Sketch ready:
Final drawing:

M 102 (NGC 5866)

M 102 (NGC 5866)

Drawing data

Object(s):
M 102 (NGC 5866) Dra GX
Date(s) of observation:
2016.08.02/03. Ágasvár
Place(s) of observation:
Ágasvár
Telescope(s) used:
16" f/4.4 Newtonian (MCSE Dobson)
Enlargement(s) used:
294x (6 mm Planetary)
Author / Observer:
Peter Kiss

Description

M 102 drawing inverted into positive.
M 102 drawing inverted into positive.

In the past 16 years I have seen M 102 (NGC 5866) quite many times using 16" telescopes. The main attraction of the galaxy is inevitably the dust lane. Sometimes it was easily visible, sometimes it was at the edge of visibility. During the drawing (2016 August) it was difficult but it could definitely be seen. It shows a lot of contrast across but it is pretty diffuse lenthwise. This famous lenticular galaxy doesn't show many more details besides the dust lane. The whole galaxy is very diffuse. There are maybe 2-3 brighter spots in the core region (?). NGC 5867, a tiny galaxy is unfortunately just outside the field I drew. I didn't pay attention to it. I don't remember if I had seen it.

Comparison with the photograph

M 102 drawing using a 16
M 102 drawing using a 16" Newtonian telescope. Peter Kiss
Hubble image of M 102.
Hubble image of M 102. Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA). Acknowledgment: W. Keel (University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa). Source: hubblesite.org

You can see the Hubble image of M 102 to the left. I rotated and cropped my inverted drawing to show about the same area of the sky as the HST image.

The dust lane was not as spectacular and contrasty in the telescope as in the photo.

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