by Cousin Ricky » Fri Feb 22, 2019 5:50 pm
This galaxy is such a famous one that I wondered if I had ever observed it myself, so I searched my electronic notes. Oddly, on a list of my favorite observing objects, in the appendix of objects queued for consideration I noted that I had not seen it more than once. Yet, there is no log of this hypothetical observation anywhere. In a log dated March 12, 2002, I noted that that night’s observation of M85 was my first Virgo Cluster galaxy, but my favorite’s list is dated November 28, 2001. (Although NGC 4565 does not appear to be a cluster member, I would not have known that back then.)
The possibility remains that I saw it through a friend’s telescope during the summer of 2000. I have paper notes from that period that I have not logged electronically, and having someone else show me the object would explain why I did not consider it a first Virgo observation. But those notes are in storage, stacked in a pile with a bunch of other papers.
NGC 4565 is not the only victim of my disorganization. Year after year I tell myself I’m going to see NGC 5128 (the Centaurus A host), and every summer arrives with me saying, “Dang! I forgot again!”
This galaxy is such a famous one that I wondered if I had ever observed it myself, so I searched my electronic notes. Oddly, on a list of my favorite observing objects, in the appendix of objects queued for consideration I noted that I had not seen it [i]more than once.[/i] Yet, there is no log of this hypothetical observation anywhere. In a log dated March 12, 2002, I noted that that night’s observation of M85 was my first Virgo Cluster galaxy, but my favorite’s list is dated November 28, 2001. (Although NGC 4565 does not appear to be a cluster member, I would not have known that back then.)
The possibility remains that I saw it through a friend’s telescope during the summer of 2000. I have paper notes from that period that I have not logged electronically, and having [i]someone else[/i] show me the object would explain why I did not consider it a first Virgo observation. But those notes are in storage, stacked in a pile with a bunch of other papers.
NGC 4565 is not the only victim of my disorganization. Year after year I tell myself I’m going to see NGC 5128 (the Centaurus A host), and every summer arrives with me saying, “Dang! I forgot again!”