NGC 7027

[greenway]

I was out with the telescope last night looking at stars and objects around cygnus.

I was using the go-to to find most of the objects and it was being very accurate.

When it found NGC 7027, the planetary nebula, it appeared like a star that was shining on and off - pulsing

It wasn't caused by cloud as I was watching it for nearly an hour and I was wondering if there is anybody out there, with more experience than I have, can give me information?

[laudropb]

Hi. I have looked at NGC 7027 a couple of times. It is a small planetary Nebula. At magnification x125 it is an oval that is clearly non-stellar, but no other details were seen. I have never seen it blinking. I think this must have been down to unsteady seeing.

[acey]

It might have been variable transparency (haze in the air) causing an apparent variation of brightness. Alternatively it might have been the effect of your own visual system, as you instinctively alternated between direct and averted vision. A famous and extreme version of the effect is the "blinking planetary", NGC 6826, where direct vision (using the cone cells on the fovea of the retina) reveals the central star but not the nebula, while averted vision (using rod cells outside the fovea) shows the nebula, so that the object seems to blink as the eye moves. Perhaps you were seeing a similar though less extreme instance of this, giving an appearance of pulsing.

[greenway]

Thanks to both of you for your advice.

It's forecast for another clear night tonight so I will give it another look

Rob

[cotterless45]

Take a look at "The Blue Snowball" NGC 7662 above Pegasus. The colour is just stunning,

Nick.

[greenway]

Hi Nick, I will do when the weather allows.

Did look at the moon the other night and used the landing sites link that you had put on the 'observing lunar' forum

Thanks for that

Rob