40 stars that is 8 arc minutes in size. The Kopernik image shows that IC 1369 is an open cluster without any nebulosity that is about 4 arc minutes in diameter. The red and blue survey images taken with the Palomar 48 inch Schmidt Camera confirm this.

Data from the 'Tycho Catalog' shows that the bright star at the bottom of the image is a B-9 blue giant that is at a distance of 302 light years. However, this star is probably a foreground object and not a part of the cluster.

George Normandin, KAS

November 21st, 2001

The image below is a negative version with some of the major galaxies identified.

Elliptical Galaxy IC 1733 is by far the largest and brightest galaxy in Galaxy Cluster Abell 260. Located at the center of the cluster this massive system is a "Cluster Dominant Elliptical" of a type similar to M-87. Nearby companion Spiral Galaxy IC 1735 was the host of Supernova 2006je (found in October 2006). This peculiar type Ia supernova had already faded from view when this image was taken on Nov 22, 2006. The image above shows only the central portion of Galaxy Cluster Abell 260. Spread over an area of 50 arc minutes this cluster contains about 163 galaxies, many of which are seen in the image.

Classification: cD;E:

        Cluster Dominant Elliptical Galaxy

Dreyer deion in the IC:

       "Faint, very small, westward round, resolvable, but mottled."

Classification: SB?

       Barred Spiral (uncertain)

Dreyer deion in the IC:

    "Very faint, very small, round."

Classification: E:

       Elliptical, (uncertain)

Classification: S

       Spiral Galaxy

Classification: Galaxy Cluster, medium compact,

       Includes 163 member galaxies.

George Normandin, KAS

November 26th, 2006

Supernova 2002 bx:

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy IC 2461:

Dreyer's deion in the Index Catalog(IC):

"Faint, very small, very little brighter middle."

IC 2461 is an edge-on Spiral Galaxy in the constellation of Lynx. It has a somewhat off center dust lane.

Based on the published red shift, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for IC 2461 and Supernova 2002 bx is 119 million light years, and the galaxy's diameter is about 100,290 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

May 6th, 2002

This galaxy is roughly 82 million light years away.

George Normandin, KAS

February 23rd, 2001

Supernova 2001ae:

Discovered March 15th, 2001, at Lick Observatory by the LOTOSS group.

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Barred Spiral Galaxy IC 4229:

Dreyer's deion in the New General Catalog (NGC):

"Extremely faint, extremely small, round............".

Based on the published red shift, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for IC 4229 is 367 million light years, with a diameter of about 107,000 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

April 29th, 2001

Supernova 2003 hy:

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy IC 5145:

This 14.3 magnitude galaxy is in the constellation of Pegasus. It is a very low surface brightness Spiral galaxy. Even with a 14-minute exposure the Kopernik image does not show much detail in the arms. This galaxy is one of two discovered by Barnard. His rather poor data was apparently sent directly to Dreyer and thus the information in the 2nd Index Catalog is somewhat inaccurate and there is no deion.

Based on the published red shift, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for IC 5145 and SN 2003 hy is 387 million light years, with a galaxy diameter of about 180,000 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

December 29th, 2003

Quote from: The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Several absorption patches involved in the interior. There is a small detached patch of nebulosity, comparable in surface brightness, 10 arc minutes west-northwest of center."

Quote from: Dreyer's Index Catalog (IC):

"Pretty bright, very large, irregular figure, 9.5th magnitude star in middle."

The Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146; also Sharpless 125) is a strikingly beautiful nebula located about 4,000 light years away in the Constellation of Cygnus. It is embedded in the large and long Dark Nebula (Barnard 168), which extends will beyond the field covered in the image above. Inside the Cocoon is a newly developing cluster of stars. Like other stellar nurseries, the Cocoon Nebula is an emission nebula, a reflection nebula, and an absorption nebula. It stands out in red, glowing, hydrogen gas excited by young, hot stars and blue, dust-reflected starlight at the edge of an otherwise invisible molecular cloud. The Kopernik image above was taken thru a narrow-band h-alpha filter so it only shows the glowing emission nebulosity.

Some astronomers believe that the massive star in the center of the Cocoon Nebula opened a hole in an existing cold dark molecular cloud through which much of the glowing material flows. The same star, which formed about 100,000 years ago, now provides the energy source for much of the emitted and reflected light from this nebula. It is classified as a Herbig Be star. These stars are pre-main sequence intermediate mass stars (2 to 8 solar masses) which are often associated with dust or reflection nebulosity.

George Normandin, KAS

December 29th, 2010

From IAU Bulletin 7124 (3/11/99):

....... spectra obtained on Mar. 10.8, shows SN 1999an to be a type-II supernova with obvious P-Cyg Balmer lines. ....... {it has a} photospheric expansion velocity of 5300 km/s ....

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

This is the data on Barred Spiral Galaxy IC 755 itself:

Edge-on galaxy IC 755 is possibly a barred spiral. It has an asymmetric spindle shape with a bright drop-shaped nuclear region. Supernova 1999an is a type II, which most astronomers consider to result from the explosion of a single, very massive, and relatively young star. These types of stars are only found in the arms of spiral galaxies.

Dreyer's deion from the Index Catalog(IC): Most extremely faint, small, extended, between 2 stars.

Based on the published red shift, a rough distance estimate for IC 755 and supernova 1998an is: 80,000,000 light years, with the galaxy being 67,000 light years in diameter.

George Normandin, KAS

April 18th, 1999

W. Hershel (1783): '...a beautiful cluster of extremely compressed stars, resembling M-53'

Admiral Smyth: 'A rich globular cluster of compressed stars of a lucid white tint, somewhat attenuated at the margin and clustering to a blaze in the center. Easily resolvable by moderate means.'

Burnham's Celestial Handbook: "Globular star cluster... lying ....well north of the main mass of the star clouds of the Ophiuchus Milky Way. ....bright and easily located in good binoculars..... M-10 is a rich cluster of magnitude 7 with an extreme diameter of about 12 arc minutes and a bright compressed center. Partial resolution may be achieved with a good 6-inch or 8-inch telescope....."

Dreyer's deion of NGC 6254 in his New General Catalog(NGC): "Remarkable! Globular cluster, bright, very large, round, gradually very much brighter middle, well resolved, stars of magnitude 10 to 15; = M10."

Several sources give the distance to M-10 as 16,300 light years, and at that distance the true diameter would be 85 light years. But Click here for the latest news on Globular Star Cluster distances and ages!!

George Normandin, KAS

October 10th, 2002

M-100 is a face-on spiral galaxy in the Coma-Virgo galaxy cluster, and is one of the largest spirals in that group. The knots that appear in its spiral arms are large clouds of gas (star forming regions) similar to M-42, the Orion Nebula, in our own Milky Way galaxy. Some of the knots are also recently formed open star clusters similar to M-44 the Beehive Cluster. The red shift for M-100 seems far too low for its estimated distance of 60 million light years. This difference from the expected cosmological red shift may result from the galaxyís local motion within the Virgo cluster. A recent (1997) estimate of the distance to the Virgo Cluster (based on the width of 21-cm HI radio line) is between 59.7 and 75.3 million light years.

M-100 and the ìAge of the Universe Paradoxî:

In 1994 W. Freedman, using the Hubble Space Telescope, made observations of M-100 that led her to project the age of the universe to be 8 billion years. This is much younger than previous estimates, and is even younger than estimates of the age of the oldest stars (15 billion years). This Age Paradox, if it holds up, could mean that there is a significant problem with either the Big Bang Theory or with our understanding of things like particle physics. However, more recent findings seem to solve this with age estimates of 9 to 12 billion years for the oldest stars, and 13 billion years for the universe...

CLICK HERE to find out about the latest findings on the ìAge of the Universe Paradoxî.

George Normandin, KAS

July 8th, 2002 (updated May 11, 2006)

Click here to see images of M-101 taken with the Hubble, Spitzer, and Chandra Space Telescopes in various wavelengths. Large prints of these images are on display at Kopernik Observatory = M101."

Pierre Mechain discovered this large face-on spiral galaxy in 1781.

M-101 is relatively nearby galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major and is the most luminous member of a rich galaxy group. M-101 is tidally interacting with NGC 5474, NGC 5477, and Ho IV. M-101 covers a large angular size, nearly as large as the full moon. Although bright it's light is spread over a large area and thus the surface brightness is rather low. This makes M-101 a rather difficult object to observe or image. Because of the large size it is best seen and imaged in small telescopes. The Kopernik image was thus made with a 80 mm refractor rather than our 20 inch telescope.

M101 is the prototype of the multiple-arm galaxies of the Sc type. Although many separate arms exist in the outer regions, each one can be traced from a branching of two principal dust arms that begin in the nucleus. They cannot be traced as individual arms but rather as separate segments which, when taken together, form a rough spiral pattern. The outer arms are highly branched.

George Normandin, KAS

July 22nd, 2009

Charles Messier:

(from a deion provided by Mechain) ''A cluster of stars..... between eta and delta of the leg of Cassiopeia.''

Smyth:

''Cluster a fan shaped group diverging from a sharp star in the north east quadrant. Brilliant from the flash of a score of its larger members four principal ones of which are from 7 to 9 magnitude.''

D'Arrest:

''(Includes) a beautiful 10th magnitude reddish star prominent, its color is rose tinted. An irregular cluster of 9, 10, 11th magnitude stars. Size 9 arc minutes approximately."

This Open Star Cluster in the Constellation of Cassiopeia was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and Messier included it as the last object in his published catalog without actually observing it himself. Based on Messier's notes and other sources most modern listings of the Messier Catalog include "M-104" thru "M-110", but these were not in the original.

M-103 is a rather loose cluster and there is not a general agreement on its distance or the number of members. The most recent modern estimates place it at 8,000 to 9,000 Light Years and as having a total of 172 member stars. Earlier visual estimates were more on the order of 40 to 60 members. At the above distance the cluster would be about 14 light years in diameter. The latest age estimates are around 25 million years based on the fact that there are no truly bright blue stars, which implies that they have already died as supernovae. For more info and a picture taken with the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 2.1-meter telescope, click here.

George Normandin, KAS

November 19th, 2005

Quote from Burnham's Celestial Handbook:

"This is the well known "Dark Lane" or "Sombrero" galaxy, discovered by P. Mechain in May 1781, and added by Messier to his copy of the Connaissance des Tenps (1784); consequently it has been added in many modern observing guides to the original Messier list, and given the number M-104".

M-104 (NGC 4594) is probably a part of the Coma/Virgo galaxy cluster. It has a bright bulging main mass with a nearly stellar nucleus, and a well defined dark lane traversing the equatorial plane. The dimmer fuzzy "stars" near M-104 in the Koopernik image above are probably some the galaxy's globular star clusters. The Sombrero galaxy has in its nucleus both a very compact and strong nonthermal radio source and a strong X-ray source. It belongs to the class of galaxies with active nuclei known as Seyfert galaxies. (see also M-77)

George Normandin, KAS

June 30th, 2001

W. Smyth: 'A large but pale granulated cluster of small stars. Five stars around it in a form of a crucifix....... After long gazing becomes more compressed in the center.'

