What are NGC objects?

In several previous blogs I mentioned NGC objects.  An NGC object is a deep-sky object found in the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars.  With a few exceptions, all Messier objects are contained within the NGC.  The NGC is a more exhaustive list of deep-sky objects containing 7,840 entries.

Typically, NGC objects are more difficult to find compared to the 110 Messier objects.  The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada offers a certificate program specifically geared towards NGC observing.  It is known as the Finest NGC Objects certification.  A link to the details is provided below.

https://www.rasc.ca/finest-ngc-objects

There are also deep-sky certificate programs named Deep-Sky Gems and a Deep-Sky Challenge.  Only 7 people in Canada have received a Deep-Sky Challenge certificate over the last 15 years.  Links to these programs are given below.

https://www.rasc.ca/deep-sky-gems

https://www.rasc.ca/deep-sky-challenge

I have only found two NGC objects (outside the Messier Objects) with manual guidance of my 8" Reflector.  During the New Moon of November 2016 at the Wilson Coulee Observatory I managed to find NGC 869 and NGC 884, famously known as the 'Double Cluster'.  An image of my observation is provided below.

NGC 869

Using a polar aligned driven mount I had the fortune of observing NGC 6826, also a Caldwell Object (more on this in another post).  It is sometimes referred to as the blinking planetary nebula.  An image is provided below.

NGC 6826

The observing certificates can only be earned by manually driving your mount to locate these objects.  Punching in celestial coordinates to a handheld device connected to your mount immediately disqualifies a participant.  However, driven mounts are good for imaging without the fuss of locating the object.