Very cool, Mat! Thank you for taking the time and going through this effort. It'll be a lot of fun to hunt down some of them. Best wishes, Joe ________________________________ From: "Hutchings, Mat (H USA)" <mat.hutchings@siemens.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, December 9, 2011 11:43 AM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] The Utah Astro Observing List Okay, below is the Utah Astro Observing List. It contains 83 objects. This is the list that this list came up with as your favorite non Messier deep sky objects. The text version below is pretty messy because I could not figure out a quick way to format it well for e-mail. As I mentioned before, I will post a spreadsheet version on some website. I will let you all know the link when it is posted. Look at the first line for the column headings and notice the usual things in a list like this. The last column is labeled "Votes". This is simply a number of votes that each object got. The list below is sorted by votes, then by object. I would recommend you copy and past the list into a word processor program and tab between each field then convert the text into a table. Or better yet, wait until I post the spreadsheet. :) Enjoy, Mat Object Type Con Vmag Size RA Dec Pop. Name Notes Votes NGC 457 OC Cas 6.4 13.0' 01h 19m 10s +58° 20' 02" Owl Cluster Brent Watson says it also looks like an F-14 flying away from you. The owl's eyes are the afterburners. 5 NGC 6826 PN Cyg 8.8 27.0"x24.0" 19h 44m 53s +50° 31' 42" Blinking Planetary 5 NGC 2362 OC Cma 4.1 8.0' 07h 18m 48s -24° 56' 51" To Jay Eads' eye, this is the prettiest open cluster of the winter. 4 NGC 253 Gal Scl 7.2 25.0'x7.0' 00h 47m 35s -25° 17' 01" Edge-on spiral 4 NGC 3242 PN Hya 8.6 40.0"x35.0" 10h 24m 48s -18° 38' 14" Ghost of Jupiter 4 Almaak (γ And.) Double star (triple if you can) And 02h 03m 54s +42° 19' 47" Very pretty turquoise and yellow double. The challenge is to also split the fainter blue component. 3 Cr 399 Asterism Vul 3.6 60.0' 19h 25m 26s +20° 11' 18" Brocchi's Cluster; The Coathanger Once assumed to be an OC; data from Hipparcos spacecraft shows it to be a chance alignment of stars 3 NGC 2264 OC Mon 3.9 30.0'x60.0' 06h 40m 58s +09° 53' 42" Christmas Tree Cluster; Cone Nebula includes naked-eye S Mon (15 Mon) 3 NGC 6960 SNR Cyg 70.0'x6.0' 20h 45m 38s +30° 43' 20" Western Veil AKA Witches Broom Nebula, The Tornado, The Nexus. 3 NGC 6992 SNR Cyg 25.0'x20.0' 20h 56m 14s +31° 04' 20" Eastern Veil Joan Carmen like to call this part of the Veil the "fingers of death". 3 NGC 7293 PN Aqr 6.3 16.0'x12.0' 22h 29m 40s -20° 47' 23" Helical Nebula 3 NGC 7662 PN And 8.6 17.0"x14.0" 23h 25m 57s +42° 32' 44" Blue Snowball Nebula 3 3C 273 Quasar Vir 12 12h 29m 06s +02° 03' 01" Brightest quasar; most remote object visible in modest amateur telescopes (~ 2 billion light years) 2 NGC 2169 OC Ori 5.9 7.0' 06h 08m 27s +13° 56' 59" "37" Cluster 2 NGC 2281 OC Aur 5.4 15' 06h 48m 17s +41° 04' 42" Brent Watson calls this the "Broken Heart Cluster" 2 NGC 2392 PN Gem 8.6 47.0"x43.0" 07h 29m 10s +20° 54' 42" Eskimo Nebula; Clown Face 2 NGC 2419 GC Lyn 9.1 6' 07h 38m 09s +38° 52' 55" The Intergalactic Wanderer. 2 NGC 281 OC + BN Cas 7.4 4 00h 52m 48s +56° 37' Pacman Nebula Best with an OIII filter 2 NGC 4038 Gal Cor 10.3 2.6'x1.8' 12h 01m 53s -18° 51' 55" The Antennae; Ringtail Gal Interacting with NGC 4039 2 NGC 4039 Gal Cor 10.6 3.2'x2.2' 12h 01m 54s -18° 53' 07" The Antennae Interacting with NGC 4038 2 NGC 4565 Gal Com 9.6 15.5'x1.9' 12h 36m 20s +25° 59' 23" Bernice's Hair Clip Classic edge-on spiral with dust lane. A favorite of John Dobson. 