K. G. Jones's "Messier's Nebulae & Star Clusters": 'M-107 is rather small and faint at first sight but rapidly improves with closer attention. The outline seems a little irregular but can be seen to extend to six arc minutes from a distinct but not quite sharp center.'

Distance estimate: 20 thousand light years. (But Click here for the latest news on Globular Star Cluster distances and ages!!)

George Normandin, KAS

October 2nd, 2001

Quote from Dreyer's New General Catalog(NGC):

"Considerably bright, very large, very moderately extended 79°, westward brighter middle, resolvable, but mottled; = M108."
 

Quote by Pierre Mechain: “A nebula close to Beta in Ursa Major.”
 

Quote by K. G. Jones: “This edge-on spiral shows almost no sign of any central 'bulge'. The spiral arms display heavy obscuration along the major axis, with a few H-II regions emerging as bright condensations against a mottled background.”

NGC 3556 (a.k.a. M-108) is a spiral galaxy of complex shape in the constellation of Ursa Major. Pierre Mechain discovered this galaxy in 1781 or 1782. Messier's unpublished notes show that he knew of Mechain's discovery, and it is therefore often added to modern listings of the Messier catalog.

This spiral galaxy, seen nearly edge-on, is difficult to classify. There is no apparent nucleus but there is a broad, not very bright bar. There are several complex, partially resolved arms with many dark lanes on one side. Studies with radio telescopes show several shells of neutral hydrogen. The distance to M-108 is roughly 37 million light years.

                        Barred Spiral Galaxy, S-shaped

George Normandin, KAS

February 28th, 2002

Quote from Dreyer's New General Catalog(NGC):

"Considerably bright, very large, westward moderately extended, abruptly brighter middle, bright resolvable, but mottled nucleus; = M109."
 

Quote from The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Very bright, diffuse nucleus, bright smooth bar with dark lane 1.7x0.5, three main filamentary arms with some branching."

Quote by Pierre Mechain: ?A nebula close to Gamma in Ursa Major.?
 

Pierre Mechain discovered this barred spiral galaxy in 1781 or 1782. Messier's unpublished notes show that he knew of Mechain's discovery, and it is therefore often added to modern listings of the Messier catalog.

M-109 is included in a class of galaxies with active nuclei known as LINERs (Low-Ionization Nuclear Emission-line Regions). At least some LINERs are less energetic versions of Seyfert galaxies. Many astronomers believe that active galactic nuclei are powered by the giant black holes lurking in the centers of galaxies. (see also M-77).

The distance to M-109 is roughly 55 million light years, and its diameter is 122,000 light years.

                        Barred Spiral Galaxy, Mixed Inner Ring - S-shaped

George Normandin, KAS

June 1st, 2009

Charles Messier (May 30, 1764):

'Cluster of a great number of small stars which can be seen in a good telescope. In a 3-foot focal length instrument it looks like a comet. The cluster is mingled with a faint light. 8th magnitude star is in cluster. Seen by Kirch in 1681. Reported on the English Great Atlas.'

Gottfried Kirch (Discovered M-11 in 1681):

'A small obscure spot with a star shining through and rendering it more luminous.'

Walter S. Houston:

'"....a carpet of sparkling suns to the very center with outliners swarming on all sides. A good 10-inch shows hundreds of glittering star points all over the field of view..'

Quote from Dreyer's New General Catalog(NGC) for NGC 6705:

'Remarkable!, cluster, very bright, large, irregularly round, rich in stars, 9th magnitude star, stars of magnitude 11 and fainter; = M11.'

Quote from Burnham's Celestial Handbook:

"Exceptionally fine galactic star cluster, lying on the north edge of the prominent Scutum Star Cloud, and one of the outstanding objects of its type for telescopes of moderate aperture."

Gottfried Kirch, an astronomer at Berlin Observatory, discovered M-11 in 1681. In 1715 Halley included it in his list of six 'nebulous stars', and finally in 1732, English amateur astronomer William Derham was the first to recognize that M-11 was a star cluster not a nebula.

According to Burnham's there are at least 870 stars visible, plus another 800 invisible companions, with a total mass 2,900 times that of the sun. The distance is about 5,500 light years, considerably closer than the Scutum Star Cloud. An observer at the center of M-11 would see several hundred 1st magnitude stars in his sky, and possibly 40 or so much brighter than Sirius. These are truly bright stars: if the sun was at the same distance it would be magnitude 15.9. The estimated age of the cluster is 500 million years.

George Normandin, KAS

June 3rd, 2006

NGC 4394 is an 11.6 magnitude Barred Spiral Galaxy

MCG 3-32-38 is a 17th magnitude Elliptical Galaxy

"Q" is 19.2 magnitude Quasar J1225+182

M-85 (NGC 4382):

Quote by Charles Messier (March 18th, 1781): ìNebula without star, above and near to the ear of Virgo between the two stars in Coma Berenices, Nos. 11 and 14 of Flamsteed's catalogue: this nebula is very faint. M. Mechain had determined its position on 4th Mar.î

M-85 and its two companion galaxies are a part of the Virgo/Coma Galaxy Cluster, and are located in the Constellation of Coma Berenices. Pierre Mechain discovered it in 1781. This galaxy was at first classified as an elliptical, but because of its slight disk-like shape and outer extensions, it is now considered either a lenticular galaxy or a spiral galaxy with only a slight hint of spiral arms. It is seen nearly face-on but it appears to have a different direction of rotation in the center compared to the outer portion. It also has an inner ring of new star formation. Some Astronomers believe that this star formation results from M-85 having recently "cannibalized" another galaxy. M-85 has the same red shift as the other two galaxies in the image and is strongly interacting with them. This galaxy was the host of Type I Supernova 1960R, which reached 12th magnitude at maximum brightness.

NGC 4394:

This Barred Spiral Galaxy is interacting with M-85. Spiral arms springing prominently from the ends of the bar distinguish this galaxy. There are no obvious dust features anywhere in the bar. The arms spiral rather tightly, just missing the other arm after spiraling 180 degrees. NGC 4394 has a small bright Active Galactic Nucleus.

MCG 3-32-28:

This 17th magnitude Elliptical Galaxy has the same red shift as M-85 and is probably very close to it in space, rather than being a background object.

J1225+182:

The 19th magnitude star-like object J1225+182 is a distant Quasar, with a red shift of 1.19. It is receding from the earth at a speed of 196,340 Km/sec (adjusted for Relativistic effects), and (using a Hubble Constant of 70.5Km per Sec per M_Parsec) the distance is estimated to be 8.5 billion light years.

Classification: SA(s)0+ pec
               Lenticular (Spiral??)                Galaxy, peculiar

Classification: (R)SB(r)b
                        Outer Ring, Barred Spiral,
                        Inner ring

George Normandin, KAS

April 14th, 2009

See: color image ~ image with galaxies identified ~ image of jet

Charles Messier: (March 18th, 1781) 'Nebula without star in VirgoÖ.. This nebula appears to have the same light as the two nebulae M-84 and M-86.'

John Herschel: (1864) 'Very bright, pretty large, round, very suddenly brighter in the middle where there is a nucleus.'

M-87 (NGC 4486) is a Giant Elliptical Galaxy, probably the largest member of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster and is about 50 million light-years away. It was discovered by Charles Messier in March 1781. This is undoubtedly one of the most massive and luminous of all known galaxies, with at least a trillion stars. It is something like three times larger than a typical large galaxy. Many galaxy clusters have a centrally located "Cluster Dominant Elliptical Galaxy" of massive proportions. M87 is remarkable for its large family of globular star clusters which appear as many small fuzzy images scattered throughout the outer parts of the galaxy. There are thousands of such clusters in M-87. The galaxy is also accompanied by a group of smaller elliptical galaxies and has a strange jet feature discussed below.

The M-87 "jet":

M-87 is a strong source of radio emission, originally detected by J.G.Bolton in 1948, and now called "Virgo A". The strong radio energy is associated with a curious optical feature first mentioned in astronomical literature by H.D.Curtis at the Lick Observatory in 1918: "Ö.. A curious straight ray lies in a gap in the nebulosity.... apparently connected with the nucleus by a thin line of matter...". This energetic jet stretches outward for 5,000 light-years. It has been detected across the spectrum, from x-ray to optical to radio wavelengths. The observed emission is likely created as high energy electrons spiral along magnetic field lines, so called synchrotron radiation. But ultimately, the jet is thought to be produced as matter near the center of M-87 swirls toward a spinning, super-massive black hole. Strong electromagnetic forces are generated and eject material away from the black hole along the axis of rotation in a narrow jet.

The other galaxies in the M-87 area:

M-87 is accompanied by a group of much smaller Elliptical Galaxies, some of which appear in the Kopernik image above. All appear at first to be typical elliptical galaxies, but astronomers note that most seem to be stripped of their outer stars and are more the cores of true galaxies. It seems that M-87 has added to its mass by stripping the outer parts of theses galaxies and many others. At some point they may well be completely cannibalized by M-87.

Links to Hubble & Chandra Space Telescopes images of the M-87 "jet":

Chandra Sheds Light on the Knotty Problem of the M87 Jet: (link)

Hubble Witnesses Spectacular Flaring in Gas Jet from M87's Black Hole: (link)

More info on the optical jet of M87: (link).

Classification: Cluster Dominant Elliptical Galaxy

Classification: Elliptical Galaxy

Classification: Elliptical Galaxy

Classification: Elliptical Galaxy

Classification: A pair of Elliptical Galaxies

Classification: Elliptical Galaxy

George Normandin, KAS

May 20th, 2009

Supernova 1999cl:

International Astronomical Union Circular 7185 reported the discovery on May 29th 1999 of a supernova in M-88. It was 16.2 magnitude at discovery. This supernova was discovered by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search team. It has be steadily brightening, and observations indicate that it is a Type Ia supernova discovered before it has reached its peak brightness.

The Kopernik image shown here was taken at 5:54UT (2am local time) on June 5th, 1999, using our 20 inch telescope. It had reached about 13.5 magnitude, and we were able to visually observe it in the 20 inch telescope and a Celestron C-11.

Spiral galaxy M-88 is a part of the Coma/Virgo galaxy cluster. Various sources state that it has a distance of about 41 million light years, with a diameter of 90,000 light years, and a total mass equivalent to 100 billion suns. M-88 belongs to the class of galaxies with active nuclei known as Seyfert galaxies. (see also M-77) The galaxy was discovered by Charles Messier in March 1781.

Quote from the Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

Very bright nucleus, many knotty filamentary arms with dark lanes.

