NGC 5963 (UGC 9906) and NGC 5965 (UGC 9914) Galaxies in Draco

Center of field at approximately: RA 15 hours 34 minutes 02 seconds, Dec +56 degrees 41 minutes 08 seconds

Size: 3.3' x 2.5' and 5.2' x 0.7'; Magnitude: 13.1 blue and 12.6 blue; Class: S pec and Sb

North is up

West to the right

Telescope:

 8" f5 Newtonian reflector
Camera:

 ST-8XME, self-guided, binned 1x1, temp -20c, camera control MaxIm DL 4.56
Image:

Lumicon Red filter, 570 minutes (57 x 10 minute subs), 05/31 & 06/1/2/7/9/2011; seeing 2.5-3.8 FWHM per CCDStack
Processing:

CCDStack 2.24.4110.20701, Photoshop 7.0
Location:

 Rolling Roof Observatory, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 (+34d 13m 29s -118h 52m 20s)
Notes: NGC 5963 is the Westernmost (to the right) galaxy with the bright core and very faint arms, and NGC 5965 is the obvious large on-edge galaxy ... wanted to get more time on this field, but the 'June gloom' (marine layer) has moved in with the moon, so I processed what  I had. NGC 5971 (1.5'x0.5', mag 14.7p, Cl: Sa) is the little on-edge galaxy to the Southeast (lower left), and NGC 5969 (0.5'x0.3', mag 15.4, Cl: E/S0) looks like a fuzzy star and is about 6 minutes due West (right) of NGC 5971.

From the NGC / IC Project:

Contemporary Visual Observation(s) for NGC 5963
NGC 5963 = UGC 09906 = MCG +09-25-058 = CGCG 297-015 = PGC 55419
15 33 27.9 +56 33 33
V = 12.5;  Size 3.3x2.6;  SB = 14.7;  PA = 55d

17.5": fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 3:2 WSW-ENE, brighter core.  
Collinear with a mag 13 star 0.9' SSE and a mag 14 star 1.5' SSE of center.  
First in the N5965 group with N5965 8' NNE and N5969 13' SE.

- by Steve Gottlieb
Contemporary Visual Observation(s) for NGC 5965
NGC 5965 = UGC 09914 = MCG +10-22-020= CGCG 297-016 = FGC 1918 = PGC 55459
15 34 02.1 +56 41 08
V = 11.7;  Size 5.2x0.7;  SB = 13.0;  PA = 53d

17.5": fairly bright, fairly large, edge-on 5:1 WSW-ENE, 2.5'x0.5, small bright 
core.  Located 5.0' WSW of a mag 10 star.  Largest and brightest of four in a 
group with N5963 8' SSW.

- by Steve Gottlieb
Contemporary Visual Observation(s) for NGC 5969
NGC 5969 = MCG +09-25-059 = CGCG 297-018 = NPM1G +56.0204 = PGC 55491
15 34 50.9 +56 27 03
V = 14.4;  Size 0.5x0.3;  SB = 12.2

17.5": very faint, very small, round, 0.3' diameter, very small slightly 
brighter core, small very faint halo.  Located 9' NE of mag 8.2 SAO 29575.  In a 
group with N5971 6' ENE, N5963 14' NW and N5965 16' NNW.

- by Steve Gottlieb
Contemporary Visual Observation(s) for NGC 5971
NGC 5971 = UGC 09929 = MCG +09-26-002 = CGCG 297-019 = PGC 55529
15 35 37.0 +56 27 41
V = 13.8;  Size 1.6x0.6;  SB = 13.6;  PA = 136d

17.5": faint, small, slightly elongated 4:3 NW-SE.  A mag 15.5 star is 30" S.  
Last of four in the N5965 group with N5969 6' WSW.

- by Steve Gottlieb