Deep Sky Observations with eVscope Beginning of 2021

Conditions | Observation Overview | List of Observed Sky Objects | References

Since the end of January 2020, I own an Unistellar eVscope telescope for observing and taking photos of deep sky objects. On this page, I collect information about observations starting in mid-January 2021 and ending at the beginning of March 2021, which might be of interest to other beginners. In this phase, I used version 1.2 of the Unistellar app. The photos that were taken during this phase are presented elsewhere.

Notes:

See page Overview of the eVscope Pages for just that!
I present the first five observation sessions, including photos, on page Unistellar eVscope - Observations.

Conditions

Sky Region and Objects

At the beginning, I constrained myself to the sky area in the south and southeast:

Map: Section of the sky (Feb 24, 2021) (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)

Observation Time

The observations in this phase started in mid-January 2021. They typically took place shortly after dusk, when it was sufficiently dark for a successful star alignment.

Observation Location

All observations took place in Mühlhausen/Kraichgau (Germany):

Coordinates: 49° 15′ N , 8° 43′ E
Coordinates (dec.): 49,25° N, 8,72° E

Equipment Used

When observing with the eVscope, I only needed the eVscope and my iPhone.

General Conditions

In general, the sky above Mühlhausen/Kraichgau is "light-polluted" and does not invite you to search for deep sky objects. This is certainly one of the reasons why I found some of the deep sky objects that I wanted to observe only sometimes or not at all. For astro photography, however, light pollution is not as disturbing as for visual observations.

Observation Overview

Observation Dates

Date 2021	Observed Objects	Observed Objects, Details	Remarks	Further Remarks
Jan 14 MH	GN: M 1, M 42/43 OC: NGC 1980	Order: M 1 (Crab Nebula), M 42/33 (Orion Nebula, Trapezium), M 42/43 (Orion Nebula), NGC 1980 (Lower Sword, Lost Jewel of Orion), M 78 (nothing...)	Two crashes, various Wi-Fi aborts, stayed as operator.	Poor image quality because of poor transparency; did not catalog the photos.
Feb 16 MH	GN: M 42/43	M 42/43 (Orion Nebula)	No app problems...	Moderate image quality because of clouds; exposed up to 8 minutes, exposure later manually controlled.
Feb 17 MH	GN: IC 2177, M 42/43, M 78, NGC 2024 PN: IC 1788? OC: M 50	Order: M 78 (briefly M 42/43 at the beginning), M 42/43 (Orion Nebula), M 50, IC 2177 (Seagull Nebula; via coordinates), NGC 1788 (Cosmic Bat Nebula), NGC 2024 (Flame Nebula)	No crashes	Published some photos in a Astronmie.de forum.
Feb 20 MH	DN: B 33 GN: M 78, NGC 1977 PN: M 97, NGC 2392 OC: M 45, NGC 1980 GC: NGC 2419	Order: M 78, B33 (Horeshead Nebula), Running Man Nebula, NGC 2024 (Flame Nebula), NGC 1980 (Lost Sword of Orion), NGC 2392 (Eskimo Nebula), M 97 (Owl Nebula), NGC 2419 (Intergalactic Wanderer), IC 405 (Flaming Star Nebula; nothing to see...), M 45 (Pleiades)	One crash, various issues and restarts	Half moon Published some photos in a Astronmie.de forum.
Mar 6 MH	GN: M 1, M 78 PN: M 97, NGC 2392 OC: M 44, M 67 G: M 51, M 63, M 94, M 101, M 106, M 108, M 109, NGC 2683, NGC 2903, NGC 3180/84, NGC 3190, NGC 3227/26, NGC 4244, NGC 4490, NGC 5173	Order: NGC 2392 (Eskimo Nebula), M 67, M 44 (Praesepe), NGC 2683, NGC 2903, M 1 (Crab Nebula), M 78, NGC 3227/26, NGC 3190 (Leo Quartet) M 108, NGC 3180/84, M 106, M 94, M 63, NGC 5173, M 51 (Whirlpool Galaxy), M 101 (Pinwheel Galaxy), M 109, M 97 (Owl Nebula), NGC 4244, NGC 4490 (21+ Objects)	Primarily observered to perform Oliver's CloudyNights March Challenge (7 objects); plus some further objects between Leo and Orion, as well as around Ursa Major/Canes Venatici	One day before waning half moon; moon not seen... Published all 7 objects in the CN March Challenge.
Mar 7 MH	GN: B 33, M 78, NGC 1977, NGC 2024, NGC 2238 PN: NGC 2261 OC: NGC 2244, NGC 2264 G: IC 2574, M 65/66, M 81, M 82, M 95, M 96, M 105, NGC 2805, NGC 3628, NGC 4387, NGC 4435/38, NGC 4567/68	Order: M 78, NGC 2024 (Flame Nebula), B 33 (Horsehead Nebula), NGC 1977 (Running Man Nebula), NGC 2261 (Hubble's Variable Nebula), NGC 2264 (Christmas Tree Cluster), NGC 2244/38 (Rosette Nebula + Cluster), NGC 2805, IC 2574, M 81 (Bode Galaxy), M 82 (Cigar Galaxy); M 96, M 95, M 105, M 65/66, NGC 3628, NGC 4387, NGC 4435/38, NGC 4567/68 (19+ objects)	Supplemental objects from Oliver, nebulae in Orion and other objects... From B 33 on, the eVscope was regrettably somewhat misfocused, because the focus seemed to have changed due to the coldness (frost).	Waning half moon; moon not seen...
Mar 8 MH	GN: B 33, NGC 1977, NGC 2238 PN: NGC 2261 OC: NGC 2244, NGC 2264 G: IC 2574, M 65/66, M 81, M 82, M 95, M 96, M 105, NGC 2805, NGC 3628, NGC 4387, NGC 4435/38, NGC 4567/68	Order: B 33 (Horsehead Nebula), NGC 1977 (Running Man Nebula), NGC 2261 (Hubble's Variable Nebula), NGC 2264 (Christmas Tree Cluster), NGC 2244/38 (Rosette Nebula + Cluster), NGC 2805, IC 2574, M 81 (Bode Galaxy), M 82 (Cigar Galaxy); M 96, M 95, M 105, M 65/66, NGC 3628, NGC 4387, NGC 4435/38, NGC 4567/68 (17+ objects)	Repeated all the observations where the eVscope was misfocused the day before.	One day after waning half moon; moon not seen...

