[Rob_K]

Originally Posted by §AB

Has anyone ever seen the flame Nebula, complete with fur tree shape and dark lanes in an unfiltered 4.5" scope?

Yep §AB. Mention it in the 1st post - best view with dark lanes & fir-tree shape was from home. It was just after rain and the sky cleared briefly to a jet black with stars burning like diamonds. Exceptional transparency, but it only lasted a short while before cloud came in again. I've seen it a number of times in the 4.5", but that was the best. Usually, concentrating on the dark lanes is the key to viewing it - these seem to add definition to the, at best, extremely faint nebulosity. You have to put the bright star just outside the FOV too.

I've seen the Horsehead too - no, wait, that was in my dreams!

Cheers -