I was able to detect NGC 147 in my 10 inch at Pit n Pole last September. Basically it is a very, very faint halo with just a tad of brightening near the center. I'd like to try for the globulars in M31 with the 14 inch since I know of several who have gotten around six of them with a 10 inch. I'd also like next winter to go for Baade 1 in Taurus (4 degrees south of the Pleiades in the Sky Atlas 2000) since filters are not much help there. Finally, I need to give Pease 1 a try in M15 this fall. Someone also suggested that I go after the old planetary nebulas as listed in the Abells as those offer a challenge for visual observers. Perhaps we should make up a visual challenge badge for observing certain objects and having someone with you who can validate the observation. On 2010-07-23 04:54, Canopus56 wrote:

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I was looking hard right at the spot where NGC 147 (Caldwell 17) was with no luck, when I looked up and realized it wasn't dark anymore... Oh, well... Until August, I guess.

NGC 147 (C17) is a faint irregular satellite galaxy to M31. Planetarium software simulation indicates it will be back into a dark sky window, free of moon light washout, beginning the evening of August 6 or 7. It will still be well placed near the local zenith in the early morning hours after 1 am.

Even though its catalog integrated magnitude is 10.0, Clark's _Visual Astronomy of the Night Sky_, Appendix E, lists the surface brightness of NGC 147 at 24.0 mpsas. That makes it a true dark sky site object or would require a very large aperture - possibly 12 inches or above to acquire visually.

If you do not have the time to travel to a try dark sky site, I'd recommend trying to acquire it by imaging - which will give you a little more magnitude reach.

Clear Skies, Kurt

Appendix E to _Visual Astronomy of the Night Sky_. http://www.clarkvision.com/visastro/appendix-e.html