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Hi §AB,
Liked the report again, and it is good to hear that some people are able to do some actual observing. I can't remember a clear night in Sydney for weeks and for most of the last week, it has just bucketed down -- "Melbourne" weather. As I type now, it is quite cool outside about 17 deg C, pouring with rain and a cool SE breeze -- very untypical for Sydney February! Curse of the new moon of course.
You mentioned the "Pencil Nebula" in your report and I assume you mean NGC 2736 in Vela which is probably associated with the Vela SNR.
Keep trying -- it is definitely visible in 25cm with a UHC filter even from outer suburban Sydney (Though very faint)). Here are my notes from home back in 1995 with a ZLM of +5.1:
x56 -- 26mm Televue plossl "Very faint streak of nebulosity in PA 20. at its brightest near a couple of mag 10 *s. Quite thin, like a ribbon only 1' diameter but in a sinuous , slightly curved line 15-20' long, not nearly as bright as the Veil SNR in Cygnus though similar in character. This could be most interesting in a DK sky. Seems patchy in brightness along it's length. Br portion seems in the middle of the ribbon."
And viewed from my nearly dark site (ZLM about +6.2) in the southern highlands in 1997 I think: x56 -- "Faint but quite visible even without filtration, Nr a couple of mag 10 *s, appears much straighter in a dark sky, long sinuous streak, maybe 25' (arc-mins) x 20" (arc-seconds) in PA 20. Brightest in centre. Very thin like a straight wisp of cigarette smoke."
It is a really beautiful object in 18".
Best,
Les D
Contributing Editor AS&T
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