Telescope Reviews: PICTURES OF OUR GALAXY!

Pictures of our galaxy!

Observation Report 16. december 2004

Observation site: upon Amden, altitude 1200m, snowy moutains everywhere to be seen
seeing: bad (strong and cold wind)
darkness: > 6
temperature: -2° C (28 F)
humidity: humid
telescope: 12" f-5
used eyepieces: Pentax XL 40mm (38x), 21mm (71x), 14mm (107x), Radian 12mm (125x), Pentax XW 10mm (150x)

After some hours of sleep, I decided to start for the last observation for some time, knowing that the weather would be changing on the next day.

After a long trip on the foggy highway I arrived at my observation site. As I went out into the night I felt disappointed: the sky seemed much too bright.

Looking up I could see the mountains with some snow, down was the shiny lake and some lights. Lovely!

Despite my first impression of the sky I did the setup and at 3 o' clock I started my observation.

The galaxy pair M51 / NGC5195 in Canes Venatici was my first target - and I got my first surprise: I saw the spiral structur of the Whirlpool Galaxy with direct vision! So the night was not that bad at all! I could see the "bridge" between them nearly completely closed.

When I get such presents I just can't continue watching and have to go around to let my joy flow into the night. What a surprise! I had seen this wonderful spiral for the first time so clear!

It seems good to me to observe an object several times - it is like learning to see it. Later, at home, I watched a picture of M31 without thinking anything - zoingg! I saw the movement of the spiral arms on this picture for the first time... It is really about learning.

M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major, has been many times my target, but I have never really enjoyed it. Tonight I finally got a fine view of it: Wooow, it is huge! I even saw the spiral arms, very faintly. M101 seemed to fill half of the field of view of my Pentax XL 14. I saw several knots in it. I could not believe my eyes - finally! I had seen it so many times as nebulous something - and now it jumped into my eyes! I recognized three spiral arms. I spent a long time admiring it, shielding my eyes with both hands. At the end of this very satisfying observation I felt: This is a very optimistic galaxy. A name came into my mind: The Galaxy of Good Hope.

The wind was strong tonight and very cold. I had my scope on the small road behind the car, which served as a windshield. But my head was still in the wind, and I made an interesting discovery: I was not able to observe with my Nagler eyepiece as my observing eye was hurting by the cold wind. Observing was only possible when I tightly embraced the high eyecups of the Pentaxes (or of my Radian). So this ergonomic thing is not only about comfort - in extreme situations like now, it simply is a must.

NGC2403 was next, a galaxy in Camelopardalis. I discovered many foreground stars, who made it difficult to understand the galaxy's form. After a while I discovered kind of arms. The stars were irritating me. So at the end I was only able to write "very special"... Then I changed eyepieces. I use to take the 40mm as a finder eyepiece. Then I had a last look at NGC2403 - surprise again! Now I could see it's form: It has a circular center surrounded by a rather broad concentrical ring!

Ursa Major's M109 was rather disapointing - I write it even if I don't like to think this word about a celestial object.

NGC2841 is another galaxy in UMa. It is an oval with a bright core, I could not make out any structures.

Visiting Ursa Major one should not forget to greet the galaxies M81 and M82. I found a galaxy, began to think: Now which one of the two is this - must be M82... Then I realized I had centered their neighbour, the fainter NGC3077. What a night! And now, as I had found M81 and M82, I simply was overwhelmed: They were so incredibly beautiful! M82, the Cigar Galaxy, full of details, the two dark lanes so good to be seen. And M81 showed one spiral arm with direct vision! Wow! Like on the photos!

I think this is - strangely enough - one of the biggest exclamations an astronomer can use: Like the photo!

I can only speak for myself, but these photos were very frustrating to me. You know, you watch a photo of a beautiful galaxy, like the Andromeda Galaxy M31. What a beauty! - but you are always, always aware: This is not for you, no, no - with your scope you will only see a little nebulous patch...

The only exception I know is the Orion Nebula, which I always found to be much more alive in a telescope than on any photo.

So this is why I enjoy my 12 inch scope so much: I start to see the photos - but live!

It was 5 in the morning now and time for tea on the heated seat in the car. I had some fun with myself: Have you ever tried to drink tea with a windproof balaclava? Try it, it's fun! So I pulled it down to be able to drink, but then it was covering my eyes, so up again, but this way I couldn't drink. It ended me drinking tea with covered eyes, which I found funny.

At 5.30 the sky was getting slightly brighter. I heard a woman calling. Later a car passed, so my darkness adaptation was gone.

I had a try at M106 in Canes Venatici and recognized only hints of a spiral arm.

I switched to open clusters. Last time I had not found NGC1664 in Auriga because of the too bright sky. Now I found it, but the sky was again too bright.

As I started to pack, the same car came down, stopped, and here stood a very friendly lady who was very curious about my being here in the night. I explained her what I was doing, and as I felt her getting more curious I pointed my dobson towards Saturn. At 214x I could hardly recognize the Cassini Division. She couldn't get enough of it, so I moved the dob for her, and we talked and she observed - and then she asked: What is this black line on the rings? My god, she really is a talented observer! She discovered the Cassini Division at this bad seeing! She seemed to be very happy and so we had a look at Jupiter. I felt sorry she has not been here earlier, as the sky was too bright to show her more. After a very nice discussion she leaved.

Now it was bright enough I could try to take some pictures of the view from my observation site. And I discovered that what I had thought to be the lake - in reality was not the lake at all. Have a close look! These are my pictures of our galaxy

Amalia

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