Planetary Nebula - Page 2

Groboz (Gino) · #21 24-08-2011, 04:59 PM

+ 1 for M57 (ring nebula)

. I saw this for the first time last Saturday night and it just blew me away. It's super easy to find too with Vega being so close to it (relatively speaking).

chich0 (Chris) · #22 24-08-2011, 07:31 PM

Yeah, will definitely try to find it tonight.

Add another one to my list i just found about an hour ago

NGC 5189. This one looked pretty cool, like a mini galaxy, you can define the shape quite nicely with averted vision.

It seems to me it should belong more to Centaurus But it is classed as in Musca? (I think)

Easy to find off Hadar!

big_dav_2001 (Davin) · #23 24-08-2011, 09:44 PM

Well, got my first look at some PN's tonight... WOW!!

Finally set up my Argo properly (had the wrong number of encoder steps set) and had a look at the dumbbell and Saturn nebs through my 13mm EP.

Dumbbell was pretty impressive, a lot larger than I thought it would be. Made out some slight bulging which I assume gives it it's name, couldn't make out any colour though.

Saturn neb was brilliantly blue with a nice round shape, I guess it's supposed to have a bulge which looks like a disk which gives it it's name, but if it did, I couldn't make it out. There was some slight fuzziness to it which I originally thought meant it was out of focus, but the surrounding stars were crisp and clear, so I guess that's just how it's meant to look

.

Also tried to find the helix and bubble nebs, but I've got a lot of LP to the south, so I couldn't make them out, and the blue planetary had dropped behind my shed by the time I got set up.

Great nights observing, thanks again for the pointers.

Davin

chich0 (Chris) · #24 24-08-2011, 10:28 PM

Well done Davin!

I Managed to see the Ring Nebula, which was quite nice but low to the horizon so it wasn't as clear as i would have expected, could definitely make out the ring though!

Also saw NGC 6572, this one looked very star like but with the UHC filter had a nice greenish tinge coming through using a 15mm EP, could make out the elongated shape a little, not completely circle like stars. Will need to get the 9mm onto this one next time.

Was really impressed with NGC 5189 though, had a nice shape to it!

Bed time!!!

Groboz (Gino) · #25 25-08-2011, 01:05 PM

Good point about the Ring Nebula. Up here in Darwin it's up nice and high in the north but I guess it's a much different view down in Melbourne. A nice dark sky also helps.

chich0 (Chris) · #26 25-08-2011, 07:03 PM

yeah, well it is overcast for a while now

I think I might order an OIII filter, I'm loving nebula hunting!

stopusinmyid (Tammy) · #27 25-08-2011, 08:23 PM

Yeh I know what you mean Chris. I'm getting a thrill out of nebula hunting. We have seen a few in the last week or so, I was a little disappointed as I was expecting to see lots of brilliant colours (like you see in the photo's) but I think most of the thrill also is finding them.
As I thought I was getting today off I thought I'd set the alarm for 4am this morning to have another look at Jupiter and have a look at Mars (the neighbours 2storey house got in the way of Mars) before sun came up. Also wanted to have a look for the Great Andromeda but no our roof was in the way

. Also I wanted to have a gander at the Orion Nebula. That's a must see, I wasn't expecting something so cool. It was the best. I finally got to see some colour, it wasn't very bright but I could see the greenish tinge in it and it's so wide and big. It's just totally amazing. Well I thought so anyway.
And yeh the clouds are visiting us again now for about a week

chich0 (Chris) · #28 25-08-2011, 08:57 PM

The damn clouds Tammy!!!

I don't believe there is anything worse for a new astronomer with a new scope that is so keen. (ME)

Looks like Melbourne will be covered for a good week also.

The Orion Nebula looks really cool, have you seen the Tarantula Nebula? That is a must see as well.......

IMO everything is a must see

Gem (Grant) · #29 25-08-2011, 11:28 PM

Try not to look at nice photos!!

Our eyes are more sensitive to green than red when viewing - unlike cameras!
I ordered an OIII filter today - so PN here I come!

Gem (Grant) · #30 26-08-2011, 04:07 PM

Ok...
Using astrobyte free software I have generated a list of all the PN brighter than mag 12.6... which is around 150 PN. I am a relative newbie to PN (always been more of a globular person... not literally) and so far have observed 22 different PN.
17 of these are on the list, while 5 are mag 13 or 14. So... I am going to try to observe as many of the list of 150 as possible from a southern sky in town. Wish me luck!! I am armed with my new OIII filter at least...

chich0 (Chris) · #31 26-08-2011, 07:15 PM

Good luck Grant,

Nice challenge you have set lol.

Astrobyte? I might download it~!

Suzy · #32 27-08-2011, 08:57 AM

Great thread Chris, I'm really enjoying all the obs. reports and info.

