Consolation round-Cone nebula

[jetstream]

Yes, not a first round win or second... the Cone nebula has beaten me. Under my very best skies 21.8 mag, excellent transparency the Cone has eluded me. I threw everything I had at it tonight, including the 30ES, 25 TV plossl, 21E,  UHC,Hb, ...I even tried my 12.5mm UWA to no avail. The nebulosity around 15 Mon showed nicely and I was viewing in the strike zone for the Cone...

To give an example of the sky conditions- I had a first tonight, the Rosette was visible with no filter  and the Flame showed its Stonehenge formation with many indents etc. The Running Man finally showed its last leg tonight, 3 years trying to get this one lol! "G" showed in the Trap and M43 had a very distinct segment near the narrow end of the Comma.

After the Cone failure I needed a few confidence builders- tough ones but do-able. Back up into Auriga I go, to revisit some faintly seen objects (10") with renewed gusto...

So the 15" plucked off IC417-the Spider and IC1931-the Fly. The showed brightly in the 21E/UHC and while traveling around these and the bright Flaming Star I picked up another one... IC410. Not a bad fast haul as these are really quite faint, depending on the skies and aperture used. Redeemed I wanted to finish off with a fun one...the "Owl" neb M97- I just love its eyes lol!

You know, maybe I'M NOT DEFEATED, maybe I'm just re grouping and formulating a new plan for that faint blotch that calls itself the Cone nebula. But tonight it won.

Clear Skies people

Gerry

[YKSE]

The Cone is certainly a tuff one. I'd be very pleased to have a good view of the other fianties you've bagged.

[Piero]

I can understand your feeling about not seeing a target you would like to observe. Many of the targets you listed are already beyond the limits for most people here! I don't think I have ever been under a sky as dark as 21.8 can be, and actually I am always impressed by the number of targets I still have to see under my sky probably at 19.50! With all honesty, your report is super even without the Cone!  ..and I cannot even imagine what you will write in the next 'galaxy' season! 

[estwing]

I Agee Piero...who needs a cone with a report like that....stunning stuff Gerry,clear skies!

[scarp15]

Good account Gerry, interesting (or perhaps frustrating) that the nebula around 15 mon was apparent, yet nothing detected concerning the Cone. Clearly a very challenging subject and I look forward to your on going attempts. I read somewhere that keeping both eyes open is meant to assist, but then the required list of trickery that applies to the assumed slightly 'easier' HH equally applies here perhaps. We are at least getting some clear skies here in the UK at long last, not so sure I am in for a chance on this, as the weather looks like its bombed again for the wk-end hoped for dark sky trip, never mind.

[Helix]

Hi Gerry,

Your report is just inspiring. I neglected Auriga this year completely and you just reminded me how reach this constellation is. 

Can I just ask you? What do you see when you observe The Cone nebula?

Tatyana

[jetstream]

Hi Tatyana, thanks for the reply. The short version of what I see is nothing lol! just stars, no surrounding nebulosity, I thought for a moment I saw "blackness" pop into view off to the side in a faint wide-ish streak...definitely not the Cone however- another patch of dark nebula maybe? I thought I might see a roundish blotch above the locator star, but nothing.

When you see this object how does it look? can you see the "nebula triangle edges"?

[Helix]

If you look at the link below, Gerry, then this is what I usually see in 10" and only sometimes I see slightly more, kind of extremely faint triangle edge. It just pops into field of view and disappear. I can say I see it  because I can catch the glimpse of it. This nebula is quite annoying. You always see it and do not see it same time. Very hard one. I cannot just observe it with direct vision like The HH. You cannot tame it :). I  did not observe the cone in 20" yet because I've just bought it recently but I definitely will and maybe then  I could keep it in the field of view for a bit longer.

http://deepskydrawings.nfshost.com/Drawings/ngc2264.htm

I hope you will nail it one day or maybe you done it already without realisation

 

[jetstream]

Thank you Tatyana, this definitely helps and confirms I am in the right spot. A friend gave me a newt oriented image, which I drew a line on- is this the edge and knot as you see it? I've been looking for the actual "V" but will now search for an edge and "knot" -I think lol!

 

[Helix]

I thought I forgot to mention that I see it up side down. Sometimes I think that people know what I mean  .

I see the knot and 'glow'  on the side you drew a line on but on some nights I see the irregular/patchy glow on the other side as well. It creates Triangulum shape. I observe it regularly and it gives me more and more each time.

