greenway Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 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 - pulsingIt 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laudropb Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acey Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenway Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Thanks to both of you for your advice.It's forecast for another clear night tonight so I will give it another lookRob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cotterless45 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Take a look at "The Blue Snowball" NGC 7662 above Pegasus. The colour is just stunning,Nick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenway Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 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' forumThanks for thatRob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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