I thought I'd add another helpful link. It nicely details which filter is most helpful for which object. Keep scrolling and you will eventually come across it.
http://www.lumicon.com/astronomy-acc...d=1&cn=Filters

astroron (Ron) · #33 27-08-2011, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suzy

Great thread Chris, I'm really enjoying all the obs. reports and info.

I thought I'd add another helpful link. It nicely details which filter is most helpful for which object. Keep scrolling and you will eventually come across it.
http://www.lumicon.com/astronomy-acc...d=1&cn=Filters

Great link Suzy,

cheers

chich0 (Chris) · #34 27-08-2011, 09:58 AM

Great link Suzy!

Will certainly help !!

Thanks

ausastronomer (John Bambury) · #35 27-08-2011, 10:02 AM

Hi Chris,

Great to hear you found some PN's. They are one of my favourite target types because they can be so different. Some like the Helix (NGC 7293) are huge and have a low surface brightness, while others at lower powers appear stellar. If you want to chase PN's a UHC type filter helps enormously, under less than pristine skies, particularly with low surface brightness ones like the Helix. On those that are smaller in apparent size, as others have mentioned, you "blink them". In addition, it always helps to increase the magnification on smaller planetary nebula. As you increase the magnification the PN's explode while the stars remain stellar. Some planetary nebula appear quite featureless at low and medium power yet at high power provide an amazing amount of detail. The Ghost of Jupiter (NGC 3242) for example at 400X plus in an 8" or larger scope begins to reveal all the intricate layers and gas shells visible in photograps and is one of the most stunning targets in the sky. At low power, while it has shape, it is essentially a featureless blob.

The Spiral Planetary (NGC 5189) in Musca, is an absolute cracker. In March this year we spent quite a bit of time on this target with the 30" SDM and a 12.5mm Docter eyepiece, whilst hosting some overseas observers at Coonabarabran. One of the Koreans who was a very experienced observer commented it was the single nicest view he had ever had of a planetary nebula. To be honest I would almost have to agree with him.

Cheers,
John B

chich0 (Chris) · #36 27-08-2011, 10:08 AM

Thanks for the tips John.

I haven't seen many PN's but i agree that NGC 5189 is amazing.

astroron (Ron) · #37 27-08-2011, 08:22 PM

Hi Chris, you maybe interested in this report on Planetary Nebulae NGC 3132,,NGC 2440. I did earlier this year using different eyepieces and filters.
The scope maybe bigger but the information is relevant all the same

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=72643
Enjoyed yor reports

Cheers

astroron (Ron) · #38 28-08-2011, 12:29 AM

Hi Chris , this is a report I did on the Ghost of Jupiter you may be interested in.

NGC 3242 Ghost of Jupiter (revisited)
30 mm plossl 60xmag very bright Azure slightly elongated ball.
30mm plossl with X 2.5 Barlow 152 x mag, Wow central star plainly seen and the duality of the nebula was seen giving one the impression
of an eye,with the exstensions plainly seen.
The O111 filter brightens the nebula so much that the double nature of the planetary almost disappears, the eye and central star is not seen.
Also same with the UHC.

17mm Nagler 107xmag Just stunning,so beautiful and crisp and bright,
I was blown away by how crisp the eye and exstensions where
THE 17mm gives the best view closely followed by the 30mm+2.5xBarlow
The filters where as above .

13mm nagler and 7mm where just to much power and so spoiled the impression
of the eye in the sky effect.
It was part of Suzy's May/June observation challange found Here

Also Ngc 5307 found Here
I hope they are of interest and help
Cheers

chich0 (Chris) · #39 28-08-2011, 12:52 AM

Nice reports Ron!

Ghost of Jupiter is something i definitely want to see! Although where I am at the moment it coincides with sunrise

But it has been added to my list, as has the eight burst nebula.

Got a clear break tonight, Managed to find the Bug Nebula, which was cool, very faint smudge with a UHC filter and 9mm, was clearer through a 15mm with UHC filter though. Without the UHC filter very hard to detect at all.

Had another peek at the Tarantula nebula, then the clouds rolled over

Didn't think i was going to get to see anything tonight though so 1 new Nebula is better then nothing!

I really cant wait to get the chance to go to a dark sky site! I think I'm doing ok 35km from Melbourne CBD!

Suzy · #40 29-08-2011, 09:03 AM

I spent ages trying to find this link in my last post, couldn't find it so gave up (was bookmarked on other lappy which isn't with me at the moment). And then I accidentally stumbled across it just now. Life's like that isn't it?

Anyhow, you won't be sorry you read this- highly informative. David Knisley is a well known observer and he has put the UHC filters and OIII filters thru their paces on a list of planetary nebs, detailing which filters is best for each object and why.
Please, do yourself a favor and read it.

http://www.raycash.org/filters.htm