Quote from The AstroPhysical Journal, 1995, 109.1608R:

This galaxy is very close to M87. However, the finely detailed spiral pattern argues strongly that this is a projection effect. NGC 4438 is only slightly nearer M87 (in angle), but shows evidence of a strong interaction.

George Normandin, KAS

June 6th, 1999
Revised: June 23rd, 2001

This is a CCD image taken with an STL-1301E CCD camera thru Kopernik's 20 inch F/8.1 telescope working at F/5.

Charles Messier: (March 18th, 1781) Nebula without a star in Virgo; a little distance from and on the same parallel as....M-87. Its light is extremely faint and pale and it can only be seen with difficulty'

John Herschel: (1864) 'Pretty bright, pretty small; gradually much brighter in the middle.'

Burnham's "Celestial Handbook": 'In appearance it resembles M-87 but is somewhat smaller and about 1 magnitude fainter. ..... This is another of the rather 'yellowish' elliptical systems..... i.e. it has mostly old or middle aged stars.....'

George Normandin, KAS

June 26, 2011

George Normandin, KAS

July 3rd, 2008

The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

Bright diffuse nucleus in strong bar, 1.7 x .3 arc minutes with dark lane, bright filamentary arms.

The M-91 mystery: Is NGC 4548 Messier's M-91?

On March 18th, 1781 Charles Messier discovered (in his own words), a "nebula without star in Virgo, above the preceding No. 90: its light again fainter than the above". Unfortunately there is no galaxy at the position he published in 1784. Ever since this has been one of the "Missing Messier Objects". There have been a number of suggestions as to the true identify of what he saw that night, and most references now call NGC 4548 "M-91", after amateur astronomer W.C. Williams showed in a letter published in the Dec. 1969 issue of Sky & Tel. how Messier most likely messed up. He recorded later objects' positions buy measuring their offset in RA/Dec from a known bright object. In the Virgo area he always used the same galaxy, but in this case, he used another. However, if you apply the offset he recorded to his usual starting point, you come to NGC 4548.

NGC 4548 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Coma Berenices. Two different teams using the Hubble Space Telescope estimate its distance to be 48 to 58 million light years. It is therefore a member of the Coma-Virgo Galaxy Cluster. The spiral arms inner parts form an incomplete ring just outside of the bar. Like many barred spirals with small nuclei NGC 4548 has a strong energy source in its center. Many astronomers believe that giant black holes are the energy source in these Active Galactic Nuclei.

The two Kopernik CCD images were taken with an ST-6 camera thru our 20 inch telescope. The wide-field image was taken using a focal reducing lens. To the lower left in the wide-field image is the 15.6th magnitude spiral galaxy CGCG 99-97. This is a background galaxy (rough distance = 480 million light years), plus there are several other anonymous galaxies in the frame.

George Normandin, KAS

September 26th, 2000

There are two images below taken with the same telescope but different cameras.

J. E. Bode (Dec. 27th, 1777): ''More or less round, with a pale glow."

W. Hershel (1783): ''A brilliant cluster, 7'-8' in diameter.'

Smyth: ''A globular cluster of minute stars; large, bright and resolvable with a very luminous center and, under the best vision, has irregular, streamy edges'

Burnham's Celestial Handbook: "The view in large instruments is stunning beyond words; the countless star images run together into a dazzling central blaze which is equaled by only a few of the globulars."

One distance estimate for M-92 is 35 thousand light years. (But Click here for the latest news on Globular Star Cluster distances and ages!!)

Globular star cluster M-92 was discovered by J.E.Bode in December 1777; Messier's independent discovery occurred in March 1781. However, it was W. Hershel in 1783 who first realized that it was a star cluster. This is a beautiful rich globular cluster which in almost any other constellation would be considered a major show object; in Hercules it has been somewhat over shadowed by the splendor of the fabulous M-13. M-92 is rather easily observed in binoculars as a fuzzy star-like object, and rather small telescopes permit some resolution of the outer edges.

George Normandin, KAS

October 16th, 2003

Charles Messier (March 20th 1781):

'A cluster of small stars without nebulosity between Canus Major and the prow of Navis (today Puppis). Diameter 8 arc minutes.'

Smyth:

'A neat group of star-fish shapeÖÖÖ.'

Quote from Dreyer's New General Catalog(NGC) for NGC 2447:

'Cluster, large, westward rich in stars, little compressed, stars of magnitude 8 to 13; = M93.'

Quote from Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Rich in stars; large brightness range; strong central concentration; detached; 80 stars."

M-93 is a bright, easy to find, open star cluster in the Constellation Puppis. It is a beautiful object in 20x80 binoculars. The cluster was discovered by Charles Messier on March 20th, 1781. Smyth suggested that it resembles a ìstar fishî, but K.G. Jones thought it more like a ìbutterfly with open wingsî.

There are several conflicting distance estimates, with Wallenquistís being: distance = 3,600 light years, diameter = 18 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

March 9th, 2008

Click here for a large wide-field image of M-94.

Quote from the Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

Extremely bright nucleus in bright inner ring, very many smooth arms in lens 6.0x4.7 arc minutes.
 

Quote by Charles Messier (March 24th, 1781): “Nebula without star above Charles' Heart. On the same parallel as the star beta. It is brilliant in the center and the nebulosity is a little diffuse. It resembles the nebula which is below Lepus, No. 79, but is finer and brighter. M. Mechain made its discovery on Mar. 22nd, 1781.”
 

Quote by William Parsons, Earl of Rosse (April 13th, 1855): “A dark ring round the nucleus; then bright ring exterior to this. The annulus however is not perfect, but broken up and patchy, and the object will probably turn out to be a spiral. Much faint outlying nebulosity.”

M 94 is a face-on Spiral Galaxy in the Constellation of Canes Venatici. The range of surface brightness between the nuclear region and the outer regions is very great. The intense very small nucleus is devoid of spiral structure. Tightly wound spiral arms begin tangent to this amorphous central region and wind out through a region of lower surface brightness of lens shape. A third region, filled with spiral arms, begins at the outer boundary of the second zone. As between the first and second zones, a sharp discontinuity of surface brightness exists between the second and third zones. The surface brightness of the third zone appears to go to zero rather suddenly. An annular zone devoid of luminosity then begins. This zone of near zero surface brightness continues until the inner boundary of a faint external ring is reached at 260 sec of arc radius from the nucleus. Unfortunately, this ring is too dim to show in the Kopernik image above.

M-94 has an Active Galactic Nucleus that the Hubble Space Telescope shows to be a double source. This has led to recent suggestions that M-94 is a merger of two galaxies.

George Normandin, KAS

May 10th, 2001

Barred Spiral Galaxy M-95 is one of a bright pair of spiral galaxies, ( the other is M-96 ) in the constellation of Leo. Nearby one can find a group of three companion galaxies, NGC 3379 (M-105), NGC 3384, and NGC 3389. All are part of the Leo Galaxy Cluster. This cluster includes other bright members, like spiral galaxies M-65 and M-66, plus numerous smaller systems.

M-95 is a classic example of a barred spiral galaxy shaped like the Greek letter Theta. While the bar (middle aged stars), is like that of 'normal' barred spirals, the nearly circular spiral arms (young stars, gas, and dust), form a broken ring. These arms spring from the ends of the bar and wind slightly outward, almost touching the opposite bar and arm after a revolution of about 180 degrees. Note that the spiral arms do continue on into very faint extensions.

M-95 has an unusual starburst nuclear bulge. In the nuclear bulge there is quiescent nucleus surrounded by a ring of H-II regions that appear as three bluer knots where intense star formation is taking place. In particular, the ring-like structure of M95 has an external diameter of about 20 arc seconds, around a redder nucleus of about 2 arc seconds. There are three major complexes of H-II regions, whose high content of O stars gives a young age to the burst. Alloin Extremely bright nucleus in a strong, smooth bar 1.4x.03 minutes with dark lanes.

Dreyer's deion in the New General Catalog(NGC):

Bright, large, round, pretty gradually much brighter middle nucleus; = M95.

George Normandin, KAS

June 29th, 2002

Barred Spiral Galaxy M-96 is one of a bright pair of spiral galaxies, ( the other is M-95 ) in the constellation of Leo. M-96 is a face-on barred spiral galaxy. Nearby one can find a group of three companion galaxies, NGC 3379 (M-105), NGC 3384, and NGC 3389. All are part of the Leo Galaxy Cluster. This cluster includes other bright members, like spiral galaxies M-65 and M-66, plus numerous smaller systems.

M-96 contains about 160 billion solar masses and is about 100,000 light years in diameter. It was discovered by P. Mechain in March 1781.

The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

Small bright nucleus in a broad defuse bar with many dark lanes; Companion (14th mag gal.) attached at 3' SSW of center, size .4 x .4 min.

Dreyer's deion in the New General Catalog(NGC):

Very bright, very large, little extended, very abruptly very much brighter middle, resolvable, but mottled; = M96.

George Normandin, KAS

June 30th, 2002

Ross: (March 11, 1848) "Two stars considerably apart in the central region; dark penumbra around each spiral arrangement."

Ross's somewhat humorous drawing of M97:

George Normandin, KAS

June 3rd, 2005

C. Messier: April 13th, 1781. "Nebula without a star, of very pale light, nevertheless a little clearer than the preceding, M-98. On the northern wing of Virgo and near the same star, 6 Coma Berenicis. The nebula is between two stars of 7 and 8 magnitude. M. Mechain saw it on March 15th 1781."

John Herschel: “A very remarkable object..... Bright, large, round, gradually brighter in the middle, resolvable: a three-branched spiral.”

Quote from Burnham's Celestial Handbook:

"The spiral pattern is very well defined, although somewhat asymmetric, with an unusually far-extending arm on the west side; the arms are beautifully marked by a series of bright star clouds and nebulous regions. This system has sometimes been called a 'three branch spiral', although there are only two major arms. The supposed third arm actually consists of a number of short segments which radiate out from one of the main arms of the northeast side. Thin dust lanes can be traced deep into the bright central mass, and there is a small, almost stellar nucleus.....one of the largest red shifts of any member of the Virgo Cloud."
 

Quote from The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Small, very bright nucleus in complex central lens with many dark lanes, two massive arms with many branches; similar to M-33....."

M-99 was discovered by Pierre Mechain in March 1781. This was the second galaxy that the Earl of Ross recognized as having a spiral structure.

                        Spiral Galaxy, S-shaped

George Normandin, KAS

August 15th, 2002

Supernova 2001 ey:

Discovered October 16th, 2001, by Tim Puckett and M. Marcus.

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy MCG -1-57-10:

This 15.3 magnitude galaxy is in the constellation of Aquarius. It is an edge-on spiral galaxy.

Based on the published red shift, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for MCG -1-57-10 is 400 million light years, with a diameter of about 140,000 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

November 8th, 2001

George Normandin, KAS

May 22, 2007

Supernova 2001ag:

Discovered March 27th, 2001, at Puckett Observatory by T. Puckett and M. Peoples.

