U 455
17:24 to 18:36
-61° to -72°
Aps, Ara, Pav
Apr-Oct

FEATURED OBJECTS: IC 4662, IC 4710, NGC 6362.

IC 4662
ESO102-G014
RA 17:47:05
Dec -64°38.4'
Galaxy

The irregular galaxy was discovered in 1902 by Innes at the Cape Observatory using a 7-inch refractor. He wrote: "A faint oval nebula 1' in diameter, N.p. Eta Pavonis. Found with the 7-inch".

Other names: “E102-14”. Inclination: (face-on, in degrees) 51 Total photoelectric blue mag 11.74 Total colour index .41 Logarithm of the angular diameter D25 (arcminutes) 1.44 Blue photographic magnitude 11.72 This galaxy is included in a sample of galaxies with velocity less than 500km/s with respect to the centroid of the Local Group. [Nearby Galaxies. Schmidt K.-H., Priebe A., Boller T. (Astron. Nachr. 314, 371 (1993))]

15.5-inch f/9 Newtonian: This 11.9 magnitude galaxy lies in the same field as the bright red Eta Pavonis, lying just under a quarter of a degree east-northeast from the star. A 15.5-inch shows it as a smudge of light which is pretty bright and appears elongated west-east. Due north of the galaxy lies a faint 12th magnitude star and north and slightly west list a brighter star, about 10th magnitude. Many pretty bright 10-11th magnitude stars occupy this busy field of view, dominated by the bright Eta. (suburban skies) [AS]

IC 4710
ESO103-G022, Se 127/1
RA 18:28:38
Dec -66°58.9'
Galaxy

NGC 6362
ESO102-SC008, Dun 225, GCL-66
RA 17:31:53
Dec -67°03.4'
Globular cluster

Dunlop 225 “a pretty large rather bright round nebula, 3' or 4' in diameter, very moderately condensed to the centre,resolvable into extremely minute stars; the stars are more scattered on the south side.”

h: “globular cluster, bright, large, round, very gradually much brighter in the middle, diam. in RA = 50 second, diam 7' or 8'; stars all seen, 12..16th mag with outliers extending a good way.” His second and last observation reads: “globular cluster, irregularly round, pretty bright, pretty large, gradually brighter in the middle, 4', all sharply resolved into stars 14..17th mag.”

Hartung writes “This globular cluster in a fine field extends with outliers about 4' across; it rises broadly to the centre and is beautifully resolved into faint stars on a hazy ground. This resolution is quite clear with a 6-inch telescope but a four-inch shows only granularity. The edges are very irregular with arcs and rays of faint stars.”

Bennett, including it as No. 95 of his “comet-like objects” catalogue, rated it as a circular extended object.

ASV Journal Vol 24 No 3 June 1971: “slight central condensation.”

11x80: Near Ara-Apus-Pavo border. Lies in a very rich field of large and small stars. Broad, circular fuzzy glow, easy to spot a short hop from alpha TrA. (suburban skies) [AS]

15.5-inch f/9 Newtonian: In a 15.5-inch telescope, the globular appears very irregular, a-typical, and looks more like a concentrated open cluster with some nebulosity. Stars resolved right to the centre; about 7 stars are visible across the disc of the globular. The brightest part of the globular has a curved appearence, curving towards the north-east. There are absolutely no outlying stars, and its irregular form is quite striking. (suburban skies) [AS]