2024-06-28

• Condition: E6
• Location: Home, Spearfish: 44.49, -103.87

Excellent conditions tonight.

When I started on the remaining galaxies this spring for the RASC NGC challenge there were about 30 left and I did not expect to make it through them all this year. After tonight, I now have 3 left. I think I’ll be able to complete both the AL Carbon star and the RASC NGC challenges soon.

10:21PM

• Target: NGC 4494, MCG 4-30-2
• Const: Coma Berenices
• RaDec: 12h31m +25.46
• Type: Galaxy
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 55x

Face on and round. The core comes and goes with AV.

10:36PM

• Target: NGC 4559, MCG 5-30-30
• Const: Coma Berenices
• RaDec: 12h35m +27.57
• Type: Galaxy
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 55x, AV

Faint. Took a while to find and see. Face on. AV seems to almost double the size.

10:47PM

• Target: NGC 4565, Needle Galaxy
• Const: Coma Berenices
• RaDec: 12h36m +25.59
• Type: Galaxy
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 55x

Marking this down as a favorite! Easily found and seen. Very edge-on and long with a noticeable bulge near the core. AV is giving me glimpses of a dark line running through the center from end-to-end. Reminds me of a fainter and larger version of M 104.

10:58PM

• Target: NGC 4725, MCG 4-30-22
• Const: Coma Berenices
• RaDec: 12h50m +25.3
• Type: Galaxy
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 55x

Easy to see. Quite large. Most face-on. Linear gradient of brightness from center to edge.