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M57 Central Star

Damo636

By Damo636
in Observing - Discussion

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paul mc c

paul mc c

Posted
Posted

I have just seen this thread....Now i have been very reluctant to make a new post on this subject incase i was wrong. :embarrassed: I have tried many times to see the

central star,and always failed.But last night was the darkest skies i have had in a long time and was viewing M57 which was very clear and sharp.

Now i live 3 miles from Belfast city so light pollution is a factor,but last night i was able to see stars to mag 5,which is good.

I was using a 6mm BGO with a Ultima barlow which gave me a mag of x530 to see if i could see the central star, and for a few brief fleeting glimpses could of swore i seen it :eek: .

Now i dont know if this was possible,or i was wrong, but for the first time ever it was different from any other time i have observed M57.

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alan potts

alan potts

Posted
Posted

When I was looking at it last , which must be 3-4 weeks ago. I kept thinking I was seeing something which I have reported before in the thread. I have very clear sky at my home which is nowhere near a city and conditions are in general are very good indeed. I am going to try when I back as it is a challenge , Im in England at the moment, I only went to about X304 so I may well try more magnification.

Alan.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

Posted
Posted

The only time I have ever seen this was in my mate's 22" scope in a light polluted area. I am currently at a dark site but only with my 6" travel scope. The central portion looks much more conducive than at home but with my 6" no chance of course. Will keep trying though with the 16" at home.

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alan potts

alan potts

Posted
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Shane,

I would be interested if you can see it for Manchester, I don't know where you are in the city but light polution must be a problem for you. I think I can nail this with my 12 inch, I think I have seen it but I can't be sure. One thing I am sure about is my sky conditions are better than in or around Manchester. It must take a good deal of effective size of your 16 inch, the conditions you have may well give it a simlar performance to my own scope.

Alan.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

Posted
Posted

no worries Alan, I am certainly going to keep trying. I'll report back when I do. I agree that the light pollution is an issue (I am about 9 miles from Manchester so could be worse) e.g. the Veil was as bright in my 6" from North Wales as it is in my 16" from home - although there's generally a lot more detail when viewed from home. There's no comparing the 16" at a dark site with what I see at home.

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Mike73

Mike73

Posted
Posted

Sketched M57 tonight but didnt even contemplate going for the central star, there was some mid level cloud and seeing was pretty poor.

My primary dewed after 20 mins of pointing all the way up there aswell. :rolleyes: I'd rather have -5˚ than these warm dewy nights!

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alan potts

alan potts

Posted
Posted

Sorry to hear about the poor seeing Mike. This time of the year the air is very dry in Bulgaria, very hot to, my wife has told me it reached 45 degrees yesterday and they only have water 2 hours a day. I tend to get dew problems in October and then we get a build up of fog.

It wouls be nice for the thread if you give M57 a good go when the seeing is better. I have spent a good few hours on it back in July. I kept thinking I was seeing something but could never be sure. The glimer of light I thought I was seeing seemed to be in the wrong place. This was difficult to judge as most of the time I was using averted viewing.

Keep it up,

Alan

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swamp thing

swamp thing

Posted
Posted

Wahey! Great stuff. We have the first success with a 12" scope. Right then, let's see if any of us with 10" scopes can catch up.

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Damo636

Damo636

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I have just seen this thread....Now i have been very reluctant to make a new post on this subject incase i was wrong. :embarrassed: I have tried many times to see the

central star,and always failed.But last night was the darkest skies i have had in a long time and was viewing M57 which was very clear and sharp.

Now i live 3 miles from Belfast city so light pollution is a factor,but last night i was able to see stars to mag 5,which is good.

I was using a 6mm BGO with a Ultima barlow which gave me a mag of x530 to see if i could see the central star, and for a few brief fleeting glimpses could of swore i seen it :eek: .

Now i dont know if this was possible,or i was wrong, but for the first time ever it was different from any other time i have observed M57.

Great stuff Paul, I had a gut feeling that with the right conditions it was doable in a 12" :icon_salut: :icon_salut: :icon_salut:

I haven't logged much observing time in the last couple of months but will have another crack at this now that the darker nights are upon us.

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

Posted
Posted

I have just seen this thread....Now i have been very reluctant to make a new post on this subject incase i was wrong. :embarrassed: I have tried many times to see the

central star,and always failed.But last night was the darkest skies i have had in a long time and was viewing M57 which was very clear and sharp.

Now i live 3 miles from Belfast city so light pollution is a factor,but last night i was able to see stars to mag 5,which is good.

I was using a 6mm BGO with a Ultima barlow which gave me a mag of x530 to see if i could see the central star, and for a few brief fleeting glimpses could of swore i seen it :eek: .

Now i dont know if this was possible,or i was wrong, but for the first time ever it was different from any other time i have observed M57.

Great stuff. Sounds like you got it.

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alan potts

alan potts

Posted
Posted

I haven't forgotten this and I am posting to put it back on top of the pile. Unusual for us we have had clouds for the past three nights and I have only been back in Bulgaria for 6 days. I will be back on the case as soon as I can, I believe this is doable in my 12 inch SC but only just, things have to right.

Alan.

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alan potts

alan potts

Posted
Posted

I'm back, we had a clear sky last nigh after rain, the best time. Had the 12 inch out on the case and this time tried 17mm Ethos with powermate 2X so thats 8.5mm giving a mag of X358. I stayed at this for some time still not got used to the view, I am starting to understand what it is like being a goldfish.

Yet again I was getting this slight sighting of a star ( but not sure) off centre when averted vision was used. I have to say looking direct I personally can't see a star anywhere within the Ring but I don't think my eyes are what they once were. I pushed the magnification to X554 using my new gift the 5.5mm Meade UWA but this was a bridge too far, I am not even sure that I even got it to correct focus and was really stupid to even try. I don't think this would be usable even in the most perfect of sites, and mine is as good as any without being on top of a mountain.

So again I am unable to confirm that I saw the central star of M57 but I am beginning to get the feeling I am seeing it.

Alan.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

Posted
Posted

I stand corrected - magnitude of central star is 15.3

"A second star may also be seen inside of the Ring with large telescopes. It has a magnitude of approximately 16.25 and is located about 10 arc seconds to the north west of the central star. It can easily be seen in the Hubble image of the Ring. There are other fainter stars in the bright parts of the Ring's nebulosity."

I am sure I read somewhere that the off centre star was brighter.

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alan potts

alan potts

Posted
Posted

Steve,

Didn't realy thing that through. What I mean is SC left is right and vica versa. in a refractor without diagonal it's upside down . We do not know how the photo was taken, If something was not in the middle as it isn't then it could be seen in a different place with a diffentent optical system, couldn't it. or do all systems show images the same.

Alan.

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Damo636

Damo636

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I have been back to this a few times myself since, and like Alan, occasionally thought I saw something with averted vision. Its going to take one of those rare nights of sensational clarity to crack this cookie (for sure) with a 12".

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