Observer: Mark G. Birkmann
Your skills: Intermediate (some years)
Date/time of observation:3-27-2001, 7:45 UT (1:45 CST)
Location of site: New Haven, Missouri (Lat ~38, Elev ~700 feet)
Site classification: Rural
Sky darkness: 5 <1-10 Scale (10 best)>
Seeing: 5 or 6<1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Moon presence: None - moon not in sky
Instrument: 40" f/5 dob
Magnification: 143x, 204x, 439x
Filter(s): none
Category: external galaxy
Class: both are Sc
Constellation: Virgo
Data: n4567: mag 12.1(B) size 3.3' x 2.0' P.A. 78
n4568: mag 11.7(B) size 4.8' x 2.0' P.A 30
Position: n4567: RA 12h:36m 32.8s DEC +11:15'31"
n4568: RA 12h:36m 34.2s DEC +11:14'24"
Description:
This pair of interacting galaxies lies in northern virgo.
The low power field of view is shared by ngc 4564 about 12' to the north
and the nice double star STF 1661 about 12' to the northwest. Both
components of the double appeared to be of equal brightness and were both
distinctly yellow. Megastar lists them both at mag. 9.2, spect. G2V
and a sep. of 2.3 at pa 249.
At 204x ngc 4568, the southern most of the pair, was
more elongated than ngc 4567 by about a 4 to 3 ratio. NGC 4568 appeared
gradually brighter towards the middle and had a stellar nucleus.
NGC 4567 appeared to be wider in it's short dimension than ngc 4568 although
both are listed as being 2.0' in megastar. NGC 4567 was fairly uniform
in brightness and also had a stellar nucleus. Where the galaxies
merged on their eastern sides it was hard to tell where one galaxy ended
and the other began.
At 439x both galaxies appeared mottled but I couldn't
make out any definite detail with the possible exception of a small dark
area just to the east of the nucleus of ngc 4568. The faintest star
visible through the telescope this night was only visual mag. 16.3.
This is calculated from the red mag. of 16 and the blue mag. of 17.
Vincent Le Guern. 0=perfect, 5=awful