In Search of the Crab Nebula (M1)

[mcross]

Well, it was a nice clear night up here last night... quite cool as well. So I decided to do a little stargazing. Went searching for the Crab Nebula (M1).

I was pretty sure that I was in the right area; followed the line of the bull's horn from Aldebaran to the next brightest star...

The only thing that I could find near that star was a very, very faint (roughly) circular fuzzy patch which looked more like a faint globular cluster than the Crab Nebula...

So, do you think this was it or had I drifted off track?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

Mark :thumbsup:

PS Was looking through a 10 inch Skywatcher dob with 25mm eyepiece and moderately dark skies.

[ngcles]

Hi Mark & All,

It certainly sounds from your description of where it was and how it looked that you've got it.

The NGC/IC project page

http://www.ngcic.org/pubdb.htm

for the Crab nebula (NGC 1952 or M1) provides the following descriptions by Steve Gottlieb (an observer of the highest repute) with different sized 'scopes:

17.5": very bright, unusual potato shape with an irregular surface brightness,
6'x4', broad concentration towards center. Very irregular elongated shape with
extensions or "arms" towards the NW and SE, ragged edges at periphery. A large
dark indentation or "bay" intrudes on the NE side of the SE extension, so this
end is thinner and less prominent. A few faint stars are superimposed. Using
an OIII filter, the overall structure is muted but a bright inner streak is
visible which is not noticeable without the filter.

13": large, bright, irregular potato shape, large indentation on following emd.

8": moderately bright, irregular shape, fairly large, indentation on the NW and
SE ends.

- by Steve Gottlieb

My own notes using 25cm back in 1997 observing from suburbia with a ZLM of about mag +5 were:

x86 34' TF Mag 8.7 Size 6' Only 20 degrees above the NE horizon. in a brighter area of the sky. Appears fairly sizable cloud, 5' x 3.5' in PA 130. No *s immediately associated. Grows broadly and slightly to centre. Visible easily at x56 without filter. The brightest portions, and those which respond most strongly to the UHC filterhave a wide "S" or "Z" shape overlay the centre.

Hope this helps -- from your description I think you've got it.


Best wishes for the season to yourself and all,


Les D

[mcross]

Thanks Les,

Very much appreciate your detailed reply! Will have to return to M1 to look again!

Hope you have a great Festive Season too.

Cheers,

Mark :thumbsup:

[erick]

Sounds like it, Mark. A soft grey cloud in the sky. Relatively easy to find. But on my first attempt, I started hopping from the wrong star. Was very lost and disappointed for 10 or 15 min until I had the Duuuh! moment!

[mcross]

...or an hour! Know that feeling well!

Thanks Erick - does sound like it. While I realize that nebulae through the 'scope don't look like they do in the astronomy books, it was the "softness" that surprised me a little. Thought it would be a little brighter through the 10 inch.

Thanks again,

Mark :thumbsup:

[bmitchell82]

Unfortunately as humans we are designed to run in bright sunlight, sometimes i wish i had a owl's vision :) now thats some kick ass night sight :)

Rods and Cones one or the other of them we have very few and they only line the outside of our retena hence why averted vision is the best way to view most faint fuzzys, its because the light is landing on the right eye sensors. :);)

[erick]

Nope, pretty unimpressive for the first one in the Catalog. Thank goodness they get better after that!

[Enchilada]

Try this interesting page on historical observation and some of the older descriptions for comparison;

http://homepage.mac.com/andjames/NGC1952.htm

[Rodstar]

I was looking at M1 last night too. Unfortunately my northern horizon looks straight into the lights of Gosford, so it becomes a very unimpressive object, even with 20 inches of aperture. It responds quite well to an OIII filter.

At the end of the day, I think M1 is a very disappointing visual object....better left to the imagers to take long exposure shots for us. M2 is far better!

[GrahamL]

Yes its not a lot to look at sometimes ,, It dosn't get very high and as such average seeing dosn't do it any favours ,, anyone viewed it from northern latitudes ?.


Its an interesting object historicaly in that its formation was likely
noted by other astronomers almost a thousand years ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Nebula

[mcross]

That's a good point - I hadn't considered that

My viewing has been so inconsistent I forgot that I have a Nebula filter! That's my "doh" moment, Erick!

