Hi Malcolm & All
Quote:
Originally Posted by barx1963
NGC 1535 Planetary Nebula in Eridanus (Ghost of Neptune)
RA 04 14 15.8 Dec -12 44 21 Mag(V) 9.6 Diam” 51 Mag Cent Star 12.1
From Gamma Eridani a line of 3 mag 6 stars 2.5deg long aligned EW lies about 1deg to N. Target lies about 2.5deg to f of f star of this line. Fairly large and discernable at 44x as a disc. Little obvious structure or colour. Very round, edge appeared slightly fuzzy at high power.
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Very good report as usual mate but I'd encourage you to have another go at NGC 1535. Personally I'd never heard the moniker "Ghost of Neptune" before and the only one I knew of was the "Eye of Cleopatra" -- no matter, as you know I've a peculiar and acute aversion to "common" names anyway.
But, I'd have thought (given the conditions) you'd see more in this excellent planetary nebula that really comes alive in apertures >10". I've got a sketch at home (somewhere) with my 31cm in 1999 that shows quite a bit of the detail in my observation notes reproduced below that were taken in 2006 with 46cm at Bargo under a "nearly dark" sky with seeing I rated at 7/10:
x185, x317, x371 (Unfiltered, UHC & OIII)
This is a very bright and lovely simple disc (double-shell) PNe that responds strongly to the use of the UHC and OIII filters, but is probably the most aesthetically pleasing unfiltered in this aperture in these conditions. A circular outer disc about 60" diameter with very diffuse looking edges that grows evenly and slightly to centre. Then there is a strong and abrupt boundary that jumps up in brightness to the inner disc that is 20" diameter -- much brighter that then within the inner disc generally dims weakly to the central * and containing some tiny (<3" dia) slightly darker patches within and a very small dim area just surrounding the central star at magnitude 12. Beautiful smoky-blue colour in the outer halo and brighter cyan/blue in the inner halo without the filter. Best at x317 unfiltered. A mag 13 * is in the outskirts 2/3rds of the way to edge on the W.
So I'd encourage you to give it another go. It is one of my favourite summer PNe.
Best,
Les D