Date: 28./29.12.2016
Time: 17:30-18:30
Observing site: Ulvila Observatory, Finland
Instrument: C280/2750 mm (11” Catadioptric)
NELM: 6.2
SQM: 20.39
Darkness of the background sky: 3
Seeing: 3
Transparency: –
Weather: In the beginning of my session clear sky, after an hour getting cloudy, calm, no Moon, no snow, +1C – 0C
Objects observed: NGC 157, 6217
This observing session was my third and last in December 2016, and it was also my last session during year 2016. This session was interrupted prematurely by clouds, and I was able to observe only to objects. These objects were galaxies listed in Herschel 400 -observing list, one of them in Cetus and another in Ursa minor.
My first object of this session was NGC 157, an SBbc spiral galaxy located in Cetus. This galaxy can be found when moving ~4 degrees east from iota Cet. Of this object, I wrote following notes:
@165x: this galaxy appeared as a faint, oval-shaped glow with uniform brightness distribution. Long axis appears to be in W-E orientation. No core visible.
After having observed this galaxy, I had observed all Herschel 400 objects in Cetus, and I could finally check that constellation finished on my observing list!
My second and last object for this session was NGC 6217, a galaxy located in totally different area of sky, Ursa minor. This northern galaxy is of type SBbc R, which means that it is a barred-spiral galaxy with some kind of ring structure. The galaxy is located 2,5 degrees NE from zeta Umi or 2,5 degrees N from eta Umi. Of this galaxy, I wrote following lines:
@165x: this galaxy appeared as a relatively faint glow with uniform brightness distribution. In the center, there is a relatively bright, stellar core. The galaxy is elongated, long axis appears to be in N-S orientation.
So, now I had been able to observe two objects during this session, but then clouds were coming an I was forced to stop observing. Next observing sessions happened January 2017, I’ll be writing about them later!
Celest1al Sphere 