Object: ARP 158 (NGC 523) | Date: 2015 September 20 |
Peculiarity: Spiral with small high surface-brightness companion on arm. | |
Constellation: Andromeda | Time & altitude: 01.10 UT 73º |
Catalogue data: | Seeing (5 high): 4/5 |
R.A: 1h 26m | Transparency (5 high): 5/5 |
Dec: +34º 02 | Telescope: 0.5m f4.1 Dob. |
Magnitude: 13.5 | Eyepiece: 8mm Ethos x260 |
Galaxy size (mins): 2.5 x 0.7 | Filters: None |
Notes: A rare night of very transparent air. In the zenith M31is perhaps the best I’ve seen from England. However a series of aircraft vapour trails running N-S and drifting from E-W are interfering now. Arp 158 was easily seen and is shaped like a dart or comet aligned E-W with the point to the W and the ‘tail’ to the E. There are three separate cores within the dart. I was unable to detect the finger of material that shows up in Arp’s photo and which runs ESE from the SE corner of this object. |