Bold: First observation during this observation period; G = galaxy, OC = open star cluster, GC = globular star cluster, GN = galactic nebula, PN = planetary nebula, P = star pattern, DN = dark nebula, C = comet, SN = supernova

List of Observed Sky Objects

Object details can be obtained via the links to the relevant deep sky objects.

DSO Details	Name	Constellation	Type	Remarks
B 33	Horsehead Nebula	Orion	DN	Better to see when exposed longer and manually
IC 405	Flaming Star Nebula	Auriga	GN	Nothing to see...
IC 2177	Seagull Nebula	Monoceros	GN	Not much to see...
IC 2574		Ursa Major	G	Barred spiral galaxy, hard to see in the eVscope
M 1	Crab Nebula	Taurus	GE	Not well seen in mid-January, better seen in March
M 42	Orion Nebula	Orion	GE	Too large, somewhat blurry, Trapezium more or less washed out, depending on exposure settings
M 43	De Mairan's Nebula	Orion	GE	Part of M 42
M 44	Praesepe, Krippe	Cancer	OS	Too large for the eVscope's field of view
M 45	Pleiades, Seven Sisters	Taurus	OC	Too large for the eVscope's field of view
M 50		Monoceros	OC	Nice large open star cluster with many fine and some bright stars
M 51		Canes Venatici	G	Nice spiral galaxy with connected satellite galaxy NGC 5195
M 63	Sunflower Galaxy	Canes Venatici	G	Nice, elongated spiral galaxy, somewhat larger
M 65	with M 66	Leo	G	Thin, elongated spiral galaxy, spiral hard to see; part of the Leo triplet (with M 66 and NGC 3623); with M 66 in the rectangular field of view of the eVscope
M 66	with M 65	Leo	G	Elongated spiral galaxy, spiral visible; part of the Leo triplet (with M 65 and NGC 3628); with M 65 in the rectangular field of view of the eVscope
M 67		Cancer	OC	Large, nice cluster with a few bright stars and many not so bright ones
M 78		Orion	GE	Two stars like eyes; bright when longer exposed
M 81	Bode Galaxy	Ursa Major	G	Nice spiral galaxy; the spiral is not very conspicuous in the eVscope
M 82	Cigar Galaxy	Ursa Major	G	Elongated irregular galaxy (cigar), dirsturbed by an encounter with M 81
M 94		Canes Venatici	G	Small spiral galaxy, the spiral appears more like a nebula
M 95		Leo	G	Small barred spiral galaxy, relatively faint, but the bar is visible. Forms a pair with M 96, but too far away for the eVscope (40').
M 96		Leo	G	Spiral galaxy, forms a pair with M 95, but too far away for the eVscope (40').
M 97		Ursa Major	PN	Small green circle with two dark spots; somewhat larger than many other PN
M 101		Ursa Major	G	Spiral galaxy, seen face-on, similar to M 99 and M 100, but much larger than both; quite impressive in the eVscope
M 105		Canes Venatici	G	Bright elliptical galaxy; can be seen together with the galaxies NGC 3384 (elliptical) and the smaller NGC 3389 (spiral) in the same field of view in the eVscope.
M 106		Canes Venatici	G	Larger and bright spiral galaxy with bright core; close to it there is the small spiral galaxy NGC 4248.
M 108		Ursa Major	G	Barred spiral galaxy, nearly seen edge-on
M 109		Ursa Major	G	Barred spiral galaxy, the bar is easily recognized in the eVscope
NGC 1788		Orion	GN	Rather faint, according to Stoyan