I really like description on Skyhound website http://www.skyhound.com/observing/archives/jan/NGC_2264.html

'Once you are confident that you can see the feeble glow of the nebula, look for a notch or hole due south of HD 47887.  Use averted vision. If you can convince yourself that you have seen a notch, then you can claim success!  As always with faint objects, keep returning again and again.  There are rare nights when you will see much more than you thought possible, and experience can really help.'

I am absolutely confident that you will see it soon. It's just trying your patience  

[jetstream]

The vote of confidence is great Tatyana! I still get confused about object orientation in the EP as I tend to "bond" with the dob and forget about it- but this does matter when using maps for faint objects.

Having an idea of the visual shape of an object is immensely important IMHO. Your help and info just may help me see it!

Thanks Tatyana, Gerry

[alan potts]

Great report Gerry, it is no disgrace to fail, I have been doing it rather alot of late. For my session on the running man, he was out training with Usain Bolt, the Horse was at an evening race meeting and the eskimo and cone nebulae had thawed out.

I know i am a bit baised and i don't count my own but there is some really good reading posted in this section, it is a joy to read through them, some twice. very well done

[scarp15]

7 hours ago, Helix said:

I thought I forgot to mention that I see it up side down. Sometimes I think that people know what I mean  .

I see the knot and 'glow'  on the side you drew a line on but on some nights I see the irregular/patchy glow on the other side as well. It creates Triangulum shape. I observe it regularly and it gives me more and more each time.

I really like description on Skyhound website http://www.skyhound.com/observing/archives/jan/NGC_2264.html

'Once you are confident that you can see the feeble glow of the nebula, look for a notch or hole due south of HD 47887.  Use averted vision. If you can convince yourself that you have seen a notch, then you can claim success!  As always with faint objects, keep returning again and again.  There are rare nights when you will see much more than you thought possible, and experience can really help.'

I am absolutely confident that you will see it soon. It's just trying your patience  

 

Hi Tatyana

Thanks for the sketch link, a useful comprehensible reference to decipher this feature from what I understand is immersed within a large very faint patch of nebulosity, obviously compounded by the background stars.

Did you use a UHC with your 10"? I believe that a H beta is preferred but the contrast with a UHC works better on this particular target with this and larger (perhaps up to 14-16") aperture, I expect that with your 20" a H-beta would be the choice. I believe an eyepiece providing 75x to 120x is required. I can quite understand as you mention, that averted vision will quite certainly be required.

 

[Helix]

4 hours ago, scarp15 said:

 

Hi Tatyana

Thanks for the sketch link, a useful comprehensible reference to decipher this feature from what I understand is immersed within a large very faint patch of nebulosity, obviously compounded by the background stars.

Did you use a UHC with your 10"? I believe that a H beta is preferred but the contrast with a UHC works better on this particular target with this and larger (perhaps up to 14-16") aperture, I expect that with your 20" a H-beta would be the choice. I believe an eyepiece providing 75x to 120x is required. I can quite understand as you mention, that averted vision will quite certainly be required.

 

Hi Iain,

 

Thank you.

I use a UHC or Hβ. I am not an expert but in my case both filters are good for the Cone. Sometimes a UHC brings minor details into view. A Hβ is good for 'shaping' the notch/knot. I observe the Cone nebula mainly with 10,14 and 20 mm XW Pentax. It gives me 60x to 120x. I also like to brake the rules  and observe with 5 mm Pentax or 7 mm Takahashi LE. It works fine for me on both nebulae, the HH and the Cone. The HH is more familiar and easier to describe. The Cone is much harder. I think 10" dob allows to see it but not observe. I would not say it is averted vision, it rather direct vision but for a fraction of a second. Very difficult to hold in focus. Maybe it is just my eyes! Maybe limited aperture! I hope second

It would be nice to hear from other observers who managed to see the Cone. 

Tatyana

[scarp15]

Thanks Tatyana and yes, it would be good to hear accounts from others who have succeeded in seeing this and I expect that we will hear more concerning the Cone from Gerry in due course. I would have loved to have gotten to my dark sky location on Wednesday when the sky looked perfect, as it is this Winter, it is a game of cat and mouse where the weather is concerned combined with when commitments make it possible, resigned to playing the long game.     

[PeterW]

Part of the very spread out and diffuse "fox fur nebula" that fills this area, much less defined than th rosette nearby. Seen that, but didn't know where the cone was, also didn't have enough zoom to make it out.

keep hunting.... What other hard stuff will you nail in your pursuit?!

 

peter