NGC 6995 The Veil

[alan potts]

NGC 6995 The Veil Nebula.

About two weeks ago I posed a question to the site did I make a mistake with the OIII filter with a small moon in the sky and then I clearly did. A few day after that I had the chance to look at the veil with my 190mm Mak/Newtonian and a Astronomik OIII filter, which though dear even secondhand, I was assure was as good as it gets. I have to say the views throught the scope were something really different for me and it was of course a first.

I was asked by Jetstream who lives in Canada to try the nebula with my 115mm APO using the 21mm Ethos which I have just done. I have taken the chance to write this and thaw out at the same time. While I had the scope pointing in this general direction I also looked for the other parts of the nebula, NGC 6960 and the patch know as Pickerings Wisp.

I took the opportunity to try a few eyepieces to see if field of view played any part in a good result and also varied magnification. Though as I am sure you can see there is not a great deal between any of them

The eyepieces at play are; 35mm Panoptic offering 2.95 degrees and a power of X23, 31mm Nagler delivering X26 and 3.15 degrees and 21mm Ethos with X38 and a FOV of 2.6.

I can’t say I could see any massivel difference between the Panoptic and the Nagler and no part of either side of the cloud stood out any better than the other, both the veil and NGC 6960 were clear to see in a very good clear and stable night sky, I just liked the 31mm Naglers showing more, why I really don't know. This object is almost overhead at this time of the year so viewing it around now is the best time. It is a rather delicate object that takes a little time to see well, in this scope it does not jump out and grab you, you have to give it time to offer up to you the fibrous nature of nebula and averted vision helps. I also tried it without the filter and I can see something of the NGC 6995 part but nothing as such of the other part NGC 6960. Try as I have just done I could not see anything of Pickering Wisp. My viewing session was interupted by a line of cloud floating right across where I was looking, as I was uttering unprintable words under my breath, I suddenly understood it was a line of smoke from my own wood burning stove, of all the places it could have floated.

Almost doubling the magnification with the Ethos 21mm made things noticeably larger to the eye and I  felt just a little more difficult to see, not that it was though, it just did not stand out quite so well, I think that is also true of the other part. The one thing though the Ethos did give was what I believe was a glimpse of Pickering Wisp, there was definitely something there when I was using averted vision, looking directly at it gave me nothing I could make out. I have to stress it was faint but there, I think a few spoons of aperture tonic are called for to see this better, I must try it with the 190mm where I can also obtain low magnifications.

The three eyepiece all played there part but I have to say my favourite was the middle ground in power delivering by the widest FOV, the 31mm Nagler was the best eyepiece for me.

Clear Skies,

Alan

          

[John]

Interesting report Alan. When I've observed the Veil over the past months I've found the Nagler 31 and ES 20mm / 100 delivered equally lovely views but the E & W segments are bumping up against the field stop of the ES 20 / 100 with my little Vixen 102 ED so I prefer the view with the big Nagler in those circumstances as it puts a frame of black space around the Veil complex. It needs a good night to see Pickerings WIsp with my 4" but I've done it a couple of times this year. I really can't get enough of this object      

[YKSE]

Nice report Alan.

I've looked at the Veil a couple of times with 130P and C8, both with and without OIII. The best view I got was actually through 130P with 32mm plössl (it has only 1.25" focuser), the explanation I can come up with are:

1. Seeing, it makes great difference as John pointed out.

2. AFOV, 130p has max 2.56degree AFOV, while C8 has 1.34 degree, the bigger AFOV makes it easier to identify shape and extends of these big nebulae, kind of like easier to see M33 in bino than in scopes.

[jetstream]

Alan,thanks for taking the time to try out the Ethos on the Veil,this object is one of my favorites.Thanks John,& others for helping me find it & now really observe it.It is a good sign that the Wisp was there in your refractor,the 16mm T5 showed it in the 90mm for me,eventhough its exit pupil is at the bottom end for the OIII.It sounds like you prefer a larger exit pupil than the APM/Ethos is giving-so between more aperture and larger exit pupil in the 190mm,the Ethos should perform well for you,sky transparency allowing.All those eyepieces you listed are top quality-have fun finding out which works best for you!

[alan potts]

I did go back out and have another go, as John said it can get a bit addictive but sadly even while I was having a bit of a warm, seeing got worse with some very high cloud moving in. The funny thing was I noticed even the red light on the goto, and I am sure you all know how small they are,  made it almost impossible to see when it was near the eyepiece. There was of course Vania and Daniel playing the kitchen lights to battle as well, see there is no real need for curtains where I am, well not on the kitchen anyway. 

Oddly, I used the 21mm E last of all and I wonder if the cloud was starting to build at high levels even while I was looking at it, I will try again tonight using the 21mm first. These things can creep up on you without notice.

Still there will be plenty of better nights before the constellation moves too low to make it worth while, after melting snow it never a good time as there is so much humidity in the night air, it was 85% last night the norm is around 40%

Alan

[Mike73]

I had the Veil in my sights last night, I only have just over 1˚ of TFoV but to be honset I don't mind not fitting it all in as its nice just to scan along its length, every time I look at the Veil it seems to show just a little bit more than the time before.

I'd like to change my 28mm ES to another 26mm Nagler when a used one shows up next, it still won't show all the Veil but it would be nice to see a little more FoV and a smaller exit pupil is always welcome.

[swamp thing]

Nice sketches mike.

It's a nice object to scan along with larger scopes for sure.

I normally use my 31mm on it and zoom in for really detailed close ups with my 20mm, nice

I find it actually takes power pretty well. Reckon the 21mm ethos would really be nice on this object in a big-un.

[John]

Lovely sketches Mike 

I agree with you entirely that you can keep going back to the Veil and see more each time. It's a fantastic object, or group of objects !

Were you using a filter by the way ?

I use my 31mm Nagler and my ES 20mm / 100 eyepieces on this and the views are stunning with my 12" dob and the Astronomik O-III filter.

[Mike73]

Steve 

I think changing magnifications is the key to a lot of DSO's, well thats what I seem to have noticed and learnt recently.

I'd love to see the Veil with a 21mm Ethos, 100˚ is damn near impossible to sketch with but 'if I was a rich man' I'd have a full set of Ethos!! 

John

I forgot to add on the sketch that I used a TS OIII, I'm saving for another Lumicon or Astronomik though.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Great report Alan. The Veil is an awesome object. I find the 31T5 Panzerfaust really packs a punch on this object, especially with the 80mm triplet, which shows the whole structure with loads of room to spare. I think I have seen Pickering's Wisp with it on a clear night in Tuscany, and once from France (near Olly's place). The 8" scope brings out much more detail, in particular the filamentous, knotted nature of each strand, but I just love the 5.3 deg wide field of the 80mm at 15.5x.  I generally use the UHC filter, but should try the O-III as well.

[alan potts]

Beautiful sketchs Mike, that is a real talent you have. Still love your scope

Alan