IC 405 & IC 410

[scarp15]

The constellation Auriga contains the emission / reflection nebula pairing of IC 405 , Flaming Star or Tadpole, overlapping AE Auriga and IC 410 which make for an observational challenge.

I did not succeed in observing IC 405 last season and hope to try again, this time with a little more commitment and understanding. I have read that IC 410 is a little easier to see and has the addition of open cluster NGC 1893 in the vicinity. At best this will be a dim haze. Although reputed to be difficult, aspects and faint patches are I believe detectable, more so with averted vision when searching for IC 405. Low power and a H-beta are the advised formula but other filters may also work. A dark sky location and good transparency are essential. 

Anyone else aiming to try for these, or have you encountered / detected one or both in previous seasons, if so what were the circumstances?

  

[Size9Hex]

From a dark site and with a nebula filter, IC 410 doesn't put up much of a fight in the 10" showing reasonably nicely with some shape and structure. I've suspected it from home too with it just about shining through a NELM 5.5 sky (again with filter) but it was very washed out. Some interesting reports from big scopes here: http://www.deepskyforum.com/showthread.php?475-Object-of-the-Week-November-17-2013-The-two-Tadpoles-of-IC-410-in-Auriga

I've looked for IC 405 many times and never convinced myself I saw it. One night when the Flame in Orion jumped out of the eyepiece, I thought I maybe I saw a faint glow where IC 405 was, but I've subsequently come to doubt myself having never seen it again. With this one, I'm not even sure whether it's meant to be a great big eyepiece filling glow shaped a bit like Africa or whether it's just a few small smokey wisps around AE Aur.

Interested to see what other folks say, particularly on IC 405. I'll be trying again this season. Also caught the Fly last year, but not the Spider so that's another one on the list!

Happy hunting!

[scarp15]

That's interesting Paul, IC 410 was not on my radar so to speak last time, whilst I swept around looking for traces of IC 405 within the vicinity of AE Auriga, I could not say that I definitively detected anything with conviction.  I shall read the Deep sky forum account.

Regarding the Flaming Star nebula in visual terms, my understanding of this is that a patchy dim haze is detectable to the east and north , also encompassed around the star, averted vision will assist. Lets see what the weekend weather has in store.

[jetstream]

IC 410 - the spider - and IC 417 - the fly - are challenges but not super difficult, oddly enough the Flaming Star - IC 405 - seems relatively easy to me. It is bigger and responds to a large TFOV at the appropriate mag for ones scope. This nebula is always a goto on my list, much more so than the other 2 and is well worth observing repeatedly.

Transparency is key as is the appropriate filter and once seen you most likely wont forget it...it is pretty big. Conditions here are anywhere from 21.5 -21.8 mag and transparency can be excellent.

There are other jewels to be found in Auriga besides these 3 popular nebula...

[jetstream]

On 2016-11-20 at 15:00, scarp15 said:

The constellation Auriga contains the emission / reflection nebula pairing of IC 405 , Flaming Star or Tadpole, overlapping AE Auriga and IC 410 which make for an observational challenge.

I did not succeed in observing IC 405 last season and hope to try again, this time with a little more commitment and understanding. I have read that IC 410 is a little easier to see and has the addition of open cluster NGC 1893 in the vicinity. At best this will be a dim haze. Although reputed to be difficult, aspects and faint patches are I believe detectable, more so with averted vision when searching for IC 405. Low power and a H-beta are the advised formula but other filters may also work. A dark sky location and good transparency are essential. 

Anyone else aiming to try for these, or have you encountered / detected one or both in previous seasons, if so what were the circumstances?

  

I have found a narrow TFOV can hinder the viewing of the Flaming Star Iain, give the VX8L a try too with the 31T5. Once seen you will wonder how you havn't seen it before! Varying transparency over the course of an evening can make this object a real challenge. Another thing- I use that chain of stars near both nebs as the starting point for my adventures in Auriga...

 

[PeterW]

Yep, transparency is an issue. I find 405 more easier as a curved patch, 410 and friends are less well defined and so harder to be sure of if the skies are less than perfect. 

PeterW

[scarp15]

Good tip about that chain of stars for positioning between the nebulae. Gaining a suitable period of transparency quite certainly will require repeated attention to this patch of sky during an outing and an approach that I will employ. Equally to use a filter applicable to transparency conditions which might indicate a UHC to begin with.  I will also take regard to IC 417 and take account for 405 as a curved patch, encompassing an expansive area.  

Yes there are further nebulae regions in the vicinity, such as SH2-230, providing yet harder challenges.

 

[scarp15]

On 11/20/2016 at 22:32, Size9Hex said:

From a dark site and with a nebula filter, IC 410 doesn't put up much of a fight in the 10" showing reasonably nicely with some shape and structure. I've suspected it from home too with it just about shining through a NELM 5.5 sky (again with filter) but it was very washed out. Some interesting reports from big scopes here: http://www.deepskyforum.com/showthread.php?475-Object-of-the-Week-November-17-2013-The-two-Tadpoles-of-IC-410-in-Auriga

 

This is precisely how I found it to be last night Paul, drifting across from that chain of stars, IC 410 and encompassing that tight open cluster was apparent and prominent with a curved shape and black hole with both UHC and OIII filters. I visited Auriga many times last night, it become a primary focus and I was observing from a dark location between 8.30 and 2.45am. The Flaming star, there was definitely traces and aspects of nebulosity in abundance and yes it is vast, I also detected aspects of nebulosity towards M38. I was using my 14" dob, 31mm nagler, predominately UHC but also OIII and H beta filters. 

I need to do a bit more homework on this region, as I could not absolutely define or orientate comprehensively what precisely in terms of some of the profile characteristics that I was observing. There was a longish slightly curved feature some way north of the star chain. A very interesting area to explore, the sky improved as the night wore on from potentially thin mist to clean and crisp {as usual looking at its best as I was clearing up around 3am). The one factor that might have hindered better progress slightly was that I was using a paracorr. I do not feel that the extra glass in the system had too much impact (nor in terms of magnification, slightly narrower field of view) yet it does not marry well in my opinion when using a H beta filter in particular. Next time I will observe this area without using the paracorr.

It was a good rounded and very cold, evening and I plan on compiling a full report in the Observers Reports later on 

[jetstream]

Your nebula eyes are coming on strong now Iain, I can't wait to hear when the Flaming Star reveals itself fully to you. Do you "warm up" your eyes on a few nebs of like size first?

[scarp15]

Thanks Gerry, gaining experience and some primary knowledge of particular subject matter, is achievable through resilience, faint and challenging nebulae structures are distinguishable from other factors such as condensation build up for example. Equally yes a period of hunting for slightly challenging yet achievable targets before hand and becoming fully dark adapted whilst simply getting into harmony with your circumstance and environment is necessary.

[Size9Hex]

Good stuff Iain! Well done on the Flaming Star particularly. You've spurred me on for next time I'm out. I find the whole region quite disorienting particularly with a filter in place. For me, it seems to have streamers of nebulosity all over the place, but they follow the star chains and I'm not convinced they're anything genuine (dispersion in the eye piece maybe). As you say, homework required...!

[Mark at Beaufort]

Really enjoyed reading this thread which has encouraged me to spend more time viewing Auriga. On my records I have stated that I viewed IC 405 using an UHC in November 2011 but nothing since. Looking at the Instellarum atlas is shows that IC410 (recommended filter O-III) should be easier than IC405 (recommended filter UHC).

So rather than spending time viewing M37, M36 and M38 I should have a go at these objects.

Thanks Iain for getting me motivated and you other guys for some great information.