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(IAAC) Object: NGC3384/NGC3389/M105 (Leo Galaxies) INST: 16" Newt f/4.59



Observer:  Todd Gross
Your skill:  Intermediate 
Date and UT of observation: 12/3/97 08:15GMT
Location & latitude: 22 miles west of Boston, Ma. 42.3N
Site classification: Suburban
Limiting magnitude (visual): 5.3 (estimated) 5.2 (est) in vicinity of object
Seeing (1 to 10 - worst-best):  4-5
Moon up (phase?): No
Weather: Clear
Instrument: 16" Newtonian-dob w. 96/99% coatings f/4.59
Magnifications: 69x,124x,267x
Filters used: none
Object: NGC3389/NGC3384/M105 Galaxy grouping 
Constellation: Leo
Object data: Two rounds, and an edge-on galaxy nr. 10:48RA,+12:35DEC
Sizes Listed as  3'x1', under 2' round, 4' round
Magnitudes: 9-10.5
Personal "rating" (at this aperture):  B+

As a group, this is very lovely. My astronomy books disagree about which 
the edge-on is, but it seems to be NGC 3389. 

The two round galaxies with bright cores (M105, NGC3384) look almost 
identical to M15 (the globular) at 100x in a 3" scope. That is, a round ball 
of fuzz, brighter towards the core. Cottonballs, if you will.
They sit very close together with M105 being a bit brighter and
somewhat larger than NGC3384...but not quite 2x as large, as listed. 
However, w/o realizing it was there, the more ghostly, harder to see, 
edge-on NGC3389 came into view, best viewed with averted vision. In sharp
contrast to the other two, this is highly elongated, and seemed to have a
dark 
lane running along it, near it's center axis. It is also small. It is east
of the pair. 
It's PA runs at about a 30 deg. angle to the line running between the 
other two, making it visually appealing. 

Group is so tightly packed, that through mid-magnification they fit in the
fov at 
the same time!