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(IAAC) Object: M31, M32, M110, ngc206 - Instrument: Newt 4.5" f/4.25


Observer: Lew Gramer
Your skills: Intermediate
Date and UT of Observation: 1996-06-16, 03:30 UT
Location: Medford, MA, USA (42N)
Site classification: urban
Limiting magnitude: 4.8
Seeing: 3+ - medium good
Moon up: no
Instrument: Reflector 4.5" f/4.25
Magnification: 20x, 40x (Nagler), 65x
Filters used: None and Lumicon DeepSky
Object: M31, M32, M110, NGC 206
Category: Spiral, Elliptical, Lenticular, Star Cloud
Constellation: And
Data: mag 3.4  size 135'
RA/DE: 00h42m  +41o16m
Description:
Easily found at 20x. Elongated core condensation, and
a hint of halo were observable at this magnification,
but no other detail. M32 was also noted with averted
and fixated vision.
At 40x and 65x, M31 showed an oblique core elongated
7'x15' ENE-WSW, with an "axis" or arm 15' long peeling
off of the W end and curving to the S. The halo around
of light around this core showed some uneveness with a
granularity of about 5', within 10' SE of core. Sharp
edge NW of core about 10'-20' may have been the edge of
the halo (outer dust lane), or an innder dust lane.
M110 and ngc206 (a star cloud in M31) were not apparent
at 20x. M110 could be located at 40x with great diffi-
culty, using averted and fixated vision, and jittering
the telescope to help my eye pick up the faint object.
To locate it under these nasty conditions, use a faint
triangle of 9 to 10 mag stars NNW of the core, readily
apparent in photographs of the main galaxy. No detail.
At 65x, some slight elongation of M110 was apparent with
averted vision and fixation. ngc206 was not apparent at
either 20x or 65x, but was detected at 40x with the 12mm
Nagler (which weighed almost as much as the scope! :>)