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(IAAC) Obj: NGC 5054 - Inst: 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain equatorial mount



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Observer: Dave Mitsky
Your skills: Advanced (many years)
Date/time of observation: 2001/4/29 06:12 UT
Location of site: ASH Naylor Observatory, Lewisberry, PA, USA (Lat 40.15 d N, 76.9 d W, Elev 190 meters)
Site classification: Exurban
Sky darkness: 5.0+ <Limiting magnitude>
Seeing: 5 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Moon presence: None - moon not in sky
Instrument: 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain equatorial mount
Magnification: 118, 144, 202, and 259x
Filter(s): None
Object(s): NGC 5054
Category: External galaxy.
Class: SA(rs)bc pec I-II
Constellation: Virgo 
Data: mag 10.9  size 4.8'x2.8'
Position: RA 13h:17.0m  DEC -16d:38'
Description:
NGC 5054 is a spiral galaxy that was the second most difficult of the Herschel
400 objects for me to see to date.  (The hardest was NGC 6118, the so-called
Blinking Galaxy in Serpens Caput.)  It was extremely faint and diffuse and 
appeared amorphous and fairly large.  NGC 5054 was barely visible through the 
17" classical Cassegrain at magnifications of 118, 144, 202, and 259x.  Jiggling 
the telescope and using averted visions were absolutely required.  The NSOG
lists the magnitude at 10.9 and the size at 4.8'x2.8'.  The surface brightness 
is a rather dismal 13.6 magnitude.  (The Herschel 400 handbook gives figures of 
11.5 magnitude and 3.8x2.2'.)


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