Blue Snowballs

[iamjulian]

Despite the run of clear nights and plans to follow the movement of several asteroids, it was all scuppered as my wife wasn't well. However, everything was fine by Saturday night so I quickly decided to hunt for planetary nebula. Of course I managed quite a few Messiers as they are too much to resist, especially with a new eyepiece to try out. My wife joined me for about ten minutes so I showed her Andromeda which had risen out of the light dome and showed a dust lane for the first time. It's companions M32 and M110 were also very obvious, with M110 looking almost as bright as Andromeda used to look in the six in scope. We also took another look at Garradd, which was an impressive sight.

Next I explained what planetary nebula were and showed her the ring nebula. I was hoping to see the central star but could only see the 13 magnitude star just outside the ring. I have since read you need high power to see it. On my list were five planetaries I have not seen before. First three I tried were NGC 6543, or the Cat Eye Nebula in Draco, and NGC 7662 or the Blue Snowball in Andromeda, and NGC 40 in Cephus. Could I find them! No. Spent about an hour searching fruitlessly in the places I had memorised from the star maps. There was some consolation in Draco as I came across a really nice edge on galaxy, which I now know was NGC 5866. Some believe this may be Messier 102. It was certainly bright enough.

It was nicely dark, though a few neighbours were still up and about, lighting bonfires and playing with security lights, so I took the opportunity to go back inside and take another look at the maps on the computer. I immediately saw where I was going wrong and went back outside to get dark adapted again. Without any exaggeration I pointed the red dot finder at where I know knew the blue snowball to be, and plum centre of the EP was a blue snowball. Despite the name, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I can understand why they called them planetary nebula. I imagine it is what Neptune looks like through a really powerful telescope. It isn't the slight hint of colour that some people can see when they look at the ring nebula, it is full on blue. Beautiful. I only spent a couple of minutes on it as I wanted to find the cat eye nebula. The red dot finder didn't drop me right on it, but I was only an EP view away! I found both of them within three minutes. For the cat eye nebula you need a bit more imagination. It may look like a cat eye in long exposure photographs. Had I been put in charge of naming it, I'd have chosen something like, oh I don't know... the blue snowball(!) it looked exactly the same. The best magnification seemed to be between 50x and 100x. More than that and the blue ball of light got too faint and less contrasty.

I don't think I saw NGC 40 in Cephus. I saw something in about the right place, but it was faint and grey, more like M76, the little dumbell nebula, whereas I believe NGC 40 is another blue snowball. Similarly I did not find NGC 6826 in Cygnus either, but I was happy with my two snowballs so I headed off to look at Jupiter. My first real view of it this year and what a view. 115x magnification, the view was jumping in and out of focus as the atmosphere swirled, but when it was in focus is was super sharp and I could see detail other than the two bands. The only other first was part of the Veil nebula. It was reasonably obvious though I was wishing I had a UHC filter.

Perhaps the best view I had all night was of the double cluster. It has always been my favourite object to view but this time, despite seeing it plenty of times before, it send a shiver through me. I was looking at it through my new 13mm Nagler and although I can only fit half of it at a time in the field of view, oh my goodness what a view. It was like swimming in the stars. I am using the stock skywatcher plossl 25mm as a wide field finder because I blew my budget on the second hand Nagler. But I don't regret it. Interestingly, in areas of the sky outside of the milky way, the Nagler is good. But when you start looking anywhere along or near the milky way - cygnus, cassiopeia, etc. The Nagler really comes into its own. Maybe it needs the extra light to really perform well. It is difficult to explain, but if it is twice as good as an average plossl when looking in Ursa Major, it is three or four times as good as an average plossl when looking in Lyra.

To sum up, best night ever. And I still haven't been to a dark site yet.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report. I got NGC 6543 a week or two ago, and it is indeed a little blue snowball. I think you also got NGC 40 (the bow tie) as it fits with my notes on the object (report found here)

[Skylook123]

Nicely written, Julian. Regarding NGC6826, the Blinking Nebula, when you find it spend some time with it. As you look around the field, it really does seem to blink in and out of averted vision. Straight on, the central star is all I see but if I slide it toward the side of the field, the nebula takes the place of the star! A very interesting effect. You see it best when you are not looking at it. Star, nebula, star, nebula, as you scan the field.

[Beulah]

I love the Blue Snowball - it is such a striking hue of blue through my telescope. Jupiter is looking rather grand this year also.

A great report and I enjoyed reading it, as always. Hope your wife has fully recovered.

[swamp thing]

Very nicely written Julian, great read.

That Dob will kick some serious butt at a dark sky.

Personally I would go with an O-III for the Veil. It looks photographic from a dark sky coupled with a big Dob.

A high quality low power Wide field eyepiece will really enhance a big scope and is well worth saving for. You will find that sometimes it's all the eyepiece you need for the night.

Regards Steve

[Nexus 6]

Agree with everyone else, very nice report. The Blue Snowball is an object that's always worth a look, will have to check out NGC 40, have never heard of that one, have to agree with you julian on the Double Cluster

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Agree with everyone else, very nice report. The Blue Snowball is an object that's always worth a look, will have to check out NGC 40, have never heard of that one, have to agree with you julian on the Double Cluster

NGC 40 is nice (Caldwell 2), and was quite straightforward in my C8. It is in a good position currently.

[faulksy]

i seen the blue snowball last week for the first time. as you said lovely colour

[iamjulian]

Thanks everyone.

Steve, thanks for the OIII tip. From what I read, the UHC is the better all round performer if you are going to be looking at a wide range of nebulae. But worth knowing the Veil is better in OIII, thanks.

As for the wide EP, I had a 32mm which I sold. I was planning to upgrade it, but got side tracked by the Nagler. Will have to save up a bit before I can afford anything else. Skywatcher Aero is currently top of my wish list.

[jbk44]

Sounds like a really great night, I'm wondering what else you'll find when you do get to some dark sites. Thanks you have given me some great ideas for my next outing.