U 414
22:00 to 22:48
-39° to -50°
Gru, Ind
Aug-Nov

THE BRIGHTEST STARS OF GRUS (many of which are in twos) are sprinkled over this map, making starhopping an easy task. A scattering of faint galaxies makes for challenging observing.

FEATURED OBJECTS: NGC 7166, NGC 7162A, NGC 7169, NGC 7213, IC 5181, NGC 7232, NGC 7233, IC 5201, NGC 7307, IC 5240.

NGC 7166
ESO288-G027, MCG-07-45-004
RA 22:00:31
Dec -43°23.4'
Galaxy

h: "pB, S, R, psmbM, 15 arcseconds."; "B, lE, vsvmbM to nucleus."

NGC 7162A
ESO288-G028, MCG-07-45-005
RA 22:00:41
Dec -43°08.6'
Galaxy

First described in De Vaucouleurs (1956) “Survey of bright galaxies south of -35° declination”, Mem. Mount Stromlo, No. 13. (photographic study, plates taken with the 30-inch Reynolds reflector, 20-inch diaphragm). Measures 1.2x1.2; extremely faint

NGC 7169
ESO237-G028
RA 22:02:48
Dec -47°41.8'
Galaxy

h: "eF, S, R, difficult to distinguish from a star 15m, has a star 8m dist 4' N.p. nearly in parallel, and another 11m, 1' N.f."

The RNGC (Sulentic and Tifft 1973) notes that this is a unverified southern object.

NGC 7213
ESO288-G043
RA 22:09:16
Dec -47°10.0'
Galaxy

h: "vB,m R, gbM, 45 arcseconds."

Hartung writes: “This nebula is a bright round hazy object about 1.5' across, rising much to the centre with the edges fading away; it looks like a remote globular cluster . . 7.5cm shows it dimly but quite definitely.”

G. de Vaucouleurs ("Galaxies and the Universe", Chapter 14 - Nearby Groups of Galaxies) notes that the Pavo-Indus Cloud includes the NGC 7079 and NGC 7213 Groups. Foreground members are NGC 7090, IC 5152 & IC 5201. NGC 6970 is a background member. The five brightest members of the Pavo-Indus Cloud are NGC 7213, NGC 7205, NGC 7049, NGC 7083 & NGC 7144.

Shobbrook (1966, Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc., Vol 131, p351-363) notes that this member of the Grus Cluster has V = 11.41, B-V = 0.90 and U-B = 0.44. It measures 1.55 by 1.55.

Further details appear in: De Vaucouleurs (1956) “Survey of bright galaxies south of -35° declination”, Mem. Mount Stromlo, No. 13. (photographic study, plates taken with the 30-inch Reynolds reflector, 20-inch diaphragm). In the Notes to the catalogue: “see M.N. 112, 1952, 607. The superior resolving power of the Pretoria 74-inch photograph shows it to be SAa- with smooth, tightly coiled arms. It is E: in HA 88, 2”

15.5-inch f/9 Newtonian: Lies just southeast of Alpha Grus in the same low-power field. It appears pretty bright, with two equally bright stars due east, forming a sharp isoceles with the galaxy at the apex. The galaxy appears round as a globular. (suburban skies) [AS]

IC 5181
ESO289-G001
RA 22:13:20
Dec -46°01.1'
Galaxy

This spiral galaxy was discovered by J. Lunt with the 18-inch refractor of the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, during a search for Brorsen's Comet in 1900.

Sandage (1975, Astrophysical Journal, 202, 563-582) notes that this galaxy is a member of the NGC 7213 Group. Members include NGC 7213, NGC 7232, NGC 7233 & IC 5181.

Further details appear in: De Vaucouleurs (1956) “Survey of bright galaxies south of -35° declination”, Mem. Mount Stromlo, No. 13. (photographic study, plates taken with the 30-inch Reynolds reflector, 20-inch diaphragm).

10-inch f/5 Newtonian: At about 30x, it appears as a faint milky patch of light that at times is elongated approximately west-east. (suburban skies) [AS]

15.5-inch f/9 Newtonian: At 220x, this is a pretty bright galaxy, elongated west-south-west to east. The galaxy has a pretty bright central area, and lies in the same field with six bright stars. (suburban skies) [AS]

NGC 7232
ESO289-IG007
RA 22:15:37
Dec -45°51.0'
Galaxy

h: "pB, vS, pmE, psbM, 15 arcseconds long, 8 arcseconds broad. The preceding of two." [NGC 7233]

Bergwall et.al. (1978, Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 33, 243-255) gives this galaxy's B-magnitude in the Johnson system as 13.57. Photoelectric UBV measurements give V=12.526 for a 44'' diaphragm and V=13.028 for a 22'' diaphragm.

15.5-inch f/9 Newtonian: A 15.5-inch telescope at 220x shows this pair of galaxies in the same field, with NGC 7232 noticeably brighter than its companion. The galaxy appears very obviously elongated, lying west-east and slightly south. Immediately following the galaxy pair are two bright, slightly reddish stars. (suburban skies) [AS]

NGC 7233
ESO289-IG008
RA 22:15:48
Dec -45°50.8'
Galaxy

h: "F, vS, R, 10 arcseconds, the following of two [NGC 7232]. A sar 8m follows nearly on the parallel, another to the north."

Bergwall et.al. (1978, Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 33, 243-255) gives this galaxy's B-magnitude in the Johnson system as 13.44. Photoelectric UBV measurements give V=12.819 for a 66'' diaphragm and V=13.631 for a 22'' diaphragm.

15.5-inch f/9 Newtonian: A 15.5-inch telescope shows this pair of galaxies in the same field, with NGC 7233 considerably dimmer than its companion. The galaxy appears as an elongated smudge of faint light. Immediately following the galaxy pair are two bright, slightly reddish stars. (suburban skies) [AS]

IC 5201
ESO289-G018
RA 22:20:57
Dec -46°02.1'
Galaxy

This 11.5 mag barred spiral galaxy was discovered by J. Lunt with the 18-inch refractor of the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, during a search for Brorsen's Comet in 1900.

A supernova erupted in this galaxy in 1978 (12.9v)

G. de Vaucouleurs ("Galaxies and the Universe", Chapter 14 - Nearby Groups of Galaxies) notes that the Pavo-Indus Cloud includes the NGC 7079 and NGC 7213 Groups. Foreground members are NGC 7090, IC 5152 & IC 5201. NGC 6970 is a background member. The five brightest members of the Pavo-Indus Cloud are NGC 7213, NGC 7205, NGC 7049, NGC 7083 & NGC 7144.

NGC 7307
MCG-07-46-003
RA 22:33:48
Dec -40°57.5'
Galaxy

h: "F, pL, pmE, about pos of 75 degrees with parallel, 2.5' long."

IC 5240
ESO290-G002
RA 22:41:51
Dec -44°46.1'
Galaxy

This barred spiral galaxy was discovered by Lewis Swift on 8 August 1897 using the 16 inch refractor at the Lowe Observatory, California. He described it as "pretty faint, pretty large, round, faint star S.f."

W.H. Finlay, on 26 December 1886, confirmed it using the 6-inch refractor at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope.

Coloured Stars

white: alpha Gru, mu-1 Gru, mu-2 Gru, rho Gru, sigma-1 Gru, sigma-2 Gru
blue-white: pi-2 Gru
pale yellow: delta-1 Gru
yellow-orange: beta Gru
pale orange: delta-2 Gru, lambda Gru
deep orange: pi-1 Gru