33 Double Galaxies: M59 / M60 / NGC 4647 / NGC 4660 / NGC 4638 / NGC 4606

M59 / M60 / NGC 4647 / NGC 4660 / NGC 4638 / NGC 4606

Steve Bodin				sdbodin@hotmail.com
Objects: M59 / M60 / NGC 4647 / NGC 4660 / NGC 4638 / NGC 4606 Date & Time: 27 Apr 2003 10 pm to 3 am Seeing: 4 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>. Transparency: good Location of site: Silverdale WA, USA 47N 123W Site classification: suburb-rural Conditions: 40F, some wind Sky darkness: 5.7, Zodiacal light visible <Limiting magnitude> Telescope: 17.5 inch DOB, the Bigdog Eyepieces: not used Additional: DX-8263SL video camera at f3.0 Magnification: app. 200x				Very close pair. Also featured in the May issue of S&T. Unfortunately, M59 and NGC4638 are farther away and would not fit in the same video camera field of view. But all 4 were easy to see in real time on the video monitor. M60 and companion are of two different types, the former a SO or E7 and the latter a tight spiral. But the sence is that both are tipped at the same angle and are really an orbiting double.

Steve Bodin				sdbodin@hotmail.com
Star: M81 / M82 Date & Time: 16 May 2004, 10 pm to midnight local Seeing: 5-6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>. Transparency: fair Location of site: Silverdale WA, USA 47N 123W Site classification: suburb-rural Conditions: temp 45F, damp Sky darkness: 5.6 <Limiting magnitude> Telescope: C8 Eyepieces: not used Additional: DX-8263SL color video camera at f2.3 and 6x zoom Magnification: app. 80x and 4000x				Viewed with the C8 and dual focal reducers which gives about an 80x eyepiece field of view. M60 and NGC4647 have been observed before with the bigdog 17, but the FOV in that scope is too small to include M59 too. With the C8, both M59 and M60 are bright on the TV with the camera set to x128 integration, 2 seconds, and their elliptical class is well seen too. But the companion to M60 is almost invisible and only seen when post processed, conversely, the little NGC4638 was easily seen in real time. Since the three bright ones are all elliptical types, their brightness more closely matches the listed magnitudes vice the surface brightness which more closely defines spiral types like NGC4647.