NGC 1977		Orion	GR	Better to see when longer exposed manually
NGC 1980	Lost Jewel of Orion	Orion	OC	Quite nice...
NGC 2024	Flame Nebula	Orion	GE	Rather faint reddish nebula next to Alnitak; could be made visible; better to see, when longer exposed manually
NGC 2244	Open star cluster in Rosette Nebula	Monoceros	OC	Nice to see (saw the embedding nebula, the Rosette Nebula, a little...)
NGC 2261	Hubble's Variable Nebula	Monoceros	GR	Nebula that looks like a comet
NGC 2264	Christmas Tree Cluster/Conus Nebula	Monoceros	OC	Saw only the star cluster.
NGC 2392	Eskimo Nebula	Gemini	PN	Round light blue spot with white dot in it
NGC 2419	Intergalactic Wanderer	Lynx	GC	Small...
NGC 2683		Lynx	G	Spiral galaxy
NGC 2805		Ursa Major	G	Said to be a double star ... but a spiral galaxy in SkySafari
NGC 2903		Leo	G	One of the brighter spiral galaxies; unclear why Messier missed it..
NGC 3184/80	NGC 3179, NGC 3181	Ursa Major	G	NGC 3184 is a barred spiral, NGC 3180 a H II region in NGC 3184 (too small for theVscope)
NGC 3190	Leo Quartet	Leo	G	The galaxy NGC 3190 belongs, together with NGC 3185, NGC 3187, and NGC 3193 to the compact galaxy group Hickson 44, also called Leo Quartet.
NGC 3227/26		Leo	G	The barred spiral NGC 3227 forms a double galaxy with NGC 3226
NGC 3628	Part of Leo Triplet	Leo	G	Spiral galaxy seen edge-on; it forms a conspicuous group with M 65 and M 66, the Leo Triplet.
NGC 4244	Silver Needle Galaxy	Canes Venatici	G	Spiral galaxy, very thin and long, seen edge-on
NGC 4387	Great Galactic Face, NGC 4402	Virgo	G	Elliptical galaxy, small; actually, it is the nose of the "Great Galactic Face", which is formed by the galaxies M 84 and M 86 and the small galaxies NGC 4387 and NGC 4388 in constellation Virgo. Accessing NGC 4387 shows the GGF optimally in the eVscope. The photos also show the spiral galaxy on top of the face
NGC 4435/38	The Eyes	Virgo	G	NGC 4435 is a lenticular galaxy and interacts with the lenticular galaxy NGC 4438, that is about 100,000 light years more distant.
NGC 4490/85	Cocoon Galaxies	Canes Venatici	G	Distorted spiral galaxies, which interact with one another
NGC 4567/68	Siamese Twins, Butterfly Galaxies	Virgo	G	NGC 4567/8 are two spiral galaxies in the Virgo cluster; they are also called "The Siamese Twins" or "The Butterfly Galaxies".
NGC 5173		Canes Venatici	G	Elliptical galaxy close to M 51; two more galaxies are in the eVscope's field of view (the names are unknown to me)

G = galaxy, OC = open star cluster, GC = globular star cluster, GE = galactic emission nebula, GR = galactic reflection nebula, DN = dark nebula, C = comet, PN = planetary nebula, SP = star pattern, HII = HII region (emission nebula in other galaxies)

References

Books

Michael Feiler & Philip Novak (2014). Deep Sky Reiseatlas, Oculum Verlag
www.oculum-verlag.de/detailview?no=2014
Ronald Stoyan (2014). Deep Sky Reiseführer, Oculum Verlag
www.oculum-verlag.de/detailview?no=2015
Erich Karkoschka (2016). Atlas für Himmelsbeobachter, Kosmos Verlag
www.kosmos.de/buecher/ratgeber/astronomie/einsteiger/6598/atlas-fuer-himmelsbeobachter?number=15147