2 NGC 4567 Gal Vir 11.3 3.0'x2.5' 12h 36m 33s +11° 15' 33" Siamese Twins Overlaps NGC 4568 2 NGC 4568 Gal Vir 10.8 5.1'x2.4' 12h 36m 35s +11° 14' 17" Siamese Twins Overlaps NGC 4567 2 NGC 5139 GC Cen 3.7 36.3' 13h 26m 46s -47° 28' 45" Omega Centauri Pit-N-Pole has a great southern horizon from which it is visible. 2 NGC 6210 PN Her 9.7 20.0"x13.0" 16h 44m 30s +23° 48' 46" Turtle Nebula Use a filter. 2 NGC 6302 PN Sco 7.1 1' 17h 13m 44s -37° 06' 16" Bug or Butterfly Nebula 2 NGC 6543 PN Dra 8.3 22.0"x16.0" 17h 58m 36s +66° 38' 17" Cat's Eye Nebula 2 NGC 6818 PN Sgr 10 22"x15" 19h 44m 00s -14° 09' Annular, near NGC 6822 2 NGC 6939 OC Cep 7.8 8.0' 20h 31m 27s +60° 38' 22" Very near Gal N6946 2 NGC 6946 Gal Cep 10.5 14 20h 34m 48s +60° 09' Diffuse, face-on. Very near OC N6939 2 NGC 7009 PN Aqr 8.3 28.0"x23.0" 21h 04m 15s -11° 21' 49" Saturn Nebula 2 Polaris (α Umi) Double star Umi 2 02h 31m 49s +89° 15' 51" Brent Watson points out that Polaris is the diamond in a circlet of stars that make up "The Engagement Ring of Polaris". 2 Rasalgethi (α Her) Double star Her 2.9 / 5.4 17h 14m 39s +14° 23' 25" Good color contrast in this double! 2 Albireo Double star Cyg 3.1 19h 30m 45s +27° 57' 55" The Cub Scout stars Superb double star; blue/gold 1 B 59, 65-7 DN Oph 300.0' 17h 21m 02s -26° 59' 58" Pipe Nebula (stem) 1 B 78 DN Oph 200.0' 17h 33m 02s -25° 59' 58" Pipe Nebula (bowl) 1 B 86 DN Sgr 5'x3' 18h 03m 00s -27° 52' Ink Spot Very cool that it is right next to NGC 6520. One of the nicest contrasts in the sky. 1 h3945 Double star CMa 5.0 / 5.9 07h 16m 35s -23° 19' Winter Albireo Yellow and blue coloration, but your eyes may see different colors. 1 IC 2163 Gal CMa 11.6 3.0'x1.2' 06h 16m 28s -21° 22' 33" Colliding with NGC 2207 1 IC 418 PN Lep 10.7 14.0"x11.0" 05h 27m 30s -12° 41' 32" Try different filters on this one. 1 Kemble's Cascade Cam 03h 57m 30s +63° 04' 13" First described by Canadian amateur Lucian J. Kemble; beautiful chain of about 20 mag. 5...9 stars; coordinates are for SAO 12969, a mag. 5 star in the middle of the Cascade 1 Markarian's Chain Gal chain Vir 12h 25m 04s +12° 53' 16" String of bright galaxies; covers 3 degrees of sky, starting with M84 & M86 in Virgo, ending with NGCs 4459 & 4474 in Coma Berenices; coordinates are for M84. Look for the face. 1 Mizar/Alcor Double star Uma 2.2 / 4 13h 23m 56s +54° 55' 31" The Horse and Rider A telescope reveals Mizar to be a double itself. Each of those components are spectoscopic doubles, so Mizar is a quadruple star. Alcor is also a double, so you are really gazing upon 6 stars. 1 NGC 1097 Gal For 10.2 9.3'x6.3' 02h 46m 19s -30° 16' 30" Barred spiral galaxy. It is a Seyfert galaxy. 1 NGC 1232 Gal Eri 10.5 8x7 03h 09m 42s -20° 34' Face-on spiral 1 NGC 1360 PN For 9.4 11.0'x7.5' 03h 33m 15s -25° 52' 18" Use a filter. 1 NGC 1365 Gal For 10.3 11.2'x6.2' 03h 33m 36s -36° 08' 25" The Great Barred Spiral Galaxy Current opinion is the Milky Way Galaxy may resemble this galaxy. 1 NGC 1398 Gal For 9.8 7.2'x5.1' 03h 38m 54s -26° 20' 14" Barred spiral galaxy. 1 NGC 1514 PN Tau 9.43 2.2' 04h 09m 17s +30° 46' 33" Crystal Ball Nebula This object caused Herschel to rethink the construction of the heavens. 1 NGC 1535 PN Eri 10.4 20.0"x17.0" 04h 14m 16s -12° 44' 16" "Little Eskimo". Shows multiple shells and the central star is observable. Use a filter. 1 NGC 2207 Gal CMa 12.2 4.3'x2.8' 06h 16m 22s -21° 22' 22" Colliding with IC 2163 1 NGC 2261 BN Mon 2.0'x1.0' 06h 39m 13s +08° 44' 01" Hubble's Variable Nebula 1 NGC 2359 BN Cma 8.0' 07h 17m 48s -13° 12' 54" Thor's Helmet; Duck Nebula Wolf-Rayet remnant 1 NGC 2683 Gal Lyn 10.6 9.3'x2.2' 08h 52m 41s +33° 25' 19" The UFO galaxy Spiral galaxy with no bar. 1 NGC 2903 Gal Leo 9 13.3'x6.0' 09h 32m 10s +21° 29' 58" Tilted spiral galaxy with a bright core and details within are viewable. 