March favorites

[Richard Navarrete]

Going through my personal observing logs I've selected three objects that are in good position to observe this month.

Richard

March Favorites

Small scope – NGC 1817 and 1807 open clusters in Taurus mag 7.7 and 7

My notes:

NGC 1807 - A small cluster with dim members, fairly loose, next to NGC 1817.

NGC 1817 - Very nice!  Rich, almost like a globular.  Definite edge.  Many bright and dim stars.

1807 and 1817 are listed in Deep Map 600

DSS image

Medium scope – NGC 2903 galaxy in Leo Mag 9

Listed in Celestial Sampler (Sue French) page 70

Listed in Hidden Treasures (Stephen James O’Meara) #51

My notes:

5” Achro - A nice elongated galaxy. Random darkening in the center hints at spiral structure.

18” dob - A beauty.  Bright, large, extended.  Brighter core.

Link to APOD - APOD: 2015 April 10 - NGC 2903: A Missing Jewel in Leo

Link to Hubble video - Trip through NGC 2903 !! : NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope #hubble #nasa #space #universe

 

Large scope – NGC 2613 spiral galaxy in Pyxis mag 11.7

My notes:

18” Dob - Edge-on.  Bright with a beautiful field of stars.

Link to ESO video - The spiral galaxy NGC 2613 | ESO

The spiral galaxy NGC 2613 The spiral galaxy NGC 2613

[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

2903 has been a favorite of yours for a long time. Remember looking at it thru your scope more than once.

And you're not alone. Caught a fancy view in Peter Natscher's scope once from Coulter Row. And in Jeff Crilly's 15 from Lake San Antonio. And who knows how many times thru my own telescopes.

[Richard Navarrete]

What a memory, Jamie! I barely remember what I’ve observed, much less objects I’ve observed in others scopes, hence my need to make notes. 😆

Richard

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On Saturday, February 28, 2026, 3:37 PM, Jamie Dillon, DDK <ngc1...@gmail.com> wrote:

2903 has been a favorite of yours for a long time. Remember looking at it thru your scope more than once.

And you're not alone. Caught a fancy view in Peter Natscher's scope once from Coulter Row. And in Jeff Crilly's 15 from Lake San Antonio. And who knows how many times thru my own telescopes.

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[Jamie Dillon]

It’s a memorable galaxy, long lanky and complex. 

--

Jamie  Dillon <*>
“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend.
Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
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[Mark Wagner]

I like 2903 as you get two for the price of one!

[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

Depending on what you mean, you get 3 for the price of one. 2916, dim and small, is less than half a degree to the east. But also there's a bright knot, north of center in 2903, that has it's own ngc number, 2905. I get to bring that one up because I put it in my notes before finding out it was in the NGC.

Spring is certainly on the way and Leo is up! The Beastmaster's favorite constellation.

[Mark Wagner]

Oh interesting, Jamie.  I just looked thru a now 25+ year old printed list of Herschel 2500 targets I used to burn thru with Alan Nelms and see only a check by 2916, whereas the my usual notation was date (observed). So I don't know that I actually did.  You know, I always felt that I missed something ;-)  I am stunned at how many pages of objects of that old list are in Leo.

Now this is coincidence!  Going to Steve's notes on Adventures In Deep Space, in the "Jump to" box (for calling an NCG number) Akarsh's default example is..... 2903.  Ha!

So, NGC 2916 described by the Gottlieb:

V = 12.1;  Size 2.5'x1.7';  Surf Br = 13.4;  PA = 20°
17.5" (1/31/87): fairly bright, moderately large, bright core, elongated SSW-NNE.  A mag 12.5 star is 1.7' SSW of center.

[Peter Natscher]

NGC 2903 is a Herschel 400.

[Steve Gottlieb]

NGC 2903 is a Herschel 400

and it’s often mentioned as one of the most prominent galaxies that Messier (and contemporaries) missed.  Nice sketch, Peter. 

24" (2/22/14): excellent view at 200x and 375x.  This beautiful barred spiral is sharply concentrated with an extremely bright, mottled core.  A prominent central bar runs along the major axis, extending ~2'x0.4' SSW-NNE.  The central bar is the brightest portion of a more oval, brighter central region, ~2.0'x1.0'.  Just beyond the northeast end of the central bar is a bright, irregular "knot" (NGC 2905) where the northern spiral arm attaches.  This arm bends sharply to the west (clockwise), but only curves for ~1' and quickly fades, as if it was angled towards us.  A prominent arm (more cleanly separated from the central region) is attached at the SSW end of the bar where there is another brighter, irregular "knot".  The southern arm bends east and then north, paralleling the orientation of the bar and extending as far north as the core, perhaps just beyond a mag 13.7 star 2' ESE of center. A darker dust lane separates this arm from the central region.