Veil Views

[A McEwan]

Hi all.

I'm just in from an excellent 2-hour session under excellent seeing, about 9pm to 11pm.

It was getting a bt dew-ey when we packed up.

I was using my ED80 on AZ-3 (modified) mount, and using my Pentax XL's and the new XW30 eyepiece.

Viewed the usual targets for a late summer night (M27, M57, M71, M13, M15, M31, M32, M110, M56, Double Cluster, Muscleman, Jupiter etc) but I thought I'd have a go for the Veil nebula with the 30mm XW. This gives 20x and a 3.5 degree field in the ED80.

After lining up with the red dot, I spent some time at the eyepiece, and gradually became aware of a sweep of faint nebulosity running up/down across about 2 degrees through the view. I couldn't move the scope around much to sweep for the other sections, as movement was limited by the tripod legs, but next time I'll make sure I can find the whole ensemble.

As it's a while since I've observed it, I wasn't sure as to which ection of the nebula I was seeing, but I was really excited that I could see it at such a low magnification in an 80mm scope!

Oh, this was without any filter installed.

Chuffed!

[FLO]

That is quite remarkable, seeing the veil through an 80mm.

I can see it using an 8" Newtonian under a dark sky but only after first finding it with an OIII filter. Your sky must have been truly excellent!

[Astronut]

Congrats on seeing the Veil

I saw the Veil for the first time at last weekend's Salisbury SP with my 12" dob, XW30 and Astronomik UHC filter and it was spectacular. I couldn't see it without the filter though.

I was out tonight in my backyard looking for it again with the same setup and gave up. I couldn't see diddly squat. Damn light pollution

[A McEwan]

Thanks. I've seen if before in several scopes, though it has been a while, so at least I know how 'nebulous' (pun intended) an object it is and what to look for. I'm always pleased to find it though, no matter the equipment used!

The sky was good - even Jupiter was steady!

[MarkR]

Wonderful, I have only seen it from northern Spain in the foothills of the Pyrenees (through a pair of Canon 15x50 image stabilised binos) and have yet to see it from suburbia in England. Definitely helps if you have clear skies and no clouds!

Mark

[John]

Congrats on finding the Veil with an 80mm Ant

I managed it with an ST80 on one wonderfull night last year - needed an UHC-S filter in to see it though.

I find the eastern section the easiest (or least difficult !) to pick out - I think thats the bit thats known as the "Bridal Veil".

John