Monkey Head Nebula and NGC 2158 Star Cluster

[N3ptune]

Hello those are 2 sketches of my last night observation. The sky was impressive with an above average transparency, I could look at star cluster using 212x power.

This one bellow is Gemini NGC 2158 star cluster just beside M35 star cluster. It was a very interesting target for me because it looked like a nebula at first, has my sketch shows. But it's just a jam pack of really faint stars, the results looks like a nebula. With Averted vision, it's was possible to have a preview of the massive amount of stars inside of the small cluster.

I used 3 powers to look at it: 31x, 55x and 212x the best power was 55x. BUT the exam at 212x revealed many really faint stars inside the cloud, Ahhhfff, that was a good observation moment in Gemini I can tell you.

This one is the GEM Monkey Head, has proposed by @jetstream. Another high moment of the observation. In a fair sky, it's 100% invisible but with the good 2" NPB filter and 2" 32mm eyepiece, I could see this large nebulosity circle, really faint but visible without averted vision. I tried it with a 25mm eyepiece and 1 1/4" NPB filter, but the result was far superior with the 32mm eyepiece.  Again my 8 inches Newtonian was pushed to it's limits!

I hope you like these moment of my history.

[jetstream]

Great sketches N3!

Can I talk you into sketching the Eskimo neb at HIGH mag? 2 shells will be evident and in the 15" fine radial filaments can be seen and also 2 shades of "green" will be apparent (200mm,250mm scopes too). Go up in mag until no more detail is seen. Find it then go straight to the 4.7mm ES 82... or a 7mm ortho

Gemini has so many of my favorite objects- congrats for finding a dark site like this!

[Richard Hather]

Really lovely sketches Neptune, what was the Mag of these objects?

There's no better feeling then teasing out the detail that wasn't apparent on first inspection ?

Richard

[N3ptune]

Richard, 212x for the first one and 31x for the second one.

I find that 212x is always revealing something more but with less resolution. I use it on small planetary nebulae too to inspect further but it's not always working due to atmospheric conditions.

[mariosi]

Yes, I like these moment of your history my friend. Very nice observation and sketch of MHN and NGC 2158. 

 

Marios