a strange tail of the horses head

[Brian W (Brian)]

Hi all, two nights ago it cleared more or less off. When it was really good I was picking off mag 12 galaxies in Fornax and had 6 in the Trapezium in our 8" LB at 90x.

Because I could see the Flame Nebula in M 42 I thought I might as well try for the HH. At first there was nothing, then some very dim stars, next came the mottling (similar in sequence to getting a good view of the Veil) and suddenly there was nebulosity.

Admittedly very averted vision nebulosity but it was there and as I didn't look at it it grew in brightness and started to -move-. From the base of the neck to the head where it turned to follow the snout till it disappeared about where the snout ends.

The same performance happened about 6 or 7 times. There were moments when I thought I saw the whole HH but I certainly saw the moving nebulosity.

Brian

[DavidU (Dave)]

Atmosphere?

[Brian W (Brian)]

Originally Posted by DavidU

Atmosphere?

Hi David, stability was excellent and seeing was variable. We live on the side of a mountain at about 400 meters ASL, with the closest city about 10K as the crow flies. On a good night we have magnificent skies.
Brian

[glenc (Glen)]

Did you see it with an 8"? You must have good eyes, I have trouble seeing the HH with a 12".

[acropolite (Phil)]

Did you see it with an 8"? You must have good eyes

I remember seeing an article somewhere (Astronomy mag I think) stating that the horsehead can be seen with an 8 inch under exceptional conditions. I've tried countless times and not seen a thing.

[Brian W (Brian)]

Originally Posted by glenc

Did you see it with an 8"? You must have good eyes, I have trouble seeing the HH with a 12".

The eyes are nothing special but the observing conditions were.
Brian

[Brian W (Brian)]

Originally Posted by acropolite

I rmember seeing an article somewhere (Astronomy mag I think) stating that the horsehead can be seen with an 8 inch under exceptional conditions. I've tried countless times and not seen a thing.

I have been looking for it for 2 years and this was the first time I have found it. I wish I could suggest a formula for success but I think it is just a question of proper preparation IE serious dark adaption and then being at the right place at the right time to catch the conditions that are needed.
Brian

[GrahamL]

Great stuff Brian .

Yes its certainaly a diffiucult one for me, I went really close just once
from home . The flame nebula was stunning that evening.
I didn't have a filter (2" h beta arrived the following week) or a
really dark sky.. I could follow easily the pronounced dark edge along
IC434 ,but the further I moved away from Alnitak it seemed to
fade away, there were the odd possible dark patch out there but I just couldn't put any shape at all to it.

The rest of summer didn't throw up a night like that again and the next one it mostly rained.

[mozzie (Peter)]

same here tried many a time still seen nothing !one day?
mozzie

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

I have never tried for it in an 8", but have seen it once in my 10" from Coonabarabran under exceptional skies, with an Astronomiks UHC filter in place. That was one +ve observation under exceptional conditions from dozens of unseccessful attempts under good to excellent conditions.

It's a fairly easy get in my 18" from good skies and visible with direct vision unfiltered quite easily in a 25" Obsession.

It helps to have good elevation of the target, dark clear skies and an eyepiece giving a 3mm to 5mm exit pupil.

Cheers,
John B

[ngcles]

Hi Brian, John & All,

While I'm in the same boat with you John, I have no reason to doubt your observation Brian -- congratulations and well done. My impressions are very similar to yours John.

I tried a few times over several years with 20cm in good to very good conditions and failed. In hindsight, the reality was the conditions weren't good enough.

I tried several times with 25cm before I succeeded one night at Mudgee (I think it was 1996) in excellent conditions. Still a very, very difficult object in that aperture. Several observing companions saw it through my 'scope that night while others shrugged their shoulders with chagrin. Curiously on the night, I felt the unfiltered view better than the UHC. I think I might barely have succeeded that night with 20cm if it had been available. Steven Lee has seen it in 15cm from Siding Spring and I have no reason to doubt him.

Strangely though, it seems if you live ... ummm ... outside Australia, you can see it in a pretty small telescope — frequently with little difficulty. Observing conditions elsewhere must be considerably better than here.

The proliferation of reported sightings/observations I've seen noted in 6", 5", 4" and 3" telescopes — and even hand-held binoculars with H-Beta filters are ..., well … pretty astonishing and only lead me to think that I must be an unskilled moron or functionally blind ... or both.

Strangely they are almost always accompanied by a statement to the effect that the ZLM was something like +7.5 approaching +8.0 but are rarely accompanied with an SQM reading to help corroborate that assessment. Undoubtedly, some observers have honestly succeeded in apertures smaller than 20cm. But, I read these reports and am frequently forced to wonder whether the reporter is (1) honest but incompetent (2) incompetent and dishonest (3) competent and dishonest or (4) competent, honest and accurate. Some of these people are likely competent and are being candid and honest but I find it hard to imagine that all of them are. The problem is that it is very, very hard to sort the wheat from the dross.

Some people also seem to see an eyepiece sketch as clinching proof of a good and honest observation ... because a sketch is ... pretty hard to fake ... isn't it?

Based on what I can/cannot see with my own eyes I'm given cause to ummm ... wonder ... from time to time.

Maybe it’s just me.


Best,

Les D