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxies MCG +08-18-009 and MCG +08-18-008:

This pair of Spiral Galaxies is in the constellation of Ursa Major. MCG +08-18-009 along with Supernova 2001ag, is about 420 million light years away. There is also a dim anonymous galaxy on the right (west) side of the Kopernik image above, best seen in the enlarged version of the picture.

George Normandin, KAS

April 16th, 2001

For a March 2004 image, click here.

This is a 10:5:5:5 minute exposure (LRGB) with an STL-1301E CCD camera thru Kopernik's 20-inch F/8.1 Ritchey Chretien Cassegrain telescope. The field of view is 12x12 arc minutes with North at the top.

McNeil's Nebula, a newly appearing Reflection Nebula:

The squiggly object near the bottom of the Kopernik image is a reflection nebula in the constellation of Orion. It is related to a newly forming star. This nebula has apparently varied in brightness over the years and was not visible for most of the last century before late 2003. The brightest knots are around 15th magnitude. Amateur Astronomer Jay McNeil of Paducah, KY discovered it in January 2004 while working in his backyard using his 3-inch refractor and CCD camera.

Click here for a Chandra X-ray Space Telescope image from July 2004.

This entire area of Orion is the site of new star formation. Apparently a protostar (red object at the bottom of the nebula?) is surrounded by a hot circumstellar disk. Most of these newly forming stars are hidden from view behind the dark molecular cloud that fills the area. However, sometime after late December 2003 a hole opened up allowing light from the protostar's disk to leak out and reflect off of the surrounding gas and dust. This type of quickly forming bright nebula is quite rare and may only last a few months. However, as of March 2005 the nebula has changed little. The nebula and red "star" at its south end seem to be related to IR source IRAS 05436-0007, and possibly Herbig-Haro Objects 22 and 23.

Herbig-Haro (HH) Objects 24 and 26:

HH 24 and 26 are the two nebulae near the bottom (south) of the image above. Herbig-Haro objects are nebulous blobs that arise from jets of gas squirting in opposite directions from a star-forming disk. The blobs light up where they strike surrounding gas. HH Objects are thus associated with newly forming stars and are usually found in larger star forming regions. (Also see NGC 1999).

Classification: Herbig-Haro Objects. Small bright nebulae associated with jets coming from disks surrounding newly forming stars.

Classification: A faint optical counterpart to IRAS 05436-0007 that has gone into outburst and has produced a reflection nebulosity.

George Normandin, KAS

March 9th, 2005

NGC 1003 is a diffuse Spiral Galaxy in the Constellation of Perseus. It has an ill-defined nucleus and patchy multiple spiral arms. There is a cluster of spiral galaxies in the background, at least 3 or which can be seen in the Kopernik image above. This galaxy was the host of Supernova 1937D, a 13th magnitude type Ia. The Hubble Space Telescope has observed the "light echo" of this supernova.

Based on the published red shift, (Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 1003 is 33 million light years, with a diameter of about 52,725 light years.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): "Pretty faint, large, extended 90° +/-, much brighter middle, resolvable, but mottled."

George Normandin, KAS

January 15th, 2003

Note from the Harvard University Supernova web site:

The following announcement appeared on International Astronomical Union Circular(IUAC) 6616:

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

George Normandin, KAS

November 23rd, 1997

NGC 1055 is an edge-on spiral galaxy that has a prominent nuclear bulge crossed by a wide, knotty, dark lane of dust and gas; the spiral arm structure appears to be elevated above the galaxy's plane and obscures the upper half of the bulge. It is a binary system together with the bright spiral galaxy M-77 (NGC 1068). These two are the largest galaxies of a small galaxy group that also includes NGC 1073, as well as five small irregular galaxies. NGC 1087, NGC 1090, and NGC 1094 appear close, but they are background galaxies. Based on the published red shift, (Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 1055 is 52 million light years, with a diameter of about 115,800 light years. The separation between NGC 1055 and M-77 is about 442,000 light years.

NGC 1055 is also a bright infrared and radio source, particularly in the wavelength for warm carbon monoxide. Astronomers believe that this results from unusually active star formation.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Pretty faint, considerably large, irregular, extended in position angle 80°, brighter middle, 11th magnitude star north 1 arc minute.

The small 16.3 magnitude galaxy in the lower left of the Kopernik image is LEDA 1164535. The red-shift based distance estimate is 281 million light years.

George Normandin, KAS

December 20th, 2009

Galaxy NGC 1087 is classified as a Barred Spiral. However it has many strange features and its true nature is still uncertain. It has an extremely small nucleus and a very short stellar bar. Unlike most barred galaxies, the bar apparently has some new star-formation taking place. There is a multiple spiral structure defined more by the dust lanes than by luminous matter. Overall, the disc has a very low surface brightness. Even though it appears close to another galaxy (NGC 1090), Blackman (1980) found that NGC 1087 is not interacting and should be considered isolated. It lies near the small M-77 (NGC 1068) galaxy group that also includes NGC 936, NGC 1055, and NGC 1090. However, because of its distance, it probably is not an actual group member. Based on the published red shift, (Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 1087 is 80 million light years, with a diameter of about 86,800 light years.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Pretty bright, considerably large, little extended, much brighter middle.

George Normandin, KAS

December 1st, 2001

Galaxy NGC 1090 is a Barred Spiral with a pseudo inner ring. The disc has a very low surface brightness. This galaxy has been the site of two known supernovae (in 1962 and 1971). Even though it appears close to another galaxy (NGC 1087), Blackman (1980) found that NGC 1090 is not interacting and should be considered isolated. It lies near the small M-77 (NGC 1068) galaxy group that also includes NGC 1055, NGC 1073, and five small irregular galaxies. However, because of its distance, NGC 1090 probably is not an actual group member, nor does it appear related to galaxy NGC 1094, which lies in the same area of the sky.

Based on the published red shift, (Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 1090 is 145 million light years, with a diameter of about 169,000 light years.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Very faint, pretty large, irregularly round, brighter middle.

George Normandin, KAS

March 6th, 1999

Classification: Sbc I-II
Spiral Galaxy,
Luminosity Class I-II

Classification: Spiral Galaxy

George Normandin, KAS

March 7th, 1999

Classification: Spiral Galaxy

New General Catalog(NGC):

 Faint; extended."

Classification: Lenticular Galaxy

New General Catalog(NGC):

 "Faint, pretty small, little extended, abruptly brighter middle."

George Normandin, KAS

February 12th, 2001

Galaxies NGC 1355 and NGC 1358, in the Constellation of Eridanus, form a non-interacting pair. NGC 1358 appears to be about 3 million light years furthur away than NGC 1355.

NGC 1355:

NGC 1355 is an edge-on galaxy of uncertain type. It is either a Lenticular Galaxy or a Spiral Galaxy. A rough distance estimate for NGC 1355 and Supernova 2009im is 170 million light years.

NGC 1358:

Classification: S0: sp

 Lenticular, edge-on, spindle shaped, (or possibly an edge-on spiral)

Dreyer deion in the NGC:

"Pretty faint, small."

Classification: SAB(r)0/a Sy2

       Mixed Barred/Non-barred spiral galaxy, with inner ring, Seyfort type II

Deep Sky Field Guide to U2000:

    "Small elongated core, smooth envelope."

George Normandin, KAS

December 14th, 2009

This is a 10 minute exposure using an SBIG ST-6 CCD camera thru Kopernik's 20 inch F/8.1 telescope;
the field of view is about 5x7 arc minutes and thus covers only the inner part of the galaxy. NGC 147 is a companion of M-31.

Very diffuse, low surface brightness, with extremely small bright stellar nucleus.

(referring to NGCs 147 & 185) These two miniature elliptical galaxies appear to be distant companions of the Great Andromeda Galaxy M31. .......and are approximately the same distance .....about 2.2 million light years..... The true separation from the Andromeda Galaxy appears to be about a quarter of a million light years.

(NGC 147): ......the true diameter may be about 4,400 light years across the longer dimension. ...... The total luminosity is only about 6 million times that of the Sun, which places this dwarf system among the intrinsically faintest galaxies known. ........(M-31) is about 2,000 times more luminous!

George Normandin, KAS

December 8th, 1997

George Normandin, KAS

March 4th, 2003

Quote from: The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Nine arc minutes in diameter; 50 stars; brightest = magnitude 11.19; Moderately rich in stars; small brightness range; slight central concentration; detached."

Data from the 'Tycho Catalog' shows that the bright star at the bottom of the image is a B-9 blue giant that is at a distance of 1,125 light years. However, this star is probably a foreground object and not a part of the cluster.

George Normandin, KAS

November 29th, 2001

"9th magnitude star in nebula 3 arc minutes in diameter."

"Irregular disk involved in a larger and fainter disk of smooth nebulosity. Central star = magnitude 9.40 v."

This Planetary Nebula is located in the Constellation of Taurus at an estimated distance of 1,950 light years.

Planetary Nebulae: To learn more about them, click here.

George Normandin, KAS

February 26th, 2003

These four spiral galaxies are a part of a galaxy group that also includes NGC 1599, NGC 1600, NGC 1601, NGC 1603, NGC 1604, NGC 1606, NGC 1607, NGC 1609, NGC 1611, NGC 1612, NGC 1613, and several fainter galaxies. Click here for more info on Supernova 2000fm, which appears in Spiral Galaxy NGC 1612 in our image.

Classification: SB(rs)0+ pec?

   Barred Spiral, inner ring, peculiar?

Dreyer deion in the NGC:

    "Extremely faint, small, extended 90° +/-."

Classification: Spiral Galaxy

Deion:

Edge-on, thin disk.

Classification: SB(r)0/a

Barred Spiral, inner ring

Dreyer deion in the NGC:

 Very faint, very small, round, gradually much brighter middle."

Classification: SAB(rs)0+?

Mixed Barred Non-barred Spiral, inner ring, (all uncertain)

Dreyer deion in the NGC:

"Faint, very small, round, much brighter middle."

George Normandin, KAS

February 25th, 2001

These two spiral galaxies are a part of a galaxy group that also includes NGC 1599, NGC 1600, NGC 1601, NGC 1603, NGC 1604, NGC 1606, NGC 1607, NGC 1609, NGC 1611, NGC 1612, NGC 1613, and several fainter galaxies.

Classification: SB(r)0/a

Barred Spiral, inner ring

Dreyer deion in the NGC:

"Very faint, very small, round, gradually much brighter middle."

Classification: Spiral Galaxy

       

Deion:

Edge-on, thin disk.

George Normandin, KAS

February 20th, 2001

Quote from Dreyer's: New General Catalog(NGC):

"Faint, considerably large, irregular figure, 6 or 7 stars + nebula."

Found in the constellation of Perseus, NGC 1624 is a faint H-II emission nebula that surrounds group of about a dozen stars. Visually observable in a 6-inch telescope, the nebula is nonetheless a difficult and faint object even in a 10-inch.

