Backyard Astronomy And Other

My objective is to complete a personal goal of seeing and sketching galaxies (NGC 7335, 7336 and 7340) known as “The Deer Lick Galaxy Group.” The three galaxies were given this name by Tom Lorenzin, based on an incredible night of transparency and seeing from the Deerlick Gap Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the early 1980’s.

But would this galaxy group be possible from my suburban backyard (Bortle 6.5) and with a 10-inch Newtonian?  

Tuesday, November 26th 2024: At 7:00 PM, the sky was clear, but with very poor transparency. After an hour of observing the Deer Lick Group location, I was finally able to see or glimpse NGC 7335, which is the brightest of the three galaxies. However, I could only see this galaxy intermittently and appearing as an elongated blur.

I used my 10-inch Newtonian with a magnification of 208x, and despite all of my imagination, I could not see galaxies NGC 7336 or 7340.

A pleasant surprise: I was able to see Stephen’s Quintet, which is a very faint cluster of five tiny galaxies. I could only see a faint glow or brightening in the location, which would not have even been possible without the use of a GoTo equatorial mount. It’s amazing what we can see, when we know the deep-sky object is in the center of the eyepiece field.

Friday, September 29th 2024 observation notes: Transparency was excellent, as well as seeing. The Andromeda galaxy was incredibly bright and easy to see without optical aid and with direct vision. The NELM was about 5.0 or possibly a bit better, especially in the area of the Deer Lick Group.

Again, I used my 10-inch f/4.5 Newtonian for the Deer Lick Galaxy Group and Stephen’s Quintet. I increased the magnification to 291x, using an 11mm EP and a 2.8x UO Klee Barlow.

After an hour of careful observing, I could only see galaxy NGC 7335, with averted vision. The galaxy appeared very faint, not constant, elongated with no center brightness. I really think I was seeing galaxies NGC 7336 and NGC 7340, but could not confirm, or at least not definitively. (?)

Summary and conclusion: I could not see all three of the Deer Lick Group from my backyard with a 10-inch Newtonian.

Now to Stephen’s Quintet: With improved sky conditions versus my previous observation and with increased magnification (291x) I could see a very soft glow or brightening. No individual galaxies could be identified or seen.

Original article from the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, as following:

While driving through Little Switzerland, North Carolina, we stopped at the Deerlick Gap Overlook, which is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. I’ve always considered this to be a very famous location for both amateur astronomers and professionals alike.

The overlook became the namesake for faint galaxies NGC 7335, 7336 and 7340 in Pegasus, which has become known as the Deer Lick Group. It had nothing to do with the appearance of the galaxies, but from the location where they were observed from.

Tom Lorenzin, author of “1000+ The Amateur Astronomer’s Field Guide to Deep-Sky Observing” was observing from the Deerlick Overlook one incredibly transparent night in October, 1983. He was able to get an extraordinary view of the faint triangle of galaxies. The name stuck, and is now known by many as the Deer Lick Group.

Note: Tom Lorenzin passed away from a heart attack on Aug. 23, 2014 in Winston Salem, at the age of 67. I have known Tom for many years, receiving advice on both visual observing targets and pencil sketching.

Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to see the Deer Lick Group from my 4.8-5.0 NELM suburban backyard, using my 10-inch f/4.5 equatorial Newtonian. However, it’s my goal this year to attempt this trio of galaxies from a dark-site, and if I’m successful, a thirty year goal will be achieved.

I have observed the three galaxies that Lorenzin list as following, with a friends 14.5-inch Newtonian from a semi-dark-site, but I didn’t make any notes, and without a sketch.

So my goal now, is to attempt the three galaxies (NGC 7335,6,40) from my suburban backyard, using my 10-inch Newtonian, during October and November 2024. I’ll also attempt “Stephen’s Quintet.”

The following are Tom’s Lorenzin’s descriptive notes from “1000+” based on his October 1983 observing session from the Deerlick Overlook.

NGC 7331: 10.4M; 10′ x 2.5′ extent; bright and much elongated edge-on spiral with stellar nucleus; axis oriented NNW-SSE; the Deer Lick group, a very faint triangle of 14+M GALs (N7335,6,40) is a few minutes E and a little N; “STEPHAN’S QUINTET” (soft glow of five very faint and distant GAL’s) is 30′ due S; good supernova prospect.

The Deerlick Gap Overlook just off the Blue Ridge Parkway:

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