Object: Galaxy cluster ABELL 1367, center       Constell: LEO

RA: 11h 44m 02s         Decl: +19° 57'          Epoch: 2000
Mag: =NGC 3842          Size:                   Type: 

Observer: Jere Kahanpää
Obs. place: Hartola, Finland
Date/Time: 9./10.4.1994, 23.25

Telescope: N 205/1000
Magn: 133x              Filter:
Field: 22'              NE Lim.mag: 5.8m
Background sky: 2       Seeing: 3 
Weather:                           

Brightness:             Alt:    
Description: The central parts of ABELL 1367. 7 galaxies were
seen. The brightest in the field is NGC 3842: (11.8m (v),
1.4'x1.0', E, Br4). Almost round and strongly concentrated
towards a faint stellar nucleus. 

NGC 3837: (13.2m (v), 0.7'x0.6', E, Br4) Fainter than -42 but
still quite easy. A dim glow surrounding a stellar (14.5m)
nucleus.

UGC 6697: (13.6m (v), 1.9'x0.3', Im:, Br4) Still somewhat
fainter but easily held with averted vision. A quite thin edge-
on system. Uniformly lit, the very edges of the spindle are
somewhat fainter. 

NGC 3840: (13.8m (v), 1.1'x0.8', Sa, Br5) Very faint, round,
broadly concentrated but no nucleus. 

NGC 3844: (13.9m (v), 1.2'x0.2', S0/a, Br5) Very faint. Strongly
concentrated. Very small (20''?). No elongation detected.

NGC 3845: (14.0m (v), 0.8'x0.4', S?, Br5) Difficult. Was first
thought to be a faint field star but a closer examination
revealed the true nature. Very small. (20'')

NGC 3841: (13.6m (v), 0.7'x0.7', S?, Br5) Extremely small but
still nonstellar. More comcentrated than -45. Size about 15''. 

Megastar v. 1.8HD plots -41 and -45 about 2' W of their real
positions. While observing this field for the first time (going
through the cluster took several nights!!) I noticed both
galaxies but didn't find any identifications for 'em as I used a
chart printed from Megastar. The next day I found a good
photograph of the area in DSM no ?? (Well, It had an
article about this cluster and A1656) and got the
identifications right. 

This proves that V=14.0m galaxies are easily within reach of the
standard 8-incher. Much fainter galaxies were later on recorded,
but with a help of a good map. I'd say almost all galaxies with
phot. magnitude brighter than 15.0 are visible and at 15.5 about
50% can be seen. This rule probably work only in galaxy clusters
as many faint general field galaxies are dwarfs with much lower
surface brightness. Cluster galaxies tend to be mostly E and
early S/S0 and most have very bright cores making them easier
than the magnitude imply.