These are our observations in Equuleus

• NGC 7046 in Equuleus

  October’s Galaxy of the month, NGC 7046, has been a difficult challenge. It has taken me to to two different observing sites and using two 20” Dobs. It has involved plenty of squinting, AV and serious doubting my eyesight. Also the customary thought of “I wish I had a bigger scope”.

  First attempt was at the Kelling Star party, under mag 5.4 skies, using a 20” F5 scope. Only after checking the charts several times, gently nudging the scope did we both agree there was something there but neither of us could define its shape. Any further attempts were abandoned.

  Back home (Suffolk) using my 20” F4.7 I tried again under mag 5.5 skies. Once located using AV I could “see it” direct. Again it was nigh on impossible to define its shape: a classic indistinct bit of fuzz.

  

  I note in the information supplied by Owen that a 25/30cm scope is needed to see it under good skies. It would appear that in the poor skies of GB even a 50cm scope struggles.

  Using x181 I could just detect it but at higher magnification (x294) I found it easier to detect. Whilst in the area I tried to track down the other galaxies mentioned. After much chart checking and using AV I located the tiny specks of fuzz of IC 1367 and IC 1364. As to IC 1365 (too much imagination involved to lay claim to having definitely located it).

  Fun to visit Equuleus, as it sent me off to view some doubles in the area (OMC 200) and to locate galaxy NGC 7015.

  Mike Wood - 3 November 2016

• Observation of the NGC 7046

  On the 8th/9th August this year, from my moderately light-polluted home site, I made an observation of this month's galaxy of the month.

  

  The weather conditions were very odd, and caused me some confusion. It was fairly windy and the sky was 'clarty'. The seeing was generally poor but improved with time. The naked eye limit was 4.9 (29 Cyg). Despite the apparently poor conditions, I managed to bag some pretty faint objects, NGC 7046 being one of them. The galaxy is listed at magnitude 13.1, with a surface brightness of 13.8 making it even more difficult, and close to my limit at my home site.

  I found the galaxy to be very faint and bland. It's fairly large but has very little central brightening. It appeared very slightly elongated. Very difficult and almost entirely an averted vision object.

  As ever, the observation was made with a 12" Newtonian reflector using a 10mm Plossl eyepiece which gives a magnification of x150 and a field of 20'.

  Patrick Maloney - (3 October 2016).