Observations of NGC1066

These are the observations available for NGC1066. If you have any of your own that you'd like to submit we'd love to put them on the website.

• Observations of the NGC 1060 group in Triangulum

  An unexpected 2 hour window last night, so I got out quickly with the 12" Mewlon.

  It was a dry night with a slight breeze so no dew but only about NELM of 5.0 - couldn't work out why, there didn't seem to be any thin cloud around. Anyway, without a list with me I remembered the 1060 group which I'd missed last month through being away, so sent the scope to it before it crossed the meridian.

  I had the 27mm Pan in giving x135. Looked through the e/p and thought is that it? I could just see one faint galaxy (1060) and not much detail. I persevered, moving the scope around a bit and picked up a 2nd (NGC1066) in the same FOV but this was AV. So pushed the power up to x180 (20mm Pentax). NGC 1066 was direct vision now but still faint and I finally picked up NGC1061 with AV but not always there. At times I thought could I see more but not really. Also at times I thought NGC1060 and NGC1066 were a bit elongated but then I couldn't pin down the orientation as it seemed to change so I really was at the limit!

  I made a sketch and was pleased to note this morning that I had at least got the 3 main galaxies in the group correctly although orientation a bit suspect. I was using a diagonal though.

  

  Andrew Robertson - 2 December 2015

• NGC1060 Galaxy Group

  Owen has chosen an interesting galaxy group this month, a group with something for every size of telescope. Owen wondered what size of telescope was needed to see all the galaxies in the group. On 13 November 2015 I turned my 600mm f4.5 dobsonian onto the group and I managed to see many of the galaxies although not the individuals that might be expected.

  Sky conditions were poor. The SQM reading at the time of observation (20:30) was only 20.95 with a fresh to strong wind giving average' seeing. For the site this was very poor indeed, which can reach 21.50. Transparency was variable due to much high tin cloud. Sometimes was looking through the cloud and at other times not, it was just luck really. The high wind meant that there was no dew. I had the best view with a 8mm Ethos eyepiece giving x340. Higher power on this occasion gave worst views. I have reproduced a sketched that I made a the eyepiece. My sketches are not intended to be works of artistic merit, but more of positional interested showing the main features that I noticed.

  The two main galaxies are ngc1060 and ngc1066. NGC1060 is by far the brightest at m11.8v, and NGC1066 was obvious but at only m14.3p was much fainter than the primary galaxy. Both galaxies appeared elliptical with a bright core. NGC1060 appeared orientated West-East and NGC1066 appeared more circular. Two other galaxies were close to NGC1060 in a close curve heading NW. I needed averted vision level 1 (AV1) to see these. MegaStar5 tells me that they are NGC1061 and NGC1057. These are magnitude 15.0p and 15.2p respectively.

  To the SE of NGC1066 and a small distance away (approximately 10 arc minutes), I noted a very small galaxy which turned out to be MCG+5-7-46 at magnitude 15.7. Searching further afield, I noted another galaxy, this time a reasonable size and obvious, almost directly South of NGC1060 and about 14' distant. This was CGCG505-42 at magnitude 15.4.

  Later the next day I checked with Owen's comments on the website and with MegaStar5 to find that I had missed two NGC galaxies positioned close to NGC1066. I can't explain why I missed them. The only thought I can offer is that the night was poor for darkness and that at that moment I may have been looking through some cloud. The two galaxies that I missed are NGC 1062 and NGC 1067. These galaxies are magnitude 15.4p and 14.6b. I can't explain why I didn't see these two.

  UGC2202 is nearby both main galaxies but it is fainter than the other galaxies at 16.3 and on the night I would not expect to see it, in those conditions. Whereas I spotted CGCG505-42 I did not see its close neighbour MCG+5-7-34. Megastar5 does not give Surface Brightness figures for these galaxies so I can't compare. However, MCG+5-7-34 is brighter and larger than the galaxy that I did see, and so I do not have an explanation, other than a misidentification UGC 2174 is outside the area that I was viewing.

  The NGC 1060 group is a very interesting collection of galaxies and one that is now on my list for a re-visit.

  David Reynolds (Norfolk) - 2015 November 22

• NGC 1060 group of galaxies

  Despite the on going cloudy skies I have managed a couple of very enjoyable sessions looking at NGC 1066 with the 20” Dob under fairly average conditions – NELM 5.4 at best.

  NGC 1060 and 1066 immediately obvious and both show a brighter core. 1060 having the brighter core and overall the galaxy appears slightly oval as compared to 1066.

  NGC 1061 was fairly easy to spot as a small patch of indeterminate fuzz.

  NGC 1067 could be seen with concentration and a touch of AV to confirm. AV was needed to locate 1057 and I was unable to sense any definite shape to it.

  On the better of the two nights, by using AV I was just able to get the merest hint of the elliptical 1062 (UGC 2201) but I would not want to claim it as a 100% definite observation. (NGC 1062 - a star, was also located).

  On my next visit to the group I must wander over to UGC 2174.

  

  Mike Wood - 12 November 2015