Arp 243

ARP 243 2018 Mar 20

Object:    Arp 243 (NGC 2623) Date:               2018 March 20
Peculiarity:  Appearance of fission.
Constellation:           Cancer Time & altitude:        22.00 UT      60º
Catalogue data: Seeing (5 high):                               4/5
            R.A:                8h 39m Transparency (5 high):               4/5
            Dec:                25º 45 Telescope:     0.5m f4.1  Dob.
            Magnitude:    14.0 Eyepiece:      8mm Ethos           x260
            Galaxy size (mins):  2.4 x 0.7 Filters:            None

Notes:

Seen as an oval glow aligned EW.  A fainter halo faded in and out of visibility and it was definitely grainy. There may be a bright knot on S side. None of this is recorded in the drawing because cloud blowing in from the N curtailed observing for the evening. There is already a 3‑day-old Moon in the sky so I won’t be able to return to this object soon.

Revisited this object on 2018 April 17 23.15 UT seeing 2/5 transparency 3/5. Less detail seen than on March 20. There is, possibly, a stellar nucleus.