George Normandin, KAS

December 2nd, 2001

Visual Observation: This supernova has been bright enough to visually observe in 8 inch or larger telescopes. While we where capturing the image above, several Kopernik Astro Society members where able to observe it using KAS Member Gary Durish's Celestron C-11 telescope. During periods of good seeing it was easy to see SN1999em embedded in the nebulosity of NGC 1637.

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1637:

NGC 1637 is a distinctly asymmetrical Barred Spiral Galaxy of low surface brightness, with a rather small bar. Although the inner pair of arms is completely symmetrical, another arm sprouts from the south side and wraps a full 180 degrees around, with no apparent counterpart on the opposite side. Astronomers believe that this single arm is not a new feature, but can not explain how it could remain stable for a long period.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Considerably bright, large, round, very gradually brighter middle.

Based on the published red shift, a rough distance estimate for NGC 1637 and supernova 1999em is: 38,000,000 light years, with the galaxy being 44,000 light years in diameter.

George Normandin, KAS

December 5th, 1999

Revised: Dec. 2nd, 2001

Dreyer's deion in the New General catalog(NGC):

Faint, very small, irregularly round, brighter middle.

There is little that is certain about NGC 1643 except that it is a spiral galaxy, or perhaps a barred spiral. In the north arm there is a bright H II region or companion galaxy of 16th magnitude. There is also a 18th magnitude companion galaxy at 0.7 arc minutes to the south. If the galaxy is at its estimated distance of 255 million light years, it must have a diameter of around 82,000 light years.

NGC 1643 was the site of supernovae in 1995 (SN1995g) and 1999 (SN1999et). In fact the latter supernova was reported to be visible at the time of the Kopernik image. However, it was only 18th magnitude and very close to the nucleus of the galaxy. This makes it impossible to see it in our picture.

George Normandin, KAS

December 8th, 1999

A Galaxy Group in Eridanus

A 15 minute exposure taken under poor sky conditions with STL-1301E CCD camera thru Kopernik's 20-inch F/8.1 telescope. The field of view is 15x13 arc minutes, with North at the top.

The negative version below has the galaxies identified and just begins to show the very dim outer arms of NGC 1723 and outer ring of NGC 1721.

This group of four galaxies is in the Constellation of Eridanus. Three appear very close and were included by Vorontsov and Velyaminov in their 1968 catalog of peculiar interacting galaxies. Otherwise, there is not much published in the professional papers on these galaxies.

All four galaxies have similar red shifts, but there is some difference. This might reflect relative motion inside the galaxy group, or they may not be all that close in space. However, two of the three in the close group have rather strange shapes, as does the fourth galaxy. NGC 1723 (top of Koperik image) is a little separated from the others. It has a theta shaped inner ring and bar, plus two very dim spiral arms, one of which is very spread out. (These arms just barely show in the Kopernik image.) NGC 1728 is a nearly edge-on Spiral Galaxy with a peculiar distorted shape. NGC 1721 is a Barred Spiral Galaxy with two very dim and narrow spiral arms that seem to form a pseudo outer ring (again, just barely seen in the Kopernik image). NGC 1725, the center galaxy of the triplet, is a Lenticular Galaxy. There is also one small dim background galaxy in the image.

George Normandin, KAS

December 26th, 2009

NGC 1788, a Reflection Nebula:

This reflection nebula in the constellation of Orion is rather sharply defined on its southwest perimeter where it is flanked by the dark nebula Lynds 1616. The brightest involved star is 10th magnitude and lies in the northwest sector.

Lynds 1616, a Dark Nebula:

Lynds 1616 is a very opaque dark nebula that is apparently a part of NGC 1788, involved in the Southwest part of it. It is most distinct due south of NGC 1788's central region.

Classification: Reflection Nebula

Classification: Dark Nebula

George Normandin, KAS

December 6th, 2001

Supernova 2009 kr:

Discovered November 6th, 2009, by Koichi Itagaki.

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1832:

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1832 is in the Constellation of Lepus. It has a small bright nucleus and a short bar surrounded by a pseudo-ring. There are two knotty spiral arms, one more defined than the other. The knots are probably not H-II star forming regions. Recent professional papers report a rough distance of 85.6 million light years.

George Normandin, KAS

November 21st, 2009

This image of dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 185 is a 10 minute exposure with an ST-6 CCD camera thru a 20 inch F/8.1 telescope. The field of view is about 5x7 arc minutes, and thus covers only the inner part of the galaxy. NGC 185 is a companion of M-31.

Low surface brightness dwarf, dark markings in brighter middle, no definite nucleus.

(referring to NGCs 147 & 185) These two miniature elliptical galaxies appear to be distant companions of the Great Andromeda Galaxy M31. .......and are approximately the same distance .....about 2.2 million light years..... The true separation from the Andromeda Galaxy appears to be about a quarter of a million light years.

NGC 185 is the brighter of the two, and may be seen in a good 6 inch telescope...... (it is) about 2,300 light years in diameter. .... Appearing like a gigantic globular cluster, it must contain many millions of faint stars. ......the total luminosity (is) some 8 million times that of the Sun. An unusual feature .... is a small irregular dust patch which often disappears on photographs.

George Normandin, KAS

December 8th, 1997

Quote from: The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Seven arc minutes in diameter; 30 stars; brightest = magnitude 11.26; Moderately rich in stars; small brightness range; strong central concentration; detached; involved in nebulosity."

The nebula is off the image to the south. Open Cluster M-38 is about a half-degree to the north.

George Normandin, KAS

January 2nd, 2002

Quote fromDreyer's New General Catalog (NGC):

"Very faint, pretty large, irregularly round, stars nearby."

NGC 1924 is a fine barred spiral galaxy with an inner ring in the constellation of Orion not 2 degrees from the Great Orion Nebula, M-42. The fact that it is an Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) object indicates a lot of dust. A rough distance estimate for NGC 1924 is 133 Million Light Years, and at that distance its true diameter would be about 62,000 light years.

It is an easy object to see in Kopernik's 20 inch telescope. It appears as a round nearly featureless patch, with a slight brightening toward center,and just a hint of bar or spiral pattern.

George Normandin, KAS

March 18th, 2000

Classification: Reflection Nebula

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

"Very remarkable! 42 Orionis and nebula."

Classification: Reflection Nebula

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

"Bright double star involved in nebula."

Classification: Reflection Nebula

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

       "Star of magnitude 8 or 9 involved in nebula."

Classification: Star, Spectral Class B2 III

Deion:

Brightest star involved in nebula.

George Normandin, KAS

March 24th, 2010

George Normandin, KAS
GeorgePN@worldnet.att.net

January 10th, 1998

Planetary nebula, pretty bright, very small, very little extended.

Deion of NGC 2022 in:
Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

Ring and disk. Magnitude of central star = 14.9

This Planetary Nebula is located about 3.5 degrees north west of the first magnitude red giant star Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion.

Planetary Nebulae: To learn more about them, click here.

George Normandin, KAS

April 12th, 2000

The Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) is in the Constellation Orion and it is about 900 to 1,500 light years away. The bright star Alnitak, the easternmost star in the Belt of Orion, shines energetic ultraviolet light into the Flame and this knocks electrons away from the great clouds of hydrogen gas that reside there. Much of the glow results when the electrons and ionized hydrogen recombine. Additional dark gas and dust lies in front of the bright part of the nebula and this is what causes the dark network that appears in the center of the glowing gas. The Flame Nebula is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, a star-forming region that includes the famous Horsehead Nebula.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): "Remarkable! Irregular, bright, very, very large, black lane included."

George Normandin, KAS

April 12th, 2008

Click here to see a March 2005 image.

This a 25 minute exposure (10:5:5:5 LRGB) with an ST-9E CCD camera thru Kopernik's 20-inch F/8.1 Ritchey Chretien Cassegrain telescope working at F/5. The field of view is 9.5x12 arc minutes with North at the top.

McNeil's Nebula, a newly appearing Reflection Nebula:

The squiggly object near the bottom of the Kopernik image is a reflection nebula in the constellation of Orion. It is related to a newly forming star. This nebula has apparently varied in brightness over the years and was not visible for most of the last century before late 2003. The brightest knots are around 15th magnitude. Amateur Astronomer Jay McNeil of Paducah, KY discovered it in January 2004 while working in his backyard using his 3-inch refractor and CCD camera.

This entire area of Orion is the site of new star formation. Apparently a protostar (red object at the bottom of the nebula?) is surrounded by a hot circumstellar disk. Most of these newly forming stars are hidden from view behind the dark molecular cloud that fills the area. However, sometime after late December 2003 a hole opened up allowing light from the protostar's disk to leak out and reflect off of the surrounding gas and dust. This type of quickly forming bright nebula is quite rare and may only last a few months. However, as of March 2005 the nebula has changed little. The nebula and red "star" at its south end seem to be related to IR source IRAS 05436-0007, and possibly Herbig-Haro Objects 22 and 23. Herbig-Haro objects are nebulous blobs that arise from jets of gas squirting in opposite directions from a star-forming disk. The blobs light up where they strike surrounding gas. (Also see NGC 1999)

Click here for a Chandra X-ray Space Telescope image from July 2004.

NGC 2064, a Reflection Nebula:

This faint reflection nebula is just south of reflection nebula M-78. These two, plus NGC 2067 are a part of the same object. They are separated by a wide lane of dark matter that is a part of dark nebula Lynds 1630.

Lynds 1630, a Dark Nebula:

A small portion of this large dark nebula (aka Barnard 33) winds through the Kopernik image above. In this area near M-78 there a patch covering about a half-degree where the sky is heavily obscured by absorbing molecular cloud through which scarcely a star shows. This gas and dust complex covers much of northern Orion. In the M-78 area and again in the Flame and Horse Head Nebula area the cloud that makes up Lynds 1630 is lit up by reflection or emission nebulosity. Lynds 1630 contains many IR sources that mark the location of new protostars that can not be observed in visual wavelengths. One of these is the source of the new McNeil's Nebula.

Classification: Reflection Nebula

Dreyer deion: "Extremely faint, very small, 9th magnitude star to the northwest 4 arc minutes."

Classification: A faint optical counterpart to IRAS 05436-0007 that has gone into outburst and has produced a reflection nebulosity.

George Normandin, KAS

March 9th, 2005

NGC 2071, Reflection Nebula:

Reflection Nebula NGC 2071 lies a little to the north of reflection nebula M-78. NGC 2071 is quite bright and contains a number of dark areas. Located near by there are several other reflection nebulae (NGC 2064, NGC 2067, McNeil's Nebula, etc) separated by a wide lane of dark matter that is a part of dark nebula Lynds 1630. All of these objects are a part of the same cloud of gas and dust that covers much of the Constellation of Orion.

Classification: Reflection Nebula

Dreyer deion: "Double star (10 & 14th magnitude) with very faint, large nebula."

George Normandin, KAS

April 4th, 2005

Quote fromDreyer's New General Catalog (NGC):

"Pretty large, cometary form, much brighter nucleus southeast almost star, 7th magnitude star to northeast."

