Object of the Week Aug 31, 2014 – VV414

[FaintFuzzies]

VV 414

RA center: 19h 11m 00.4s
Dec center: +73° 25’ 08”
VV414a – NGC 6786, VII Zw 864, UGC 11414 (mag 13.8, size 1.1x0.9’)
VV414b – UGC 11415 (mag 14.9, size 1.1x0.7’)
Distance between the two galaxies: 1.3’


As I continue my quest to observe the VV Part I and II galaxies and after taking a couple months off from observing, I actually made it up last weekend. Anyhow, I’ve observed quite a few VV’s and selected one for this week’s OOTW.

This is a pretty challenging pair in two aspects; VV414a has this one nice arm coming out from the south edge counter clockwise to the west and north and VV414b is literally lost literally within 6” from a mag 11.1 mag star.

The following image from the Digital Sky Survey shows VV414a with the arm and VV414b merged with the star. When I looked at the image, I didn’t expect a star there, but when I found the region, I saw only one galaxy and said “What the heck, I’m pretty sure that I’m in the right place.” I looked at the image again and eyepiece a couple more times to verify if I was in the right place. Then, I cranked the magnification up to 383x and noticed that there was an off centered glow to the SE of the mag 11.1 star, where VV414b is supposed to be. Back to VV414a, I didn’t see the spiral arm.

Digital Sky Survey Image
1347


The Hubble image clearly shows the star literally merged with VV414b.
1348


This is definitely something I want to try again under better conditions.

22” at 383x (NELM = 6.5)
VV414a – Bright and round object with defined edges and brighter center. 0.4’ across. VV414b lies 1.3’ NE. A mag 16 star lies 0.6’ ENE from the center.
VV414b – Faint round and diffuse glow merged with the mag 11.1 star that is about 6” NW from the center of the glow. Very easily missed, but it is fairly apparent once the magnification is notched up to 383x. 0.3’ across.

So…
"GIVE IT A GO AND LET US KNOW"

[Steve Gottlieb]

Alvin, I've also been going through the VV's, and VV 414 was one of the objects I viewed last month at Lassen! I didn't include it though, in the observing reports I posted on Adventures in Deep Space (http://www.astronomy-mall.com/Adventures.In.Deep.Space/)

In any case, my experience with this pair was very similar to yours. That brighter star really masks UGC 11415!

Using 200x and 375x, NGC 6786 = VV 414a appeared moderately bright and large, slightly elongated N-S, 0.6'x0.45', contains a small bright core. A mag 12 star is 1.8' north and a slightly brighter star is 1.2' northeast. The core of UGC 11415 is nearly hidden behind the glow of the star close northeast, but a very low surface brightness halo is just visible. With careful viewing, a small portion of the core is a bit more evident close northeast of the star.

[FaintFuzzies]

Hi Steve,

Did you see the arm of NGC 6786? I would expect to see it under Lassen skies. Perhaps, Jimi could see it with his 48".

In my notes, the star was to the northwest. I didn't see the core, just a diffuse even surface brightness glow.


Oh, I didn't mention...as I was setting up my 22", I didn't know that the bolt to my secondary worked itself off...as I was putting my upper cage on top of my trusses, I heard this sickening crunch. My secondary fell off and landed right on my primary, and unfortunately it was not in the shadow, but about a third of the way from center to edge. It didn't create any permanent damage as the secondary holder landed on the primary, but stripped some of my coating off. Having the secondary cover helped a lot as well.

Ouch!

Lesson learned, I'm going to put a wire cable on my secondary holder tied to the vane to prevent this from happening again.

[RolandosCY]

Oh, I didn't mention...as I was setting up my 22", I didn't know that the bolt to my secondary worked itself off...as I was putting my upper cage on top of my trusses, I heard this sickening crunch. My secondary fell off and landed right on my primary, and unfortunately it was not in the shadow, but about a third of the way from center to edge. It didn't create any permanent damage as the secondary holder landed on the primary, but stripped some of my coating off. Having the secondary cover helped a lot as well.

Ouch!

Lesson learned, I'm going to put a wire cable on my secondary holder tied to the vane to prevent this from happening again.

Indeed OUCH!!!! One thing I have always tried to "force" myself is never, ever, never, ever, remove the primary cover unless I am totally set-up! I have seen nightmares of something fall on my primary, and living in a rather "primitive" area as far as mirror making and big dobs are concerned only reinforces that!

[Ciel Extreme]

Hey all

I observed this object for the first time on August 25, from my backyard and my experience was very similar to Alvin’s. My notes:

NGC6786 UGC11415
Constellation: Draco
August 25, 2014
Local time: 21:50 CST. UT: 03:50
18” Litebox Newtonian
Seeing: 7/10 NELM: +5.9
Magnification: 440x

Comments: This galaxy (NGC6786) is moderately bright and grainy in texture, appearing irregularly round and broadly brighter to the middle, the edges somewhat ill-defined. The faint galaxy UGC11415 to the NNE was suspected but the bright field star directly over the galaxy made it very difficult to see. Occasionally thought there was some haze surrounding the star but was never seen with certainty.

I, too, had a “WTF” moment as I couldn't reconcile the star pattern with what I was seeing and thought I had the wrong field. A quick trip inside to check the DSS image revealed the star and back out I went. But no confirmed sighting of the UGC object.

I had intended to reobserve this object this weekend at Grasslands National Park in southern SK but unsettled weather meant that though the sky was clear but humidity very high after a storm system passed through, leaving ground fog at the observing site most of the night. Like Alvin, I also had a “telescope issue” at the park. As a courtesy to my observing bud Mike O'Brien (RASC - Regina Centre), Chris Beckett and I joined him down at the ranger centre where his 8 year old daughter and two young friends performed an impromptu dance recital. There were storm clouds to the north, which I thought were heading east, but things can change quickly on the prairies. As the “recital” proceeded, Chris turned to me and pointed to a yellowish band descending from the clouds. “Hail,” said Chris. Just at that moment, the winds “picked up” (it had been completely calm) and we quickly excused ourselves and headed back to the observing site. I arrived just as a gust (probably over 100 km/h) hit and blew my telescope over. If I had left the recital three seconds earlier... Fortunately, no real damage, but the secondary was knocked out of alignment. I took the telescope down and we went into the ranger station for a couple of hours while rain and wind hit (no hail though, thank heavens). When the storm was over (past 22:30) the skies were pitch black and I set up the scope again (which I hate to to in the dark). The misalignment was immediately obvious and I made it “better”, but in the dark not right, and a limited observing session followed. Busy week coming up, so straightening out the optical system will wait for the full moon.