Good OIII Targets in October.

[Stargazer33]

Having just downloaded 'Video Skies' to run my SSAG as an imaging camera (just having a play with what I already have before spending out £££s) and having an OIII filter, I was wondering what targets are about this month (from the UK) that I could have a go at narrow band imaging on.

I know the SSAG is very noisy and I won't get Olly quality images from it, but having no money at the moment to spend on astronomy I thought I would have a play with what I have and if I like it/get on with it, then I can think about a mono CCD next year.

Any suggestions for targets would be gratefully received. I don't have Ha or SII filters at the moment so only good OIII targets required please. 

Thanks in advance.

[carastro]

The oiii in the veil nebula which is still about is really good, I don't know any images that are purely Oiii without an Ha component though, but you could collect the data and keep it until you have an Ha filter to add to it.

Carole 

[johnrt]

Carole is right, OIII is used to provide a colour hue to an Ha image. I can't think of any targets that would make a good OIII only target, maybe some planetary nebula? Is your camera colour? OIII is normally very tenuous and dim, long exposures are required even with a mono camera to get a decent signal.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Someone did post an OIII only Witch's Broom the other day which looked good, it was easily recognisable.

Edit - can't find it now, but I got a lot of blue off the Veil in a quick RGB image.

[Ruud]

How about the Blue Snowball in Andromeda. 

[Ruud]

Faint fuzzies has a guide for planetary nebulae and supernova remnants: http://www.faintfuzzies.com/Files/PlanetaryNebula%20v2.pdf

It's a big PDF for the fuzzy server, almost 33 MB, and it takes a few minutes to download.

[Dave In Vermont]

This link will take you to several excellent articles on different filters - UHC, OIII, H-beta, etc. - and the DSO's & planets they enhance best. From The Prairie Astronomy Club in the US:

http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org/?s=Filter

As a certifiable filter-nut, with more filters than I can remember - I've really got to make a list someday - I vouch for this site and these very good articles.

Clear & Detailed Skies,

Dave

[ollypenrice]

Wolf Rayet planetaries are excellent. OK, a bit obscure, but have a look at Thor's Helmet where O111 is the key player. As Carole said, the Veil is also excellent as is the Cescent, but it's getting late in the season. The Rosette will play as well.

Olly

[Stargazer33]

Thanks for all the replies, suggestions and links! 

I'm sorry I didn't make myself clear in the OP. I just wanted to try out mono + Nb filter imaging, I wasn't actually intending on producing a finished picture from just the OIII. I just thought as I had basic equipment I would give it a go and wanted a target that would show up a decent amount of OIII, my only Nb filter at present.

Thanks again for the replies, if this rain ever stops I will get out and do some imaging.

[DaveS]

Try M27

Here's a stack of 6 x 10 min subs, originally 1x1, re-binned to 2x2 in AA5

[Stargazer33]

That's really nice Dave!  Just the sort of thing I was after. Looks like it gives a nice OIII response. I've got a recent OSC image of M27 too, which I could possibly add it to; again if this rain ever stops!!! 

[DaveS]

You'll have to get a move on! But against that, as M27 moves round it gets dark earlier, so we're in a fine balacing act. The summer objects always hang around longer than the winter ones.

[Stargazer33]

Not looking too promising for capturing M27 with the weather forecast for the foreseeable future! Oh well, there's always next year.

[DaveS]

Yeah, the time for capturing data on M27 is rapidly running out, what with that horrible gert low coming in from the Atlantic

Not too many emission nebulae around until winter, when we're looking into the Galactic plane again.

[Gina]

This dreadful weather is beginning to drive me nuts!

[DaveS]

It's playing hob with my "learning curve" turning it into a game of snakes and ladders. Every time I think I've got a technique down pat, along comes more cloud and weeks later I've forgotten what I did and anyway the object I was working on has gone out of view, so I have to start again  .

[schmeah]

How about the Blue Snowball in Andromeda.

I'll second The Blue Snowball. Very strong in OIII, and if you have a long FL setup and a mount that can handle longish exposures, a faint OIII halo is fun to shoot for. This is an image of it with 15 minute subs at FL 2500.

http://www.pbase.com/dsantiago/image/146159230/large

Regards.

Derek

[Stargazer33]

Thanks Derek; nice image btw.

Will definitely have a go at this one, if I ever see the sky again!