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First glimpse of Veil nebula


Glaiden

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Yesterday, it was another clear night here. I tried to see Veil nebula (eastern part) on few occasions and repeatedly failed. But now, I decided, I´ll try everything to make myself ready. So I let the scope cool down, waited until my eyes were adapted and the sky was as dark as possible, blocked out all street lights and carefully started star-hopping (started from epsilon Cygni). Until finally- success! I saw something which looked like a big, curved nebulosity extending way beyond FOV of my ep, faint but obvious (actually, it was brighter and easier to see than i expected.). Even though it was faint, it was beautiful in it´s own way. After 20 min. more details became visible and after 40 minutes i saw that one end was divided into small and faint archs and streaks. Then i tried to see western part of the nebula but saw nothing. It was after I blocked out light from 52 Cygni that I saw faint (not curved) something, almost impossible to resolve into details. 

After that I saw few new objects - M108, Blue Snowball nebula and NGC 6543. After that there was too much dew to see anything so I went back inside quite early - 11:30 pm.  

All in all, great night.

Clear skies!

PS. And what was your first experience with Veil nebula? 

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I saw it for the first time ever two nights ago with my new 12" scope and a UHC filter. Couldn't believe how clear and detailed it was! So delicate looking. Reminded me of ghostly smoke and flames. Saw both the west and East parts along with patches of nebulosity in between. It was stunning looking. The best object I've seen visually in years. A UHC filter really boosts the view!

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Although the Veil was clearly visible with direct vision I must have spent about an hour observing it with both direct and averted vision to tease out a wealth of detail. There's so much to look at. I used a TeleVue Delos 14mm at 109x.

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Nicely done Glaiden, it is certainly a lovely object and one I never tire of seeing.

The Eastern Veil is definitely the easiest part to get, doable with binoculars under a dark sky.

Which eyepiece where you using? It's good to have something which will fit the whole Eastern Veil in so you can see it properly.

The other thing to try, if you haven't already, is an OIII filter. These definitely make a big difference and should allow you to see the Western Veil too which is very nice.

With my refractor I get a very different view of it, but one which I love. With a 5 degree field of view I can see the whole lot together, looks wonderful under a dark sky.

Stu

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I was using my 25mm Plossl as it is the one with the lowest power I have. I´m  planning to buy an OIII/UHC filter and some wider field ep.

I´m already pumped to see it this night. It is really a beautiful sight and I can´t wait to see it in wide field and/or with filter.

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Congratulations on seeing the Veil :smiley:

My first view of the Veil came many years back with an ED100 refractor and a Baader UHC-S filter. I didn't even realise that this object could be seen visually and certainly could not see any sign of it without the filter in the scope. I managed to see the brighter eastern segment as a softly curving strand of light and the slightly fainter western portion as a wriggling riverlet running past a bright star.  UHC and O-III filters work wonders on this object :smiley:

The Veil has become my favourite summer deep sky object by some margin and I've observed it many times with my scopes from 4" to 12" and I've even managed to spot the E segment with 15x70 binoculars and no filter on an exceptional night last summer.

I've found that a good O-III filter does an even better job of enhancing the contrast on this object, or group of objects really, and I can usually pick out the E and W segments plus the fainter Pickerings Wisp with my 4" refractor on a decent night (all in the same FoV of the 31mm Nagler :smiley: ). The detail available with my 12" dob is exceptional, at times resembling images of this object.

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This is a great sumner target and one of the finest sights in the sky. No natter how many times I observe it I never seem to tire of observing it.

It's one of those objects that can be seen wonderfully well in any aperture too. With small rich field scopes you can take in the entire veil and surrounding sky and with big scopes you can zoom in on the delicate structure within it.

From the darkest skies this object is simply incredible offering photographic views. I have been trying to observe this with just my eye and a filter. No luck yet. But I'll keep at it.

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This is a great sumner target and one of the finest sights in the sky. No natter how many times I observe it I never seem to tire of observing it.

It's one of those objects that can be seen wonderfully well in any aperture too. With small rich field scopes you can take in the entire veil and surrounding sky and with big scopes you can zoom in on the delicate structure within it.

From the darkest skies this object is simply incredible offering photographic views. I have been trying to observe this with just my eye and a filter. No luck yet. But I'll keep at it.

Glad i'm not the only person who has tried observing it with just my eye and a filter. No luck here either.

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I tried just using my eye and a UHC on the North American Neb the other night but couldn't see it (the same night I very clearly saw the Veil with the scope and filter).

Ironically, last year I was able to see it quite clearly through a pair of 10 x 50 binos with no filter.

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Congratulations on seeing the Veil :smiley:

My first view of the Veil came many years back with an ED100 refractor and a Baader UHC-S filter. I didn't even realise that this object could be seen visually and certainly could not see any sign of it without the filter in the scope. I managed to see the brighter eastern segment as a softly curving strand of light and the slightly fainter western portion as a wriggling riverlet running past a bright star.  UHC and O-III filters work wonders on this object :smiley:

The Veil has become my favourite summer deep sky object by some margin and I've observed it many times with my scopes from 4" to 12" and I've even managed to spot the E segment with 15x70 binoculars and no filter on an exceptional night last summer.

