Quote:
Originally Posted by ngcles
Hi Joe & All,
Enjoyed your report Joe. When it's both dark and top-notch seeing, you'll find me looking at virtually all the PNe available. The difference between very good and great seeing reveals a wealth of detail in some objects.
I remember fondly a night in late February around 15 years ago with the 18" when we had a rare night of magnificent seeing down at a southern highlands site we used regularly and I spent most of the night on PNe.
Particularly notable was NGC 2392 in Gemini. Here is an old note using 25cm and the note using 46cm:
NGC 2392 PNe Gemini
25cm x181: Very bright PNe, even without the UHC. The central star is very prominent. With the UHC, it appears to verge on 1' diameter, with diffuse edges, brightening generally evenly to centre where there is a brighter area perhaps 20" diameter within which is the central star. WNW to W of within the halo is a slightly darker arc. Bright powder blue, near culmination. Magnitude 7 star N by about 2’.
46cm x494: Wow!! Words nearly fail. Virtually all of the detail in the Hubble image is visible or at least there are hints of it. This PNe has a prominent magnitude 11 central star. The whole halo just over 1' diameter with a very diffuse looking edge. This outer halo comprises the outer 15" diameter and is patchy in brightness with a radially streaked appearance like someone has raked it (like rake-marks in a sand bunker on the golf-course) outward in places. It is blue without filtration. Then heading inward there is a definite, fine, circular, possibly slightly ovoid boundary where the inner halo takes over. The inner halo is generally smoother, but at times when the seeing settles completely, you can occasionally make out a maze of fine, weakly brighter streaks criss-crossing the centre -- particularly in the S half of the inner halo and some occasional tiny darker areas between. A magnificent object -- wonderful! Seeing this night was exceptional.
Best,
L.
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Wonderful observing notes there Les, thanks!I agree PN are among my favorite objects to observe too. Clear skies!