Nebulosity around Pleiades?

[FLO]

I have been wondering:

A few weeks ago under Greg's clear dark sky, I actually saw nebulosity around the brighter stars of Pleiades (Seven Sisters / M45) thru the Revalation 10" Dob' ... at least I think I did. At first I thought it was dew on the optics but I checked and couldn't see any and it certainly did look like nebulosity.

Is it possible to see nebulosity around Pleiades thru a 10" aperture?

Thanks,

Steve

[Astroman]

Sure! I've seen it with a 10" of excellent optics and clear, dark sky, no problem.

[FLO]

Thanks for the quick response Astroman; thats what I wanted to hear.

:toothy7:

Steve

[Astroman]

It's rather like seeing the Veil Nebula-Ya gotta be lookin' for it. High magnification helps. Not much to do with a filter, since it's a reflection nebby.

[FLO]

Not much to do with a filter, since it's a reflection nebby.

... Run that by me again please; I think I am about to learn something :book:

Steve

[Astroman]

Nebulae are of 4 basic types; emmision, absorption, planetary and reflection. M42 is mostly emmision. Gas is heated to incandescance by heat from local stars. The horsehead is an absorption nebula. Dark, cold clouds, AKA molecular hydrogen and dust. It sits in front of an emmision nebula which reveals its shape. Planetary nubulae are dying stars. (I think I described them in anearlier post.) Basically, stars of certain mass, when they run out of fuel, "puff" off their outer shells. Later, the star compresses into a hot white dwarf and its ultraviolet emmisions heats the previous gas. And finally, reflection nebulae are clouds of dust that reflect the light of nearby stars. They appear blue in photographs because the fine particles reflect ultraviolet light, much the same reason our sky is blue.

Filters help us see different nebulae mostly by shutting out all light except for what the nebula is most energetic in. An OIII filter helps for certain emmision nebulae and some supernova remnants. A UHC lets through H-Beta and OIII. But reflection nebulae are just reflected, not radiated, so they're not really seen better with a filter. It takes dark skies and steady seeing to see the subtle contrast between the dust and the light of the nebula.

[FLO]

An OIII filter helps for certain emmision nebulae and some supernova remnants. A UHC lets through H-Beta and OIII. But reflection nebulae are just reflected, not radiated, so they're not really seen better with a filter.

Thanks for that Astroman

(That explains why I have been dissapointed with my OIII filter!)

Steve

[OXO]

Just catching up on post's so sorry for the late reply here, i have observed Nebulosity with my star travel f/5 refractor quite a few times recently without the Aid of filters and alike it's one i find most pleaseing even under my light polluted skies so yeah steve you should see plenty i reakon..

James