Object of The Week May 15th, 2022-NGC 3949 and NGC 3950

[Jimi Lowrey]

NGC 3949
NGC 3950

Ursa Major
RA 11 53 41
DEC + 47 53 05

Mag 3949 11.7G
Mag 3950 15.7V

3949 Z=.002665
3950 Z= .0746

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This weeks OOTW is a chance alignment. The beautiful spiral NGC 3949 is only 37 million light years away while the much smaller NGC 3950 is 995 million light years or close enough to call it 1 billion light year’s away.

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NGC 3950 was found by the 4th Earl of Parsons Lawrence Parsons who is the son of William Parsons who built the 72” leviathan. He was looking at spiral nebula NGC 3949 who was found by William Hershel and recorded that he was seeing a faint companion nebula 2.5’ North of 3949. I bet he would be shocked if new that that faint nebula was 1 billion light years away!

I have observed this most interesting pair seven times and my most recent observation I noted it @488X Small fairly bright direct vision Round with a bright star like core and a small faint halo. This is a older rough sketch I made of the field.

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I highly Recommend this chance alignment.

As usual “GIVE IT A GO”

Good Luck and Great viewing

[Jimi Lowrey]

Sorry the Image above is mislabeled the small galaxy is labeled NGC 3500 but it is NGC 3950. I used the image from Seligmans page and will send him a note about the error.

[akarsh]

Wow, this stuff is bright enough for an 18” and perhaps also a 16”

[Steve Gottlieb]

I observed the pair in my 17.5" just 33 years ago and I'm sure I had no idea of the great depth of field either!

NGC 3949: Bright, fairly large, oval NW-SE, broad concentration, substellar nucleus. A mag 15 star lies 3.0' NE of center.

NGC 3950: Seen as an extremely faint mag 15.5-16.0 stellar object located 1.8' N of NGC 3949.

[Uwe Glahn]

Found a quick and dirty description from a observing trip from La Palma 2017 under good transparency and seeing. Telescope was a 20-inch with 286x under NELM 7m0+ and Seeing II.

NGC 3949 like a fats maggot, large, bright, direct vision; shows a very bright, stellar-like nucleus; no further details within the galaxy body
NGC 3950 visible as a nearly stellar, somewhat diffuse patch; not steadily visible but to hold for seconds each with averted vision

[Don Pensack]

I have notes from an observation of NGC3949 with my 8" in 1994, but did not see NGC3950
I'll have to go back and look for 3950 when I get my 16".

[lamperti]

Like Don, I had observed NGC3949 previously with a 10" back in 1987, oblivious then to NGC3950. Last night, before the bright Moon rose, I was able to observe this nice pair with a 22" at 450x. NGC3950 was seen as a nice round glow, direct vision adjacent to NGC3949. Thanks for pointing out the distance alignments of these two. Very interesting!

[ScottH]

I have notes from an observation of NGC3949 with my 8" in 1994, but did not see NGC3950
I'll have to go back and look for 3950 when I get my 16".

Umm, okay. I'll let you know how I do Don, but I'm going to observe the pair on the evening of the 27th in my 10-inch and fully expect to see it if the skies are what I'm hoping for. And if I can see it, then you won't need to wait for your 16-inch to see it!

Scott

[ScottH]

Well, on the evening of May 27th, I tried for NGC 3950 in my 10-inch. It was the second object I looked at and along with my eyes not having that 1+ hour dark adaption, the galaxy was also noticeably past the zenith. I went as high as 260x and still couldn't detect the small glow of NGC 3950.

Fast forwarding to the evening of May 30, I tried for NGC 3950 with my 16-inch. It was the second object I looked at again, but I found that at 300x it was visible as a noticeably nonstellar little disk with a brighter little center upon close inspection. I was disappointed with how faint it appeared and now heavily question if I could actually see it in my 10-inch under even the best conditions. I still believe that it could be seen in your 12.5-inch, though, Don!

Scott

[Don Pensack]

On Monday the 30th, under less than perfectly dark skies (21.32 on SQM), I saw this small companion of NGC3949 in the 12.5".
Seeing and transparency were nearly ideal, however.
It was very faint. At no time could I hold it with direct vision, but, with averted vision, saw it every time in the same place.
It's not the very faintest object I've ever seen, but it's one of the limit objects for sure.
It resembled a slightly-larger-than-star faint smudge--no other details.
A nearby observer with a 22" also saw it, and also remarked it was quite faint.

[ScottH]

Hey, there you go! Great job, Don. I still hold out a little hope that it is 10-inch visible.

Scott

[Jimi Lowrey]

Way to go Don! What Power were you using in your 12.5”?

[Don Pensack]

About 200-230x. Exit pupil 1.57mm - 1.4mm