(IAAC) Obj: Virgo Galaxy Cluster - Inst: 102mm f6,6 refractor

[anonymous at u15354731.onlinehome-server.com]

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Observation Poster: Jose Ramon <joser416 at latinmail.com>

Observer: Jose Ramon
Your skills: Intermediate (some years)
Date/time of observation: Spring 2010
Location of site: Colmenarejo, Madrid (Spain) (Lat 40° 33', Elev 899 mts)
Site classification: Suburban
Sky darkness: 6 <Bortle Scale (9 worst)>
Seeing: 5 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Moon presence: None - moon not in sky
Instrument: 102mm f6,6 refractor
Magnification: *23, *46, *79
Filter(s): None
Object(s): Virgo Galaxy Cluster 
Category: Cluster of galaxies.
Class: 
Constellation: Vir
Data: mag   size 
Position: RA :  DEC :
Description:
Here's the third part of the observation log of this year of the Virgo Cluster.
focused on its east part. It's quite long, since certainly some of what follows
could have been included in the other two parts; the same can be said of the
last part -the south one- that will follow soon (I hope so). Here we go:

*NGC 4571: spiral galaxy that although I think I saw it last year as a round,
largue galaxy with diffuse edges and no gradient, despite all my efforts I saw
nothing this time. Observing reports of this one with similar apertures would be
greatly appreciated.

*Messier 58: Barred spiral galaxy. One of the brightest galaxies of the cluster.
Very bright and largue, easily seen at all powers, elongated E-W, diffuse, no
gradient.

*NGC 4564: Elliptical galaxy to the SW of the former. Despite being an E6 (very
elongated), I see just its central region (round, small, no gradient). Needs at
least *46 power to start to see it.

*NGC 4567 & NGC 4568: Two spiral galaxies starting an inevitable embrace. Very
faint, needing at least *46 power to start to guess them and *79 power to see
them faintly with averted vision. No gradient, elongated E-W, a bit diffuse edges. 
It seems I've seen just NGC 4567 (the faintest of both and seen face-on) and not
NGC 4568 (the brightest of both but seen much more inclined), except perhaps the
zone where two galaxies overlap; this pair needs to be revisited to see if I can
see both galaxies.

*NGC 4596: barred lenticular/very early type spiral galaxy. Very near of Rho
Virginis and easy to see using at least *46. Round, well defined, no gradient.

*M 59: Bright elliptical galaxy easy to see at all powers. Some gradient,
elongated N-S, well defined.

*M 60: Bright elliptical galaxy (third galaxy of Virgo in brightness). Easy to
see at all powers, looks as a larguer version of M87 with more luminosity
gradient. No trace of its companion the spiral NGC 4647.

*NGC 4606: peculiar spiral to the W of M 58. Despite being 12th magnitude, easy
to see at *79 power. Looks elongated NE-SW, well defined, little gradient.

*NGC 4638: lenticular galaxy that forms a triangle with M 59 and M 60. Needs at
least *79 power to see it. A bit elongated E-W, well defined, little gradient.

*NGC 4654: Spiral galaxy to the SE of a roughly 10th magnitude star. Faint,
needs at least *46 power and averted vision to star to see it. Has a lot of
gradient, with a bright center and much diffuse edges and it's a bit elongated E-W.

*NGC 4639: Spiral galaxy to the NW of the latter. An unexpected gift, seen with
averted vision and *79 power round, small, diffuse, and with little luminosity
gradient.

*NGC 4651: Spiral galaxy in the outskirts of the cluster. Bright, can be guessed
even at *46 power, well defined, no gradient, elongated E-W.

*NGC 4689: Spiral galaxy. Faint, needs averted vision and at least *79 power.
Round, little luminosity gradient, diffuse.

*NGC 4710: Lenticular galaxy seen edge-on also far of cluster's centre. Can be
started to be seen and at least *46 power. Very elongated NE-SW (looks as a
spindle of light), with a central part brighter, little gradient, well defined, 

*NGC 4754: Barred lenticular galaxy that starts to be seen at least with *46
power. Just its central region -round, well defined, little gradient.

*NGC 4762: Edge-on lenticular galaxy very close to NGC 4754. Very faint, needing
averted vision and *79 power and seen thanks to the 10th-11th magnitude stars
that surround it. Very elongated roughly N-S.

*NGC 4866: Nearly edge-on lenticular/early-type spiral also far from Virgo's
center. Needs at least *46 power to see it. Very elongated E-W, little gradient,
well defined.

*NGC 5363: Lenticular galaxy very far of the Virgo cluster, but that some
authors consider belongs -as the ones what follow- to it. Very bright, can be
easily seen at *46, round, very well defined, no gradient, looks like an
unresolved globular cluster -easy to see even from a city-.

*NGC 5364: Spiral galaxy to the S of the latter. Very faint and difficult,
needing *79 power and averted vision to see it. Diffuse, perhaps elongated
NE-SW, no gradient.

*NGC 5248: Spiral galaxy in Bootes -brightest galaxy of that constellation.
Starts to be seen at *46, looking like a N-S, somewhat squared galaxy. No
gradient, well defined.
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** This observing log was submitted via the IAAC Web form:
  www.visualdeepsky.org/enter-log.html