(IAAC) Obj: Virgo Galaxy Cluster - Inst: Celestron Nexstar 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: Celestron Nexstar 102mm f6,6 refractor 
Magnification: *23, *46, *79
Filter(s): None
Object(s): Virgo Galaxy Cluster
Category: Group of galaxies.
Class: 
Constellation: Vir
Data: mag   size 
Position: RA :  DEC :
Description:
Here's the first part of the observation campaign of the Virgo Cluster of this
year, that has spanned over April, May (and perhaps also June if weather is OK);
since it's so largue and contains so many galaxies, I've divided it into several
parts; the first one -this- will deal with its core, around M87, the second one
with its northern part (ie: the zone where're the largue spirals M99, M100,
among others), the third one with its eastern part (M59, M60, etc), and finally
the fourth one with the southern part (M49 and beyond):

*M87. Bright, small, round, well defined. Little gradient.

*NGC 4478. Elliptical to the west of M87. Looks like a much fainter version of
her, needing certain magnification to make it visible.

*M 89. Another elliptical, but to the east of M87. Round, small -but larguer
than M87-, certain gradient, bright but not so as NGC 4486 :). Appears at the S
of a relatively rich field of 9-10 magnitude stars.

*NGC 4550. Small elliptical/lenticular galaxy to the S of M 89. Faint, small,
well defined, no gradient. Needs *79 (=heavy darkening of the sky's background)
and averted vision to see it. Has a 12th magnitude star to the SE.

*M 90. 45 minutes of arc to the NE of M89. Largue -the larguest Virgo galaxy in
my observations-, Relatively faint -but well visible at *46-, elongated roughly
N-S, no gradient, diffuse.

*M 84, M 86 & friends :). M 84 and M 86 are bright and easy to see even at the
lowest power. Both are bright, well defined, and have certain gradient; what
makes them different are the shapes: M84 round and M86 elongated SE-NW, and a
bit larger.
At *79, and using averted vision, the spiral NGC 4388 is readily visible forming
a triangle with M 84 and M 86. She looks diffuse, elongated E-S, largue
-comparable to M 86-, and with no luminosity gradient.

To the E, starts the Markarian's chain, whose galaxies need at least *46 power
to see it (due to luminic pollution). The first two galaxies visible are NGC
4435 and NGC 4438, both easy ti pick at those powers; the first one (a barred
lenticular) looks quite small and round, with no gradient and well defined edges
(just its core); the second one -a distorted spiral; see for example
http://www.noao.edu/outreach/press/pr08/pr0807.html- appears larguer, but also
more diffuse, with a bright core, diffuse edges, and certain gradient. 
Following E, the next galaxy is NGC 4461, another nearly edge-on barred
lenticular. It's elongated N-S, has no gradient, well defined, edges, and is
faint, needing averted vision and *79 power, but does not give much trouble to
pick it with that and the help of a 11th magnitude star that's to the N.
To the NE appears a brighter galaxy, the elliptical NGC 4473. Looks like a
typical elliptical elongated E-W, with well-defined edges and no luminosity
gradient. North of it appears NGC 4477, even another barred lenticular galaxy
(but seen face on) that appears round, well defined, with little gradient,
small, and needs the help of averted vision and *79 magnification to see it
-however, as NGC 4461 does not give many troubes-.  
Finally, to the NW and close to a 9th magnitude star that's to the SE and
disturbs a bit is NGC 4459, a face-on lenticular that looks like a round, small
disk with no gradient and well defined edges. Like NGC 4477, *79 power makes it
readily visible, mostly because it's more separated of that star. If we follow
to the NE, we'll see the largue spiral M88, but she's reserved for the second part.

Finally, far of the chain and at 1 degree S of M 84 appears NGC 4371, yet even
another barred lenticular galaxy. Looks relatively largue, elongated E-W, well
defined, and with little luminosity gradient.
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