Quote from Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Reflection nebula; Comet-shaped nebula with a magnitude 11 star involved."

NGC 2245 is just one small patch of nebulosity in an area of the Constellation of Monoceros that is filled with nebulae and star clusters. It is a reflection nebula in which the light of the embedded 11th magnitude star is reflected off of surrounding dust and gas. It does not shine by its own light like emission nebulae, and its spectra is the same as that of the star providing the light.

The bright star to the upper right in our image is a 7.7 magnitude K0 Red Giant that the Hipparcos Satellite has accurately measured to be at a distance of 5,824 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

March 26th, 2000

Classification: O-Type blue supergiant star; irregular variable star. This is a very young, bright, A member of Open Cluster NGC 2264.

George Normandin, KAS

March 29th, 2010

Dreyer's deion of NGC 2301 in his New General Catalog (NGC):

"Cluster, rich in stars, large, irregular figure, stars large large brightness range; strong central condensation; detached from background star field."

Open Star Cluster NGC 2301 in the Constellation of Monoceros is easy to see in backyard telescopes. It is located in a wonderful area of the winter Milky Way a little east of the Constellation of Orion. Many sky guides start a deion of this cluster as "often overlooked" because of the many fine objects in the area. The bright yellow/red star on the left of the image has a much different motion across the sky than NGC 2301, and thus is probably not a part of the cluster.

There is much recent professional research on this cluster. The latest age estimate is 210 million years and a recent distance estimate is 1,650 light years. While the catalogs list this cluster as covering 12 arc minutes, recent studies show outliers at 10 arc minutes from the center, meaning that the cluster fills the image above. Many of the cluster's stars are variables, with five being eclipsing variables, and another 133 appear to be stars whose variation is due to rotation modulated by star spot activity.

George Normandin, KAS

March 18th, 2010

The Kopernik image above only covers the central portion of Abell 569, which is a cluster of galaxies in Lynx. There are about 10 galaxies in the Kopernik image, and most are members of this cluster. Abell 262, like most galaxy clusters, has a central X-ray source.

Using the red shift data from the “NASA Extra-galactic Data Base(NED)”, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km per sec., per Megaparsec), one can calculate a rough distance estimate for this Galaxy Cluster of about 305 million light years.

NGC 2329 is the brightest galaxy in Abell 569. Although usually classified as a Lenticular Galaxy, recent studies have concluded that it is a 'cluster dominant' Elliptical Galaxy (refer to NGC 708). It is an x-ray source and a radio jet streaming from its core, like many other cluster dominants. In addition that is also a 'radio tail' extending from this galaxy.

Classification: E, Elliptical Galaxy

Classification: Galaxy Cluster.

Classification: Spiral Galaxy

Classification: Elliptical Galaxy

George Normandin, KAS

February 16th, 2002

NGC 2344 is a face-on spiral galaxy in the Constellation of Lynx. It has a small nucleus and a low surface brightness. Based on the published red shift, (Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 2344 is 51 million light years, with a diameter of about 25,340 light years.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): "Pretty bright, pretty small, round, little brighter middle."

George Normandin, KAS

February 24th, 2002

This ring-shaped nebulosity results from the interaction between the stellar wind of a central Wolf-Rayet star and the interstellar matter. The wind compresses the interstellar matter and produces a bubble of gas around the star.

This bubble could be compared to the piles of snow that form in front of a snow plough, and which move and grow as the plough advances. The bubble expands around the Wolf-Rayet star and as it ploughs through the interstellar medium, it enriches itself with more gas and dust. The bubble's mass is estimated to be about twenty times the mass of the Sun. The emission from the nebula comes from the interaction between the ultraviolet photons emitted by the star and the gas in the bubble.

NGC 2359 is quite different than a planetary nebula. Its Wolf-Rayet central star is a massive and very young star while for planetary nebulae the central star is a very old star in an advanced state of evolution. Such a star is less massive and on its way to becoming a white dwarf.

The properties of these stars were first described 1867 by Charles J. Wolf and Georges A. Rayet. Approximately 164 Wolf-Rayet stars are known in the Galaxy. They are very luminous stars of spectral type O or B, and are hot stars, with effective temperatures between 30,000 and 50,000 K, although the precise values are difficult to determine. Their very peculiar spectra show emission lines of a a stellar wind is ejecting matter into space at velocities between 1,000 and 3,000 kilometers per second, and indicate that an envelope of ejected matter exists around the star. The rate of mass loss by the stellar wind is significant, of the order of 10-4 solar masses per year. Wolf-Rayet stars are often seen surrounded by nebulosities such as NGC 2359.

Classification: Bright bubble nebula surrounding a Wolf-Rayet Star.

Classification: A blue supergiant star; a Wolf-Rayet Star.

George Normandin, KAS

March 10th, 2012

NGC 2371 - NGC 2372 was discovered in the 18th Century by William Herschel, and first identified as a planetary nebula by Pease in 1917. It has an obvious bipolar appearance. Note the pair of very faint "polar caps" to the upper right and lower left which represent polar outflows, probably due to stellar winds constrained by an equatorial torus. A picture of this nebula taken by the Japanese SUBARU telescope can be found here.

Planetary Nebulae: To learn more about them, click here.

George Normandin, KAS

May 12th, 2010

NGC 2392 is a small bright Planetary Nebula discovered by William Herschel in 1787. A small telescope shows it as an 8th magnitude star-like object, distinguishable by its soft fuzzy glow and perceptible disc which measures about 40" across. A ghostly bluish-green color becomes evident with larger telescopes. T.W. Webb in 1852 described this nebula as "quite like a telescopic comet" while Lord Rosse (1850) spoke of it as "a wonderful object as seen with the 6-foot telescope; it has been several times examined and as yet we have not seen the slightest indication of resolvability. The outer ring is seen on a pretty good night completely separated from the nucleus surrounding the brilliant point or star. The light is very bright and always appears to be flickering, owing no doubt to the unsteadiness of the atmosphere. There is a small dark space to the right of the star.......".

As typical with planetary nebulae, the catalogs give widely different distances for NGC 2392. A "compromise" distance estimate of 3,000 light years would mean that the actual diameter would be about 36 thousand Astronomical Units or 0.6 light year. The central star, one of the brightest known in any of the planetaries, is an O type dwarf about 40 times more luminous than the Sun; the surface temperature is about 40,000 degrees K. Very strong radiation from the central star excites the bright fluorescent glow of the nebulosity. Two strong spectral lines at 5007 and 4959 angstroms, the so-called "forbidden lines" of doubly ionized oxygen, produce a bluish-green tint.

George Normandin, KAS

December 8th, 2002

Dreyer's deion of NGC 2420 in his New General Catalog (NGC):

"Cluster, considerably large, rich in stars, compressed, stars of magnitude 11 to 18."

Quote from: The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000, 2nd Ed:

"Open Cluster of approximately 300 stars, the brightest being magnitude 11. Moderately rich in stars; small brightness range; strong central concentration; detached from surrounding star field."

Click below to

George Normandin, KAS

May 14th, 2005

Planetary nebula, pretty bright, pretty small, very little extended, resolvable, but mottled

This Planetary Nebula is located well within the apparent borders of open star cluster M-46, some 7 arc minutes north of the center. It was first noticed by Sir William Herschel, and was described by John Herschel in 1827 as "exactly round, of a fairly equable light ....has a very minute star a little north of center .... it is not brighter in the middle or fading away, but a little velvety at the edges..." Lalande and Lord Rosse found it annular; the ring is about 65" in apparent size, with a faint central star.

Controversy over the possibility of true membership in the cluster continues. Hipparcos satellite data shows M-46 to be about 7,250 light years and previous estimates of the distance to NGC 2438 are around 3,000 light years. However just recently an observing team announced results that place the nebula at the same distance as the cluster. Nevertheless, astronomers believe that planetary nebulae are relatively old objects compared to open clusters. It would be very unusual for it to be a true part of M-46. The nebula's central star is 17.5 magnitude and is very bright in blue and ultraviolet light. The computed surface temperature is about 75,000° K, one of the hottest stars known.

Planetary Nebulae: To learn more about them, click here.

George Normandin, KAS

March 13th, 2000

Very faint, large, 4 stars in diffused nebula.

Planetary Nebulae: To learn more about them, click here.

George Normandin, KAS

March 14th, 2001

CCD Image taken on August 20th, 1998, UT 5:25, using an SBIG ST-6 thru Kopernik's 20 inch F/8.1 telescope. The field of view is about 5x7 arc minutes, with north at the top.

From IAU Bulletin 6980 (7/27/98):

....Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, reports that a spectrum of SN 1998de was obtained ...... implying that this is a type-Ia supernova. Correcting for the host-galaxy redshift of 5,023 km/s, the photospheric expansion velocity is 13,300 km/s. (other data) ....suggests that this will be a fast-declining type-Ia event.

Note that the supernova is much brighter on the discovery image than it is on the Kopernik image taken about a month later.

The outer ring of this strange system is just visible in our CCD image. This galaxy forms a pair with the peculiar spiral galaxy NGC 260 which is just off of the upper left edge of the image.

Based on the published red shift, a rough distance estimate for NGC 252 and supernova 1998de is: 264,000,000 light years. Considering that the other stars in the image are no more than a few thousand light years at the most, it is possible to see the tremendous amount of energy released by this event.

George Normandin, KAS

August 20th, 1998

Revised: February 21st, 1999

CCD Image taken on April 11th, 1999, UT 3:11, using an SBIG ST-6 thru Kopernik's 20 inch F/8.1 telescope. The field of view is about 5x7 arc minutes; exposure = 8.3 minutes.

From IAU Bulletin 7108 (2/12/99):

....... spectra obtained on Feb. 12 UT with the Lick Observatory 3-meter Shane reflector show that SN 1999aa is a peculiar type-Ia supernova, very similar to SN 1991T. ......Overall, the spectrum suggests an age of about 6 days before maximum brightness..

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

This is the data on Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 2595 itself:

NGC 2595 is a barred spiral galaxy with prominent and bright nucleus and distorted outer regions which include an inner ring structure. There are no other galaxies nearby. However, note that the faint anonymous galaxy on the right side of our CCD image.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Very faint, pretty large, irregular figure, round, double star southwest 2 arc minutes.

Based on the published red shift, a rough distance estimate for NGC 2595 and supernova 1999aa is: 228,000,000 light years, with the galaxy being 159,000 light years in diameter. Considering that the other stars in the image are no more than a few thousand light years at the most, it is possible to see the tremendous amount of energy released by this event.

George Normandin, KAS

April 13th, 1999

Galaxies NGC 2604 and MCG 5-20-23 in the Constellation of Cancer have nearly the same red shift. NGC 2604 is a Barred Spiral Galaxy with two spiral arms and a separate condensation in the disk. MCG 5-20-23 is a nearby Irregular Galaxy that is much like the Milky Way's Magellanic Clouds.

