are all deep sky objects grey in apperance

[SHUTTLE ATLANTIS]

question.

on sat i found my first dso m31 and she was grey in color . are all dso,s like this i know using a camera

teases out the color.

to be honest it,s amazing seeing it in grey it looked greatste

steve

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Almost all, but not because they do not have any colour, but because the rods in your retina show no colour. They are the ones used in night vision. A few planetaries are bright enough to trigger the colour-sensitive cones, hence the blue-green colour of the "Blue Snowbal"' and various other planetaries. M42 can show hints of green and red, as can M57 (another planetary).

[DirkSteele]

Some of the very brightest deep sky objects can show some hints of colour, made all the easier, if you are using a larger aperture scope. M42, the Great Orion Nebula, for example will show a greenish tint, and the Blue Snowball Nebula in Andromeda (NGC 7662) will show some blue tones in a 6" and up scope.

But as you rightly say, the fact you can see them at all, is usually amazing enough.

Clear skies,

Edit: haha....Must type quicker.

[cotterless45]

Yep, there's some colour out there. A lot of it is getting your eye relaxed and not in hard squinting mode.

The brighter planetary nebulae may be found easier due to the beautiful blues and greens these emit,

Nick.

[mdstuart]

Try those carbon stars for a colour experience...marked as c in the pocket star atlas.

All the galxies I have seen are all grey....but a lovely shade of grey!

Mark

[m.tweedy]

Try those carbon stars for a colour experience...marked as c in the pocket star atlas.

All the galxies I have seen are all grey....but a lovely shade of grey!

Mark

how many shades-50?

[Moonshane]

I agree that other than the many coloured stars, like various doubles etc, the bulk of DSOs are grey but some have a hint of colour like the PNs,

[Naemeth]

Not all of them, Clusters can bring some colour (Pleiades looks blue-ish-white).

[lukebl]

All DSOs look grey to me, but when my 9 year-old son looked at the Orion Nebula through my 10" scope he said 'hey, it's bright green!'. So, best to look at them with young eyes. Like my ears. I remember when I could hear bats calling. No more!

[nephilim]

I can see a distinct geenish tint in M42 which does add to the viewing of an already beautiful object

Steve

[Champagnerocker]

The answer lies in your rods and cones (the photon receptor cells on the retina at the back of your eye).

Cones are sensitive to colour, but they need quite intense sources of light in order to register it. Rods just pick up shapes but are very sensitive and can pick detect photons arriving a few at a time. So in low level light you only see the world in black and white (when you get up in the night to answer the call of nature you don't see what colour your duvet or curtains are but you can find you way to the bathroom no problem)

Cones are concentrated around the fovea (the middle of the retina) and there is a higher density of rods at the sides of the retina. Most of your peripheral vision comes from light registered by the rods which is why the averted vision technique helps for DSOs on the edge of your resolving power.

[kirkster501]

I can see some colour in M27 Dumbbell Nebula. It's very instinct though.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ronin]

Yep, all grey.

Amazing what 2 days processing in front of a PC and photoshop can do.

[faulksy]

as said m42 has a shade of green but my favourite is m57 the ring nebula lovely colours similar to my avitar on a good night

[mjpfc]

As the folks have said, Nebulae of one sort or another have some colours to them, but some planetaries such as

The Blue snowball in northern Andromeda, The Cats Eye in Draco, the Blinking neb in Cygnus and the Saturn Nebula in

Northern Aquarius are bright blue through my 8".

These little objects are stunning to look at for more than their colour

Clear skies Mick IOW