1 NGC 3521 Gal Leo 10.1 13.5x7.0 11h 05m 48s -00° 02' Large, bright 1 NGC 436 OC Cas 8.8 6.0' 01h 15m 58s +58° 48' 42" Mat Hutchings refers to this as the Owl Dropping, it is located just under the Owl Cluster. 1 NGC 4361 PN Cor 10.3 1.3' 12h 24m 30s -18° 47' 38" Use a filter. 1 NGC 4449 Gal CVn 10 6.0x4,5 12h 28m 12s +44° 06' Bizarre rectangular shape 1 NGC 4762 Gal Vir 11.1 9.0x2.0 12h 53m 00s +11° 14' A very flat galaxy 1 NGC 5907 Gal Dra 10.3 12.8'x1.8' 15h 15m 52s +56° 19' 48" 1 NGC 6207 Gal Her 12.5 3.3x1.2 16h 43m 06s +36° 50' Within about 1 degree of M13. It has no definite nucleus 1 NGC 6231 OC Sco 2.6 15.0' 16h 54m -41° 48' False Comet cluster 1 NGC 6520 OC Sgr 7.6 6 18h 03m 24s -27° 54' 60 stars, compact, near B86 1 NGC 6522 GC Sgr 9.9 5.6 18h 03m 34s -30° 02' 02" One of the "double globs". Possibly the oldest known glob in our galaxy, with an age of more than 12 Gigayears. 1 NGC 6528 GC Sgr 9.6 3.7 18h 04m 50s -30° 03' 21" One of the "double globs". 1 NGC 6712 GC Sct 8.2 7.2 18h 53m 06s -08° 42' PN IC 1295 in field 1 NGC 6888 BN Cyg 20.0'x10.0' 20h 12m 14s +38° 20' 21" Crescent Nebula 1 NGC 7027 PN Cyg 9.6 18"x11" 21h 07m 06s +42° 14' Proto-planetary, unique. Use highest power possible. 1 NGC 7331 Gal Peg 9.5 11.4'x4.0' 22h 37m 08s +34° 25' 27" Little And Gal 1 NGC 7479 Gal Peg 11.6 4.1'x3.1' 23h 04m 57s +12° 19' 22" Barred spiral galaxy. It is a Seyfert galaxy. 1 NGC 7789 OC Cas 6.7 16.0' 23h 57m 04s +56° 44' 09" White Rose Caroline Herschel discovered this OC, so it is also called Caroline's Rose. 1 NGC 869 OC Per 5.3 30.0' 02h 19m 03s +57° 08' 58" Double Cluster w/NGC 884 1 NGC 884 OC Per 6.1 30.0' 02h 22m 27s +57° 06' 57" Double Cluster w/NGC 869 1 NGC 891 Gal And 9.9 14.0'x3.0' 02h 22m 36s +42° 20' 50" Edge-on spiral w/prominent dust lane 1 R Leporis Carbon star Lep 5.5 - 11.7 04h 59m 36s -14° 48' 23" Hind's Crimson Star Hind reported that it appeared like a drop of blood on a black field. 1 S Cephei Carbon star Cep 7.4 - 12.9 21h 35m 13s +78° 37' 28" Also a Mira type variable star with a period of 486 days. 1 STF 1659 Asterism Cor 12h 35m 59s -12° 03' 09" The Stargate (refers to a Buck Rogers stargate not an SG1 stargate) Look for a triangle within a triangle. The name STF 1659 is in reference to a double star, and that double is part of this asterism. 1 The Fairy Ring Asterism Cyg big! 20h 04m +38° 20' Six doubles arranged in a hexagon. 1 ε Lyrae Double star Lyr 4.7 / 5.1 18h 44m 20s +39° 40' 12" The double-double Split the widest with your eyes, then see what the lowest magnifcation you can split the close ones with. 1 ι Cassiopeiae Triple star Cas 4.6 / 6.9 / 8.4 02h 29m 04s +67° 24' 09" White, yellow/white and yellow stars. 1 μ (mu) Cephei Carbon star Cep 4.1 21h 43m 30s +58° 46' 48" Herschel's Garnet Star One of the largest stars visible to the naked eye. 1 ν (nu) Draconis Double star Dra 4.9 17h 32m 13s +55° 11' 13" Ann Blanchard reports that this double star looks like car headlights coming at you out of a sea of blackness! 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message and any included attachments are from Siemens Medical Solutions and are intended only for the addressee(s). The information contained herein may include trade secrets or privileged or otherwise confidential information. Unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying, distributing, or using such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you received this message in error, or have reason to believe you are not authorized to receive it, please promptly delete this message and notify the sender by e-mail with a copy to Central.SecurityOffice.Healthcare@siemens.com Thank you _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php