Classification: SB(rs)cd

       Barred Spiral Galaxy, Mixed inner-ring, S-shaped

Dreyer deion in the NGC:

       "Very faint, pretty large, round, little brighter middle, resolvable, but mottled, double star nearby."

Classification: Im

       Irregular Galaxy, Magellanic type

George Normandin, KAS

May 11th, 2002

Supernova 2001 bg:

Discovered May 8th, 2001, by T. Boles, Coddenham, England (U.K. Nova/Supernova Patrol).

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 2608 (aka Arp 012):

Dreyer's deion in the New General Catalog (NGC):

"Faint, very little extended, much brighter middle, resolvable, but mottled."

Quote from The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Two asymmetric arms very high surface brightness. 'Nucleus may be double, or superposed star' (Arp)".

NGC 2608 in the constellation of Cancer is a very elongated galaxy with a bright core. It is in Arp's class: "spiral galaxies with split arms".

Based on the published red shift, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 2608 is 112 million light years, with a diameter of about 75,100 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

May 18th, 2001

NGC 2623 is a well-studied triple system included in Arp's atlas of peculiar galaxies (Arp 1966) as ARP 243. Bright tidal tails are observed in both optical and near-infrared wavelengths; these tails suggest that a merger of two or three galaxies has occurred. This system is the merged result of the collision. The central masses have become indistinguishable. Only one true nucleus is thought to exist. NGC 2623 is very bright in both infrared and radio, a signature of disturbed gas and rapid star formation. Based on the published red shift, (Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 2623 is 291 million light years, with a diameter (including the tails) of about 203,000 light years.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Very faint, very small, round, brighter middle, resolvable, but mottled.

George Normandin, KAS

March 16th, 1999

NGC 2742 is a spiral galaxy in the Constellation of Ursa Major that is seen at an angle of about 45 degrees. Based on the published red shift, (Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 2742 is 68 million light years, with a diameter of about 59,200 light years.

Quote from The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:
"Small, bright nucleus; several filamentary, knotty arms."

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): "Considerably bright, considerably large, extended 90°, easily resolvable."

The bright star at the upper right is SAO 14765; at 7.7 magnitude, it is just a little too dim to be seen by the unaided eye. The cross shape in the image is an artifact called “diffraction spikes”. They are caused by the vanes (sometimes called a "spider") that hold the telescope’s secondary mirror.

George Normandin, KAS

March 10th, 2001

NGC 281, the Pacman Nebula:

NGC 281 is an emission nebula (glowing Hydrogen H II region) in the Constellation of Cassiopeia. NGC 281 is also known as the "Pacman Nebula" for its resemblance to the video game character. The nebula was discovered in August 1883 by E. E. Barnard, who described it as "a large faint nebula, very diffuse." The nebula is a star formation region. Prominent features in the Kopernik image above include the diffuse emission nebula, large lanes of obscuring gas and dust, and dense knots of dust and gas in which stars may still be forming. These small dark knots are called Bok globules (see ). The Kopernik image was taken using an h-alpha filter that brings out the glowing hydrogen. The NGC 281 system lies about 10 thousand light years distant.

IC 1590, an Open Star Cluster:

IC 1590 is the Open Star Cluster visible in the upper right of the Kopernik image above. It has formed only in the last few million years. The brightest member of this cluster is actually a multiple-star system shining light that helps ionize the Pacman nebula's gas, causing the glow visible throughout.

Classification: Emission Nebula

Classification: Open Star Cluster

George Normandin, KAS

December 25th, 2011

Classification: Barred Spiral, (uncertain)

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

 "Faint, small, irregular figure, 1st of 2."

Classification: Barred Spiral, peculiar, spindle shaped

Deep Sky Field Guide:

"In contact with IC 2458."

Classification: Irregular, peculiar

George Normandin, KAS

June 1st, 2001

From IAU Bulletin 7159 (5/7/99):

Spectra obtained by P. Berlind ...... confirm that SN 1999by is a type-Ia event, but the spectrum is peculiar. ......(it) is similar to ........ SN 1991bg, the prototypical fast-declining, subluminous type-Ia supernova.....

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2841:

NGC 2841 is a well-known Spiral galaxy and the host of three past supernovae (1912A, 1957A, 1972R). It has a central region composed of a bright nucleus and an amorphous lens devoid of dust or spiral structure. The lens resembles an Elliptical or Lenticular galaxy. Multiple, thin dust lanes begin to spiral outward at the periphery of the amorphous lens. They appear to be separate luminous spiral filaments of very complex structure. At first glance the filaments look like complete spiral arms, but closer inspection shows that only thin broken segments are present which cannot be traced as individual arcs for more than 30 degrees.

Infrared observations show that a ring of intense star formation surrounds the nucleus. However, observations by radio astronomers show that the galaxy has a lot of cool hydrogen and molecular gas that is probably in the spiral arms.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Very bright, large, very moderately extended 151°, very abruptly much brighter middle = 10th magnitude star.

Based on the published red shift, a rough distance estimate for NGC 2595 and supernova 1999by is: 34,000,000 light years, with the galaxy being 135,000 light years in diameter.

George Normandin, KAS

May 12th, 1999

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 2903 (and NGC 2905):

Dreyer's deion in the New General Catalog (NGC):

"Considerably bright, very large, extended, gradually much brighter middle, resolvable, but mottled, southwest of 2."

NGC 2903 is a Barred Spiral Galaxy in the Constellation of Leo. NGC 2905 is the northeast arm of NGC 2903. John Herschel (1792-1871) recorded several observations of it in that position, as well as a sketch. The only slight mystery is why William Herschel (1738-1822) made NGC 2905 one of his first class nebulae, ranking it in brightness with the central portion of NGC 2903 itself.

The internal pattern of dust in this nearly face-on galaxy is quite intricate. The delicate dust filaments threading across luminous regions are lost at points, but there is no question that these patterns are present. The nucleus is composed of about eight intense knots, presumed to be giant HII regions. The Hubble Space Telescope Near Infrared Camera image of the nucleus shows many clusters of bright new stars.

Based on the published red shift, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 2903 is 29 million light years, with a diameter of about 107,500 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

May 26th, 2001

Also: Galaxies MCG 4-23-21 and MCG 4-23-22

(Galaxies identified in negative image down the page)

CCD Image is a 10 Minute exposure using an SBIG STL-1301E thru Kopernik's 20-inch F/8.1 telescope. North at top;
field: about 13x16 arc minutes.

Negative image with galaxies ID'ed. ? = unidentified background galaxies.

NGC 2929 Galaxy Group in Leo; Includes Spiral Galaxies 2929, NGC 2930, NGC 2931, MCG 4-23-21, MCG 4-23-22:

This group of five Spiral Galaxies in the Constellation of Leo are all roughly the same distance: 24.5 million light years (based on red shift data), and thus are probably a physical group. NGC 2930 shows signs of disturbance. Although Supernova 2010jn appeared in NGC 2929 a short time before the Kopernik image was made, there is no sign of it in our image.

The image also includes numerous background galaxies which are likely at much greater distances.

Note that there are position errors for four of these galaxies in the NGC and other catalogs. The data below are the positions measured on the Kopernik image, not the catalog data.

George Normandin, KAS

September 20th, 2011

Quote from the Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

Very small, bright stellar nucleus; many stellar condensations.

Quote from Burnham's Celestial Handbook:

.....in addition to M-81 and M-82, this galaxy group also contains the peculiar galaxies NGC 3077 and 2976, the faint irregular systems NGC 2366, IC 2574 and Ho II, and possibly a few other faint members. The large spiral NGC 2403 in Camelopardalis also appears to be a dynamical member of this group.

The fourth member of the M-81 group is NGC 2976, located about 1.4 Degrees from M-81 toward the SSW. This is another odd galaxy, usually classed as a spiral of type Sd although very little evidence of spiral structure appears on photographs. The outline is elliptical; there does not appear to be any definite nucleus, and the entire surface of the galaxy is resolved into a mottled conglomeration of star clouds and dust patches. This is another dwarf system with a computed diameter of about 7,000 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

December 23rd, 1997

See second negative image below for identification of these galaxies

Classification: SB(r)cd: Barred Spiral Galaxy, inner ring, peculiar

Classification: Spiral Galaxy

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

"Very faint, small, round, westward of 2."

Classification: uncertain

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

"Extremely faint, eastward of 2."

Classification: Sc: sp, Spiral Galaxy (with peculiarities), spindle shaped

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

"Extremely faint, pretty large, extended, resolvable, but mottled."

George Normandin, KAS

June 8th, 2009

CCD Image of Supernova 1997cx in Galaxy NGC 3057 taken on 7/26/97 at 4:50 UT. It is a 12 Minute exposure using an SBIG ST-6 CCD camera thru Kopernik's 20 inch telescope (working at F/4.9). North at top; the field of view is about 9x12.5 arc minutes.

Click here to see this image with a map overlay showing the magnitude (one decimal place, not shown, i.e. 150 = 15.0) of the brighter stars, and the coordinate lines. The red box in this image is the calculated field of view of our ST-6 CCD camera. This version was produced using TheSky version 4, software.

M.Schwartz, U.S.A., has discovered SN 1997cx in NGC 3057 (R.A. 10h05.7m * DECL. 80°17') on CCD image taken on July 12, located 20" north from the galaxy's center. The magnitude is about 15 and the type II after maximum light.

George Normandin, KAS

July 26th, 1997, revised 3/11/98

Irregular Galaxy NGC 3077:

While this galaxy at first appears to be a typical elliptical galaxy, a closer examination of the image reveals several dark lanes extending from the non-uniform nucleus. The galaxy is one of the members of the M-81 group, and it is more akin to disturbed galaxy M-82 than it is to an elliptical. This is probably another group member disrupted by the gravitational force of giant spiral galaxy M-81, and as a result, it is a site of intense star formation. Supernovae have blown giant bubbles in the gas of the galaxy that can be seen as dark voids in the images above.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): "Considerably bright, considerably large, much brighter middle, round, with ray."

George Normandin, KAS

January 20th, 2002

Supernova 2001 ci:

Discovered April 17th, 2001, by the LOTOSS supernova search group.

Quote from IAU Bulletin 7618:

"B. Swift, W. D. Li, and A. V. Filippenko, University of California at Berkeley, report............ the absolute magnitude of the new star is only about -12.7, similar to the type-IIn Supernova 1997bs; this may be a super-outburst of a luminous blue variable star rather than a genuine supernova. Other explanations for the apparent faintness of this new star is that it is intrinsically faint, or suffers from huge amount of extinction in the very dusty host galaxy, or both."

