David's Astronomy Pages CCD Images - Session 55 (2003-12-07) Images (S53)   Images (Main)   Home Page   Images (S56)

Notes (S00055)

Imaging session was at Full Moon , with ST7 CCD camera on a temporarily mounted 8", f/10 SCT telescope.  Despite the moon light causing typical sky background of around 3 to 6 ADU/sec/sq.arc sec (compared to non-Moon sky background values of around 0.6 to 1) reasonable detail was observable in galaxies down to mag +14 to +15.

Initial polar alignment error was 1.1 deg in azimuth and 0.15 deg in altitude, as determined by TPoint. After jogging the scope using new script routine and then re-centering by adjusting the mount's pointing the polar alignment error was reduced to 0.3 deg in azimuth and 0.15 deg in altitude.  This allowed images of 30 sec exposures to be taken without any trailing.

[ Goto Notes from Session S00054 (2003-11-21)

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NGC 708 -  Galaxy Group (The Fath)

NGC 708 (Andromeda) NGC 708 (catalog mag +13.7), NGC 703 (catalog mag +14.2), NGC 705 (catalog mag +14.6),  NGC 704 (catalog mag +14.1), CGCG 522-33 (catalog mag +15.5)

CCD Image, 41 x 20 sec exposure (average) 2003-12-07  23:34 to 23:56h UT (#55078-118) 8" LX200 + ST-7E

Negative

CCD Image details as above

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 UGC 11797 & UGC 11798 -  Spiral Galaxies

UGC 11797 & UGC 11798 (Cygnus) UGC 11797 catalog mag +15.2, UGC 11798 catalog mag +14.8,,  UGC 11799 catalog mag +13.9 , UGC 11801 catalog mag +15.2 Note : The bright star is SAO 51224 (mag +8.5)

CCD Image Composite,  Top 5 x 30 sec exposure (summed) Bottom 7 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-07  23:29 to 23:36h UT (#55195-206)

Negative

CCD Image, 7 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-07  23:29 to 23:33h UT (#55195-201)

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M108 -  Spiral Galaxy

M108 (Ursa Major)

CCD Image, 5 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-08  00:34 to 00:40h UT (#55260-69) 11.6 x 7.8 arc sec

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M109 - Spiral Galaxy

M109 (Ursa Major)

CCD Image, 5 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-08  00:43 to 00:46h UT (#55271-75) 11.6 x 7.8 arc sec

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NGC 3953 - Spiral Galaxy

NGC 3953 (Ursa Major) (catalog mag +10.8)

CCD Image, 6 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-08  00:49 to 00:53h UT (#55279-84)

Negative

CCD Image as above

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NGC 6792 - Spiral Galaxy

NGC 6792 (Lyra)

CCD Image, 7 x 30 sec exposure (summed)  2003-12-07  22:43 to 22:47 h UT (#55180-86)

NGC 6792 imaged at different exposures

CCD Images, various exposures  2003-12-07  22:43 to 23:21 h UT (#55180-94)

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NGC 7197 - Spiral Galaxy

NGC 7197 (Lacerta)

CCD Image, 10 x 20 sec exposure (median) 2003-12-07  23:39 to 23:45h UT (#55208-17)

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M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)

M31 (Andromeda)

CCD Image, 3x30 sec exposure (median) 2003-12-07  23:50 to 23:52 h UT (#55222-24) 11.6 x 7.8 arc sec

NGC 206 in M31 (Andromeda)

CCD Image, 6x30 sec exposure (median) 2003-12-07  23:53 to 23:56 h UT (#55225-30) 11.6 x 7.8 arc sec

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NGC 744 Open Cluster

NGC 744 (Perseus)

CCD Image,  10s exposure 2003-12-07  21:33 h UT (#55077)  11.6 x 7.8 arc sec

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More Galaxies (UGC 11430, MCG7-40-5, UGC 11961, UGC 4047, NGC 2449)

UGC 11430 - Spiral Galaxy (Lyra)  (catalog mag +14.1)

CCD Image, 6 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-07  22:37 to 22:40h UT (#55174-79)

MCG7-40-5 - Spiral Galaxy (Cygnus) (MCG7-40-5 catalog mag +14.9,  MCG7-40-4 catalog mag +15.3)

CCD Image, 4 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-07  22:21 to 22:34h UT (#55168-72)

MCG7-40-4 and MCG7-40-5- Spiral Galaxies (Pegasus)

CCD Image, 9 x 30 sec (summed) 2003-12-07  22:14 to 22:34h UT (#55163-72)

UGC 11961 - Spiral Galaxy (Lacerta) (Catalog Mag +15.0)

CCD Image,  3 x 20s exposure (summed) 2003-12-07 23:47 to 23:49h UT (#55219-21)  11.6 x 7.8 arc sec

UGC 4047 - Spiral Galaxy (Gemini) UGC 4047 (catalog mag +14.0), MCG5-19-16 (catalog mag +15.8)

CCD Image, 5 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-08  00:19 to 00:22h UT (#55248-52)

NGC 2449 - Spiral Galaxy (Gemini) NGC 2449 (catalog mag +14.3), IC 476 (catalog mag +15.7)

CCD Image, 3 x 30 sec exposure (summed) 2003-12-08  00:24 to 00:25h UT (#55253-55)

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Satellite or plane ?

Satellite or plane ? (Pegasus). Altitude 54.3 deg

CCD Image, 20s exposure 2003-12-07  20:54h UT (#55055)

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Sky Brightness Survey

Light Survey showed that sky was about 7 times brighter (with Full Moon) compared to the dark skies at an earlier observing session on 2003-10-17 (with no moon)

Comparison between 2003-12-07 (full moon) with a session 7 weeks before (no moon)

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