I've found that a good O-III filter does an even better job of enhancing the contrast on this object, or group of objects really, and I can usually pick out the E and W segments plus the fainter Pickerings Wisp with my 4" refractor on a decent night (all in the same FoV of the 31mm Nagler :smiley: ). The detail available with my 12" dob is exceptional, at times resembling images of this object.

Interesting thread. Planned a star party last night and guess what the clouds rolled in! I had set up my 4" frac and when everybody had left about 11pm the sky cleared a bit. So I tried the S@N deep sky tour in this month's issue. Using my 40mm Omni EP I saw this banana shaped wispy stuff in the view. After a while silvery threads appeared and I think it was the Eastern veil. I had received my new Baader 2" OIII filter yesterday so after attaching to my diagonal I had another look. Wooowwww. Loads more detail and contrast. Then the clouds came back. Can't wait to try it in my Dob for another look.

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Interesting thread. Planned a star party last night and guess what the clouds rolled in! I had set up my 4" frac and when everybody had left about 11pm the sky cleared a bit. So I tried the S@N deep sky tour in this month's issue. Using my 40mm Omni EP I saw this banana shaped wispy stuff in the view. After a while silvery threads appeared and I think it was the Eastern veil. I had received my new Baader 2" OIII filter yesterday so after attaching to my diagonal I had another look. Wooowwww. Loads more detail and contrast. Then the clouds came back. Can't wait to try it in my Dob for another look.

Sounds very much like the Eastern Veil, glad you got it :-)

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PS. And what was your first experience with Veil nebula? 

I was out last summer with my 5" scope under a sky so clear I was struggling to find the constellations. I had a look in the atlas, saw this big thing called 'the Veil Nebula', so I pointed the scope and took a look - and there it was! The Eastern Veil. Huge! Curved! Detailed! And in my lowest power eyepiece!

Naturally, I decided to try for the Western Veil, so, I carefully moved the scope - and moved it, and moved it, and eventually ... there it was! The Witches broom, like some river flowing past 52 CYG. I couldn't get over the size of the whole thing, or the level of detail I was seeing. It was awesome. I was very glad I'd taken the 'just sort of curious' approach and looked at it.

I have seen more since in the 10" - but never under conditions as good. I live in hope. Earlier in the month with the 10" and an OIII filter I finally got to see Pickering's Wisp too.

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Under my light polluted sky I can only just make out the veil in my 16inch, it really does seem to be one of those objects where light pollution really kills it. Even with a uhc filter things are faint and the western part is easiest for me due to the closeness of 52 cygni.

Under a dark sky though it really comes to life with the witches broom very detailed and so very obvious. With an oiii filter the veil looks like a photograph. Last week was the first time I have used an oiii to veiw it and I was amazed at the difference it made .... so something else to add to my wish list.

Cheers

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The veil seems to be my nemesis. Have never found it with my 5 inch newt. Even had a look last night with my new 8 inch, but no. I'm semi- light polluted, 8 miles from the centre of Birmingham. Do you think I should get it on a good night with my 200p, maybe I'm just not in the right place?

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The veil seems to be my nemesis. Have never found it with my 5 inch newt. Even had a look last night with my new 8 inch, but no. I'm semi- light polluted, 8 miles from the centre of Birmingham. Do you think I should get it on a good night with my 200p, maybe I'm just not in the right place?

With any sort of LP the veil becomes pretty much impossible without a filter. From any sites even close to London I need to use my O-III to have a chance of seeing it.

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Last night from home in a 20.1 mag sky with the Milky Way just visible I was able to see the E & W sections very faintly with no filter.Not easy to see at all under these conditions (no filter) even with 52 Cygni visible naked eye.Using the OIII changed the view from barely seen to quite a nice view in the 10"/30mm ES.

Miguel you will see the Veil,but the OIII is a must for good views of it,as I was wisely advised a while back.

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The veil seems to be my nemesis. Have never found it with my 5 inch newt. Even had a look last night with my new 8 inch, but no. I'm semi- light polluted, 8 miles from the centre of Birmingham. Do you think I should get it on a good night with my 200p, maybe I'm just not in the right place?

Should be doable but would need a good night. An OIII definitely makes it much more possible, also check that it fits in your field of view so you are looking at it rather than through it.

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We get NGC 6995 and NGC 6992 from the edge of town without a filter on a clear Moonless night. A UHC filter will enhance these and a scan between them shows an arc of lovely nebulositypost-6974-0-98931600-1409731239_thumb.jp

Just an aid to finding as many visible bits as you can , darker the better !

Nick.

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Great sketch Nick,

Out of interest what scope did you use to come up with the sketch as the field seems to span the full object .... I appreciete that you may have swept the area with a scope but I was hoping Binoculars may be able to get the full veil in one go. I have some 20x80 which nicely frame orions sword so I was wondering if the same would be true for the veil .... or is 80mm just too small an aperture ?

Cheers

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