Quote from IAU Bulletin 7638:

"A. V. Filippenko and R. Chornock, University of California at Berkeley, report that a CCD spectrum (range 390-1000 nm), obtained on May 30 with the Keck-II 10-m reflector, reveals that the 'possible supernova' in NGC 3079 (cf. IAUC 7618) is indeed a supernova, of type Ic, about 2-3 weeks past maximum brightness. The spectral shape is similar to that of SN 1990U at 12 days past maximum (Matheson et al. 2001, A.J. 121, 1648), but extinguished by 5-6 mag at visual wavelengths."

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3810:

Dreyer's deion in the New General Catalog (NGC):

"Very bright, large, moderately extended 135°."

Quote from The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Bright, peanut-shaped bar: 1.4 arc min x 0.3 arc min with dark lanes on one side. Almost edge-on and probably similar to NGC 4631.

NGC 3079 in the constellation of Ursa Major is a peculiar nearly edge-on Spiral Galaxy with a violent bipolar outflow of gas from the nucleus, a "galactic superwind" (Filippenko & Sargent 1992). These "superwinds" (Heckman, Armus, & Miley 1990) are thought to arise from the collective energy deposition and expulsion of matter from massive stars and supernovae in "starburst" systems. The center of NGC 3079 also harbors an Active Galactic Nucleus (black hole?). It has large amounts of dust and dark molecular clouds irregularly distributed throughout its disk and reddening toward its nucleus. This "starburst galaxy" is also an infrared, radio, and X-ray source.

Based on the published red shift, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 3079 is 59 million light years, with a diameter of about 136,000 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

May 17th, 2001

revised June 4th, 2001

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy NGC 309:

The spiral arms in NGC 309 are narrow, well defined, and highly branched. They are a strange example of interwoven arms that are also linked together with arcs and they have many condensations. The inner ring is almost complete. The spiral structure does not cross this ring and go into the nucleus. The nucleus itself is small and amorphous.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Pretty bright, pretty large, star of magnitude 12 or 13 north.

Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000: Small, very bright nucleus; sharp, knotty inner ring .4 x .3 arc min; many filamentary knotty bright arms.

Based on the published red shift, a rough distance estimate for NGC 309 and supernova 1999ge is: 300,000,000 light years, with the galaxy being 260,000 light years in diameter.

George Normandin, KAS

December 12th, 1999

Revised: December 19th, 1999

Supernova 1997 bq:

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3147:

NGC 3147 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Draco. This galaxy was also the host of Supernova 1972 H, another Type I. There are tightly wound multiple spiral arms, which can be traced right to the small, nucleus. The arms are highly branched. Note the faint-surface-brightness arm on the outside of the bright arm on the north side. Whenever two arm systems of different surface brightness occur, the fainter set is always on the outside. The arm pattern consists of spiral fragments that can be traced as individual continuous segments without branching for only about one-quarter turn.

George Normandin, KAS

April 15th, 2002

Classification: Spiral, S-shaped, peculiar

Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Small, very bright nucleus in bright bulge; with dark lane on one side."

Classification: Mixed Barred Non-Barred Spiral, Mixed Inner Ring - S-Shaped, LINER type Active Galactic Nucleus

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

    "Bright, pretty small, round, westward abruptly much brighter middle, 2nd of 3."

Classification: Spiral Galaxy, S-Shaped, (uncertain)

Dreyer's Deion in the NGC:

"Very faint, moderately extended 0°, 1st of 3."

George Normandin, KAS

June 11th, 2003

Supernova 2003 cg:

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3169:

NGC 3169 is a peculiar spiral galaxy in the constellation of Sextans. It has a small bright nucleus and multiple dust lanes that appear in silhouette against the large central bulge. The spiral arm pattern is of the filamentary type. H-II regions are evident, particularly in the bright arm on the near side. Very faint outer arms exist of such low surface brightness that they are only hinted at in the Kopernik image. NGC 3169 forms a pair with NGC 3166 at 7.7 arc minutes angular distance. There exist signs of interaction (warps; Sandage with dark lane on one side."

Based on the published red shift, (and a Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate for NGC 3169 and supernova 2003 cg is 65 million light years. At that distance NGC 3169 would have a diameter of 83,350 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

May 7th, 2003

This grand face-on spiral galaxy is about one degree east of the 3rd magnitude star Mu Ursae Majoris. The bright star embedded in the outer parts is about 11th magnitude. Because of errors in the New General Catalog(NGC), this galaxy is also NGC 3180, and is probably the missing objects NGC 3181 and 3182.

George Normandin, KAS

May 3rd, 1998,
revised April 4th, 2000

Click here for a wide field view image of galaxy group Hickson 44.

Click here for pictures and info on Supernova 2002 bo that was discovered in NGC 3190 in March 2002.

NGC 3185:

This Barred Spiral Galaxy appears to have a complete external ring. The bar seems to terminate on the ring, but close inspection shows that the "ring" is composed of two closely coiled spiral arms. Each arm can be traced from its starting place at the end of the bar, through 180 degrees, until it passes near and almost joins the opposite end of the bar. Each arm passes beyond the opposite end of the bar and can be traced on the outside of the beginning of the other arm. This galaxy also has a small and very bright Active Galactic Nucleus.

NGC 3190 (& NGC 3189):

This edge-on Spiral Galaxy shows a strong dark lane with outer arms tilted to principal plane. NGC 3189 is the southwestern side of NGC 3190. There is also a large, bright central budge and this galaxy has an Active Galactic Nucleus.

NGC 3193:

This apparently normal Elliptical Galaxy has a very bright nucleus. Like the others, it is a part of a galaxy group known as Hickson 44 and Arp 316.

George Normandin, KAS

July 12th, 2001

From IAU Bulletin 7152 (4/25/99):

A. V. Filippenko, W. D. Li, and M. Modjaz... write: "A CCD spectrum ...... obtained on Apr. 24 with the 3-m Shane reflector at Lick Observatory looks very similar to that of the type-IIn SN 1997bs in NGC 3627 (M-66). Another example of an object having a similar spectrum is SN 1999Z, but it was much more luminous. The type-IIn subclass clearly spans a very broad range of properties, as was already known to some extent (e.g., Filippenko 1997, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 35, 309). It remains to be seen whether the explosion mechanism is core collapse in all of these objects; perhaps in some cases the star is not fully destroyed ...

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3198:

The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000: Small, very bright nucleus in bar, partly obscured on one side; several knotty arms.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Pretty bright, very large, moderately extended 45°, very gradually brighter middle.

Based on the published red shift, a rough distance estimate for NGC 3198 and supernova 1999bw is: 35,000,000 light years, with the galaxy being 86,200 light years in diameter.

George Normandin, KAS

May 13th, 1999

Quote from Dreyer's New General Catalog (NGC):

"Extremely faint, small, round, star nearby."

Quote from The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

"Patchy arms with several bright knots; galaxy 2.1 arc minutes southwest."

NGC 3240 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Hydra. It was the host of recent Supernova 2001m, and we took this image in an attempt to record this supernova. However, the supernova had faded below the limiting magnitude of this image. There is an edge-on anonymous galaxy to the south west of NGC 3240 in our image. NGC 3240 is roughly at a distance of 190 million light years.

George Normandin, KAS

April 1st, 2001

"This is a fine planetary nebula, easily located about 0.8° south of the star Mu Hydrae. In the small telescope it shows as a pale bluish softly glowing disc measuring about 40" x 35", appearing like a "ghost of Jupiter". The total magnitude is about 9; the central star is 11.4 visually."

"A peculiar and interesting structure is shown in larger instruments. There is a bright, strongly elliptical inner ring which strikingly resembles the outline of a human eye; this feature measures 26" x 16" and is oriented southeast to northwest. The "eye" is enclosed by a fainter outer shell of nearly spherical form, some 40" in diameter. In the exact center lies the illuminating star, a hot blue dwarf with a nearly continuous spectrum and a surface temperature of about 60,000°K. Much of the light of the cloud may be termed fluorescence, caused by the strong ultraviolet radiation of the central star. The bluish-green tint s due to the strong emission of doubly ionized oxygen (5007 and 4959 angstroms) but color photographs show that their fainter tints are also present. The surface brightness of the nebula is high, and bears magnifying well. All the main features may be discerned with a good 10-inch (telescope)........."

Planetary Nebula NGC 3242 (PK 261+32.1) lies in the Constellation of Hydra. William Herschel discovered it in 1787.

Click here for Hubble Space Telescope images of this nebula taken by planetary nebula experts Bruce Balick, University of Washington, Yervant Terzian, Cornell University, and others.

Background Galaxies: Note the two distant background galaxies near the bottom of the Kopernik image. The one of the left is magnitude 16.4 and the larger one on the right is considerably dimmer.

George Normandin, KAS

June 8th, 2003

Quote from the Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:

Small, very bright nucleus in smooth inner lens .33x.17 arc minutes, two main knotty arms. Very bright star at 2.7 minutes.

Based on the published red shift, (Hubble Constant of 62 Km/sec per Mpc) a rough distance estimate is 68 million light years, with a diameter of about 177,000 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

April 5th, 2000
Revised: April 18th, 2001

Supernova 2001y:

Discovered March 3rd, 2001, at Lick Observatory by the LOTOSS group.

Follow this Link to a NASA Web site on supernovas. It has a very nice animation and a deion of what these objects are.

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3362:

Quote from Dreyer's New General Catalog (NGC):

"Very faint, pretty small, round, little brighter middle, resolvable, but mottled."

NGC 3362 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Leo. This galaxy has a Seyfert Type II Active Galactic Nucleus that is also a close double radio source. NGC 3362 and supernova 2001y are roughly at a distance of 436 million light years. The diameter of NGC 3362 is 177,600 light years.

George Normandin, KAS

March 26th, 2001

Galaxy NGC 3384 is a Lenticular that seems to have a central bar. It is a part of a trio of galaxies that include Elliptical Galaxy NGC 3379 (M-105), and Spiral Galaxy NGC 3389. All of these are a part of the Leo galaxy group.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Very bright, large, round, westward abruptly much brighter middle, 2nd of 3 (galaxies).

George Normandin, KAS

May 4th, 2007

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3389 is a part of a trio of galaxies that include Elliptical Galaxy NGC 3379 (M-105), and Lenticular Galaxy NGC 3384. All of these are a part of the Leo galaxy group. All three fit in a single eyepiece field with a 10 inch telescope. However, NGC 3389 is difficult to see in any telescope much smaller than a 10 inch.

Dreyer's deion from the New General Catalog(NGC): Faint, large, extended east-west, very gradually little brighter middle, 3rd of 3 (galaxies).

George Normandin, KAS

May 4th, 2007

One current theory would suggest that these two are in the process of merging into a single elliptical galaxy. Some astronomers predict that this is the fate that awaits the Milky Way and spiral galaxy M-31 in about 5 billion years.

Classification: SAB(rs)cd pec: III

 Mixed Barred Non-barred Spiral,
mixed Inner Ring S-shaped, peculiar, Luminosity Class III

Deep Sky Field Guide:

"Very small, very bright nucleus; two main bright knotty arms, IC 2605 is one arm."