Agreed!

Thanks Enchilada for the historical observation info - was an interesting read. Thanks again, all. Will visit M1 again soon, with filter...

Mark :thumbsup:

[mark3d]

i believe some whales have pupils bigger than my 10" mirror... they must be able to see so much (granted, with 1x magnification).. but still the sky must look awesome to them!

[astroron]

:hi:Mark, as you get to be a more skilled observer you will see more in the Crab nebula than you see now.:)
I have observed the Crab Neb hundreds of times and on good nights can see some of the very faint foreground stars and quite a lot of detail, but a Dark Sky and Good Seeing are required.
One Tip, use a dark cloth over your head to block any unwanted light, you will gain possibly upto half a mag in brightness.
Cheers :thumbsup:
Ron

[astroron]

Mark, I have just noticed that you live in Nambour:rolleyes:
Why don't you come and join us on the 27th, this coming Saturday, we would be glad of your company:thumbsup:
Ron

[mcross]

Thanks, Ron!
I have been meaning to get to one of these gatherings, but dates have sometimes clashed! We have a house warming to go to on the Gold Coast on Sunday, which might throw a spanner into the works; I will let you know if I am able to make it. Otherwise a New Year's resolution may well be to definitely make it to at least one!
Thanks again,
Mark :)

[bmitchell82]

Good morning all,

Well i have to say like the reports have all said, M1 is very un inspiering! :) within saying that i sat there for a good 30 min on sat/sunday night going though all sorts of magnifications! Though i can say it is a very distinctive grey smudge :D

[Crusader]

Also viewed M1 with my 10" on New years eve. Couldn't see any detail aside from the elongated patch of nebulosity. Glad that I'm not in the minority there. Will definitely give it another go under better conditions.

[bmitchell82]

I was under the best of conditions I know this because there where some old timers that told me it was :D plus i could quite happily push the x500 in the skywatcher. so all in all it will look like a fuzzy gray patch :)

[mcross]

I haven't had a chance to have another look - too cloudy!

I will, however, try it with the nebula filter & maybe even Ron's suggestion of a dark cloth!

Mark :)

[Crusader]

With an O-III filter it darkened the nebula considerably, but provided some hints of dark filaments around the edges. Also made 2 very faint stars visible in the central region.

Still have to revisit it myself. Either too cloudy or too windy, just can't seem to get decent observing conditions. :sadeyes:

[bmitchell82]

mmm interesting, i think i might have to see if a o3 filter could help me. never know :)

[mcross]

Still waiting for the clouds to clear up here.......... :)

[charsiubau]

It depends on your expectations - just seeing the Crab Nebula for the first time was a buzz for me. Admittedly it was under fairly dark skies. Also supernova remnants tend to be subtle compared to other types of nebulae. The Crab is quite bright and easy to see for a supernova remnant

[toryglen-boy]

i have viewed it several hundred times from Scotland, before moving down under, and its not bad looking, it looks more puffed out than the ring nebula in Lyra, and is worth viewing, it looked good even through a 114mm reflector.

Maybe Southern skies arent suited to viewing it

:P

[astroron]

I think the problem is that we have so many Large Bright Nebulae visible from the Southern Sky,such as the Eta Carina nebula and M42 that a lot of people expect too much after seeing these objects.
Also Messier cataloged these object as not to confuse them with COMETS.
We do not get many very bright Comets so why to we expect Messier objects to be any different:shrug:
Just think that you are seeing a remnant of a Supernova that was seen in the night sky in 1054 AD:) and at 6300 light years away is in my opinion quite bright in a 16" scope on a clear night of good seeing.
So just enjoy the view and glean as much detail that many observations will bring you:astron::stargaze:

[mcross]

Just to clarify my original post...

It was not so much being disappointed in the object. It was more that what I was looking at, to me, looked more like a faint globular cluster, which made me question whether I was in the right region of the sky or whether I had accidentally starhopped to another nearby object, hence the request for feedback...

I am yet to go back and have another look - hopefully tonight - but I do agree that the historical value alone makes the Crab worth a look!

Thanks to all for thier thoughts and ideas...

Mark :thumbsup: