| Steve Bodin | ||||
| Star:
NGC4631 / 4627 / 4656
Date & Time: 18 May 2003 11 pm to 1 am Seeing: 6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>. Transparency: good Location of site: Silverdale WA, USA 47N 123W Site classification: suburb-rural Conditions: temp 35 F, damp Sky darkness: 5.7 <Limiting magnitude> Telescope: 17.5 inch DOB, Bigdog Eyepieces: not used Additional: DX-8263SL video camera at f3 Magnification: app. 200x intergrated 2 sec exposures |
NGC 4631 is one of the biggest
of the Virgo Cluster galaxies in terms of angular FOV, eventhough it is
in Canes. It fills the camera FOV on a diagonal! But is of low surface
brightness and is a Sc type edge-on. The galaxy is filled with dust clouds
and HII regions, a real nice contrast to all those bland elliptical in
the Virgo cluster. NGC 4627 is very near the main event and is listed as
an elliptical, but seems to have an asymetrical shape. NGC 4656 cannot
be seen in this FOV, but is real closeby. It is one of the strangest shaped
galaxies that I have seen, looks like a fish hook and big too. Long
Palomar type exposures show a much greater size with faint outlying extensions.
Listed as an Im, irregular for sure!
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