Observation Log - April 20, 2000 - Tinton Falls, NJ

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M84, elliptical galaxy in Virgo, magnitude 9.1, dim 6'.5 x 5'.6. This is a composite image created from 9 exposures totaling 17 minutes, all taken between 10:10 p.m. and 11:10 p.m. the night of the 19th. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. Images were processed with dark frame removal, flat frame, then compositing, flatten background, and finally a contrast stretch. This image has a few little fuzzies that I've tried to identify. Two look like galaxies, LEDA 169238 (mag 17.4) and LEDA 169241 (mag 17.8) and I believe two might be quasars, 1222+131 (mag 18.7) and 1222+131 (mag 18.5). I don't know why my SkyMap Pro 6 gives these two quasars the same designation... Here's an annotated high- contrast stretch version of this image.

NGC4676, (The Mice Galaxies) spiral galaxies in Coma Berenices, magnitude 14, dim 2'.8. This is a composite image created from 10 exposures totaling 17 minutes, all taken between 12:23 a.m. and 1:07 a.m. the morning of the 20th. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. Images were processed with dark frame removal, flat frame, then compositing, flatten background, and finally a contrast stretch.This is a preliminary image, and will be extended at the next observing session with a longer integration time.