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(IAAC) OBJ:Virgo Pt.3 m61 m99 m49 INST: 18" f/4.2
Observer: Todd Gross
Your skill: Intermediate - Many years
Date and UT of observation: 3/26/99 07:15 GMT
Location & latitude: 22 mi. West of Boston, Ma. 42.3N
Site classification: Suburban
Limiting magnitude (visual): approx. 4.7 zenith
Seeing (1 to 10 - worst-best): 4
Moon up (phase?): Yes, gibbous, setting
Weather: Crystal Clear
Instrument: 18" f/4.2 fl=1925mm Newt
Magnifications: Various 101-275x
Filters used: none
Object: All messier Objects - Part 3
Constellation: Virgo (plus COMA)
Object data: Galaxies
Size(s): various
Position:
Magnitude:
Personal "rating" (at this aperture, and sky condition): Mostly B-
(see details)
Part 3..
Finished the last three Messier objects in the Virgo galaxy group
last night. Skies were moonlit, but darkening. This is a brief glimpse
at these objects, not strong scrutiny..
M61 appeared to be a face-on galaxy, I could not make out the spiral
structure in this light. It sported a bright central core, and one foreground
star towards the center, several other weak foreground stars surrounding it.
It was fairly bright and easy. Looked similar to M51 through small aperture...
in that I could tell it was a face-on but couldn't do much with it.
M99 was also fairly bright and easy in this aperture, but mostly the
central portion, which ran horizontally, surrounded by a general round
nebulous area. Also listed as a face-on. It was more difficult
that M61 by a tad.. similar in overall "moderate" size.
M49 was a bright, small, round elliptical. A fairly bright foreground star
was right alongside. High surface brightness, easy to detect. Looked very much
like a small, unresolvable globular cluster (as a globular might
be viewed in smaller aperture)
thanks!
-Todd
Boston Meteorologist Todd Gross
toddg@weatherman.com
http://www.weatherman.com
(617)725-0777
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