Have u seen a horse.

[danny (Daniel)]

Hi every one, long time reader first time poster. Summer is coming again, have thought about that in the backyard lately at night , and the constellation of Orion will be rising. I was curious as to who has seen the Horsehead neb with unaided optics and what size scope was required. I understand that a perfectly dark sky is a must. Have heard of scopes of 8in seeing this target under awesome conditions.

[h0ughy (David)]

mate, its a mainly hydrogen neb, which you need a hbeta filter to see visually in dark skies (ie not in town). With very dark skies you should be able to see it with averted vision. I have only seen this one myself through a c11 with a nag31mm and a 2" Hbeta filter. I could just make it out.

EDIT it was a H beta filter

[ving (David)]

i have a 8" but i havent really tried under dark skies... just my back yard.

best of luck to ya

[danny (Daniel)]

Thanks for the feed back guys. Will be visiting central west NSW over christmas for holiday, just what they need to break the drought, an astronomer on a mission.

[astro_south (Andrew)]

Danny

I have seen the Horsehead on most occasions I have looked for it with my 12.5". However the thing is you won't see it like the pictures. I detect a missing chunk out of the background nebula IC434. My best views of it came from an excellent 22" scope from dark site near the zenith, but even then it was hard work to see any of the detail shown in pictures. These observations have been unaided. I have heard of smaller than 8" scopes detecting it (which is really all you can expect to do anyway) using low enough power to increase the contrast of the background nebula, but high enough to keep the nearby bright stars out of the field. Good luck with the hunting.

p.s. the OIII filter is too agressive and will make the background nebula disappear. A UHC filter lets through some H-beta so it can be used to help, but ultimately a H-beta Filter will provide the best assistance to seeing it - not that I suggest you buy one - not useful on many other objects unfortunately

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by astro_south

Danny

I have seen the Horsehead on most occasions I have looked for it with my 12.5". However the thing is you won't see it like the pictures. I detect a missing chunk out of the background nebula IC434. My best views of it came from an excellent 22" scope from dark site near the zenith, but even then it was hard work to see any of the detail shown in pictures. These observations have been unaided. I have heard of smaller than 8" scopes detecting it (which is really all you can expect to do anyway) using low enough power to increase the contrast of the background nebula, but high enough to keep the nearby bright stars out of the field. Good luck with the hunting.

p.s. the OIII filter is too agressive and will make the background nebula disappear. A UHC filter lets through some H-beta so it can be used to help, but ultimately a H-beta Filter will provide the best assistance to seeing it - not that I suggest you buy one - not useful on many other objects unfortunately

Andrew is very correct I i did stuff up it was a H beta filter that this guy had on the 31mm. I made a mistake , quite normal really

[RAJAH235]

Totally agree with what's been stated. A very difficult object to see visually without the very expensive H beta filter & very dark skies + not a lot of other things to see with the H beta either... L.

[astroron (Ron)]

I have seen it in both an 8" and 16" scopes on many occasions, it is a difficult object needing a good dark clear sky and a knowledge of the star field and patients!.
The only filter of any use is the H Beta filter, and as they are very expensive
and there are very few other objects to view with them.

[Argonavis (William)]

If anyone out there in viewer land is wondering what other objects these specialised and expensive rejection filters are good for, Mike Kerr of the ASNSW advises me that the objects best observed with the H-beta filter are:

IC 405 (Flaming Star Nebula)
NGC 2023/B33 (Horsehead Nebula)
LDN 1613 (Cone Nebula)
Sh2-296 (Seagull Nebula)
AG Car
RCW 58
Ced 130 (Sigma Sco)
NGC 6559
NGC 1499 (California Nebula)

These are all fairly faint objects.

If the dark nebula B33 was not such an iconic object that graces the pages of many if not most astronomy books, it would be all but ignored, much like Be146/ngc5367 in Centaurus.

[Gargoyle_Steve (Steve)]

SEAGULL NEBULA???

I see not one but dozens of them all the time, all I need is my $25 eyepiece, don't need no high falluting, fancy, city folk H - beta vcr filter thing at all!

[Argonavis (William)]

Originally Posted by Gargoyle_Steve

SEAGULL NEBULA???

I see not one but dozens of them all the time, all I need is my $25 eyepiece, don't need no high falluting, fancy, city folk H - beta vcr filter thing at all!

no no - that's the seagull STAR CLUSTER.

unlike most normal clusters, it forms an annulus or ring pattern and seems to follow you everywhere, like the Full Moon when you are driving at night

[Gargoyle_Steve (Steve)]

Ahhh William I think you must be right, it is a cluster and not a nebula.

I'm just a poor boy living near the shore of the big pond, I don't have none o' that fancy book lernin you city folks got.

[iceman (Mike)]

I've seen it once, at SPSP2005 in a 20" obsession with a h-beta filter. I had to squint, use averted vision, and still get direction from the owner about what to look for.

I was most underwhelmed and haven't been excited about it since.

[Lee]

I don't think I'll bother looking for this baby in my 8" now!

[Argonavis (William)]

Originally Posted by plasmodium

I don't think I'll bother looking for this baby in my 8" now!

It really is rather uninspiring, but at least you can say you have seen it. The best time is at a star party through some one else's big scope (my first glimpse with an 18), and even them most need coaching.

An interesting article on the history of this object is at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~astro-app...ead/index.html

(scroll down the bottom for links to the full story)

[Glenn Dawes]

Danny,

I have seen it a number of years ago. I had tried for some time to see it in my 8" New. and finally saw it as a dark object (no noticeable shape) using averted vision under almost ideal dark skies (Oberon), a week after realuminising my mirror.

Regards

Glenn D

[ving (David)]

i have seen nebulosity around the area, but thats it (in my 8")

[mickoking]

I tried to look for it in my old 350mm Dob in outback NSW many years ago and never saw it. But my eyes are better trained nowadays so I will give it a go with my current Dob. Earlier this year I saw the nearby Flame neb from my suburban backyard with the 300mm, so I will give the Horse a red hot go this spring/summer

[danny (Daniel)]

Thanks for the web link Argonavis The article really makes you appreciate moderen amateur astromony and the tools available to the average joe. Thank the lord no more glass plates , I'd be running short of band aids for sure.