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Jellyfish nebula

jetstream

By jetstream
in Observing - Reports

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jetstream

jetstream

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Finally after many many attempts I saw the Jellyfish nebula. It showed as a faint streak in the 15" with the Lumicon OIII, with a faint triangle of stars in it, one fainter than the others. I reviewed images, maps and sketches- all the reports I've read from experienced dark sky observers indicate I should have been able to see this object. I can say this- I had more of a "Veil" like preconceived image burned into my head and was not prepared for how this object presented itself.

In my scope, to me, it shows as a faintish, fatish streak that is not very long and with a chain of stars next to it. The sky was 21.5 mag, with VG transparency. I also tried a new config for the Loop which did work but with a much too narrow FOV. I took a quick peek for the Cone neb, nothing yet and I don't plan on spending piles of time on it- but the plan is to look many times for it, over the next few years...

I finished off observing the fantastic compact spiral arms of M51, a favorite target and difficult in its own right. It was a great night :smiley:

 

PS- there is a chance, just a small chance that I was looking in the wrong spot for the Jellyfish previously :glasses12::grin:

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PeterW

PeterW

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Yay! Great news! The main curve of the jelly is the only bit that's visible, much bigger and more filamentary in deep images. Almost as easy to find as the monkey head..... ;-)

well done, I need to come up with some more challenges for you! (Maybe Lowers Nebula.. A bit "lower" down the sky from there?)

 

PeterW

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jetstream

jetstream

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32 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Yay! Great news! The main curve of the jelly is the only bit that's visible, much bigger and more filamentary in deep images. Almost as easy to find as the monkey head..... ;-)

well done, I need to come up with some more challenges for you! (Maybe Lowers Nebula.. A bit "lower" down the sky from there?)

 

PeterW

lol! I should have seen this before when I looked, I can't believe I didn't :happy7:I started off last night viewing the Rosette and yes the Monkeyhead to get my nebula eyes going. I went back to the Jellyfish over and over - I would look at another object-back to the JF- another object, back to the JF...

I heard that another even fainter strand is visible right around Propus but I'll put this in the same category as the Cone...

My 2" Hb is in at the mailbox so next week it will be in the arsenal for use with the 42mm LVW/90mm Raptor and the all important mirror diagonal.

Yes, what new targets? take it easy on me Peter lol! Lowers neb? I need them up high to see :grin:

 

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Piero

Piero

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Another super report Gerry! With perseverance, dark skies, great telescope, great eyepieces and a lot of dedication you show that one can really achieve a lot, if not the most from this hobby.

 

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PeterW

PeterW

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Lowers is sharpness 261 just the other side of the monkey head from the jellyfish, not as far as the cone. There is also sharpless 257 just above it as well, better get looking quickly as nebula season is closing up.

Peter

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jetstream

jetstream

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33 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Lowers is sharpness 261 just the other side of the monkey head from the jellyfish, not as far as the cone. There is also sharpless 257 just above it as well, better get looking quickly as nebula season is closing up.

Peter

Thanks Peter! yes the moon is playing havoc now too, and the weather is all over the place. I'll look those nebs up and see what we can do.

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jetstream

jetstream

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5 hours ago, PeterW said:

Lowers is sharpness 261 just the other side of the monkey head from the jellyfish, not as far as the cone. There is also sharpless 257 just above it as well, better get looking quickly as nebula season is closing up.

Peter

I see your sending me after the "3 snowballs" :thumbright: Not sure I'll get them but a good try will be given and sh2-261 is said to have overlapping OIII and Hb areas, this should be interesting. Now I have to compare what others have seen these with, spec wise and apply it to my scope. Thanks Peter.

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alan potts

alan potts

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Great to hear that you cracked the jellyfish, if indeed that is possible. No doubt if I were looking for it, it would have been on special offer at the seafood market and sold out, the Monkey head would have run off to the jungle with the body and the cone would have icecream in it. Considering it is very dark where I am but maybe not as good as your place I frequently wonder if I am in the right place, I cheat and use the goto on the Meade to sort of learn the location a bit before hand but in view of my poor track record I sometimes wonder if that works.

Still as they say things can't get much worse at the moment a scope ten times the size of mine wouldn't even see M42 unless it was placed a few thousand feet higher up.

Alan

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jetstream

jetstream

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Thanks Alan! I find that the narrow FOV needs getting used to- I use the 30mm ES 82 a lot for this- about 1.3deg TFOV which isn't that bad. I would bet money that you, like me, don't always look in the right spot! :happy7: I will guarantee that you could see the Monkey Head neb with your 21E/OIII... Trying to find nebula with a long FL SCT might hinder you as it might "see right through it". I just point and shoot through my Rigel and use the widefields to do the rest.

Keep trying Alan!

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alan potts

alan potts

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Gerry,

I am a bit sneeky with the Sc, I know that many times these nebulae are not always visible, as you say you look through them due to the F/l of over 3meters, the max FOV is only .91 of a degree. What I tend to do is set the scope for highly acurate slew and check it on a few items that I can see, Sirius for example, then see where these appear in the FOV, it is very acurate really and rarely much off centre as of course it is never moved being in the observatory.

However when I get the Dob out them even the best made plans come unstuck, the funny thing is with that scope I don't care if I don't find things there is always something that I do find, though often I never find out what it was.

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YKSE

YKSE

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Alan,

The Monkeyhead (NGC 2174) is about 0.5° in size and quite bright, I saw with my C8 with half Moon not far from Orion. You might need to check goto accuracy it can't find it. You have a number of of eyepieces have TFOV large enough to frame it, should be a good test object for different filter too.:smiley: Here's a picture of 1° FOV of Monkeyhead:

ngc2174_monkeyhead.thumb.gif.d576feefd2b

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