How does one locate the Horsehead Nebula?

[prova]

i have no auto-tracking and use stellarium as my star finder but it doesn't tell me ..

any explanation would be appreciated

[erick]

Search for the photos on this site - there are plenty. They will allow you to locate it relative to the stars in the vicinity.


ps. You won't actually see anything there with anything less than a huge aperture, I understand. Try for the Flame Nebula instead (ditto above)

[prova]

thanks erick, just wondering is it actually in the orion nebula etc as I know what the actual formation looks like just didn't know which part of space

also, would my 8" make out any sort of definition?

[Lee]

Short answer - very close to the southern most star in Orions belt.

[gbeal]

If you are asking whether you will see it with your 8", I would suggest no.
Lately we have been trying from my semi-rural backyard, no moon. Not only was it not visible in my 10", but we could only just make it out perhaps in a 16", but only with averted imagination. It is a very difficult target.

[vindictive666]

Alnitak Isnt It ?

[Omaroo]

Prova - here's a map for you. My planetarium program knows the "Flame" Nebula as the "Christmas Tree" Nebula - but it's the same thing and right next to the Horsehead (B33).

Cheers
Chris

[saberscorpx]

aka Barnard 33, the Horsehead dark nebula protrudes into the brighter nebulosity of IC 434 a half degree south of Alnitak (zetaOri).

This convenient location does little to compensate for its ellusive visibility.
In fact, we're taught to keep Alnitak's brilliance outside the FOV for maximum contrast while attempting the observation.

Pull out all the DSO tricks for this treasure.

[joshman]

when i was out observing two weekends ago (n/m weekend) i was pretty sure that i could make out the faintest smudge of the entire nebula, but no detail to speak of, indeed a hard target to find!

[Satchmo]

It's an object that relies on super sky transparancy for visibility . Back in 1984 myself a number of observers at the Mt Kaputar astrocamp saw it in a 6" F4 Newt with a Nagler 13mm , but at the time the large face on Galaxy M33 in Traiangulaum was easily seen naked eye and I've not seen it so easily since ( 25 yr younger eyes would help too !) The view we had of it that night through a Coulter Odyssey 1 13.1" F4.5 Dobsonian and Nag 13mm was the best I ever had and not since been bettered.

Famed US observer Walter Scott Housten saw it in a 4" RFT refractor but that would be 50 years ago.

I saw it clearly in a spectacular night at Ilford, NSW once with a 10" F6 Newt.

A few of us saw it at the first IIS star party in January 2007 with PS's 12" binocular with no filter. It was invisible when you closed one eye.

In most cases the Lumicon Hydrogen Beta filter will dramatically improve chances of seeing it but you need a good sky to start with.

Some people when they first see the Flame Nebula nearby for the first time mistake it for the horsehead, but the Horsehead.

I think its one of those elusive `holy grail ' objects and one always well worth looking for :)

Mark

[prova]

thanks for all the info guys!

[erick]

Wow! Mark, that must have been a brilliant (and unique) evening!

[vash]

I have just made out the brighter part of the nebulae. Didn't See the head but I', certain I saw something very very faint there, but that was only once and with 10" f4.7.