2017-09-30 - Planet Neptune & (not) the heart nebula

[N3ptune]

Hello,

This bellow was my pleasant observation of last night, small maybe 1.5 hours, but an important one. It was my first observation planet Neptune, like my nickname!

CONDITIONS: Local time: 20:00 to 22:30, Moon +-73%, Temperature <10 Celsius, Humidity +-75%, Seeing good, Transparency good.

NEPTUNE: The first target was Neptune, I started from a sketch I did from Stellarium, to be able to locate the planet easily in Aquarius, I don't remember the exact magnitude but it was in the 7 maybe a bit more probably. Aquarius was in the most polluted direction but that did not prevent me from finding the planet.

From the top stars of Aquarius, it took maybe 10 minutes of star hopping to locate Neptune, and I tried all my eyepieces in this order:

34mm (29x): To locate it, I could see a tiny amount of turquoise, teal color, in a stable point of light.

4.7mm (212x) Too strong and not enough transparency / turbulence to get a clean disc.

7mm (143x) Gave a better view then 4.7, more sharpness but still too much magnification.

18mm 55x: not bad

18mm + 2x barlow (111x): I feel that was the best magnification with the neodymium filter to reveal the color of the disc. Perhaps because of the filter only.

I did the log sketch with the 34mm, the FOV was quite empty but Neptune had a hue a turquoise/teal color. Not a very interesting sketch.. but it's the log of my first observation, it has some value. (;

CASS DOUBLE CLUSTER: The double cluster was very impressive again with the ES 34mm 68d I looked around a bit to see the other large cluster nearby which is very impressive too (ST 2). I am so impressed with my new eyepiece, it's awesome!! the correction of aberration is impressive, I can't stop using it.  And eventually I want to sketch the double cluster with it!

HEART NEBULA: This is where I spent most of my observation time, the Heart. I found the central cluster by moving randomly around and the nebulosity was visible inside ( has well has in other parts) even without the narrow passband filter and 73% moon. There were at least 5 spots of visible nebulosity, to strongest one being the central point of the Heart. (The biggest cluster in my sketch)

Then I installed the 2" narrow passband filter to look at it further, now it was even more obvious with the help of averted vision always and this became a nebula observation.

In the sketch many many stars are missing. The nebulae patches themselves were at least 1/2 fainter then in my sketch (pencil limitations) and there was another cluster associated with nebulosity missing from this sketch, it was a bit out of the field of view.

I enjoyed the heart very much last night it's a fabulous place just like the North America. It has a place in the favorites from now on.

Satisfaction was achieved last night, the spot was calm with a clear sky! DSOs were not even scheduled because of the moon ?! The random effect.

(; I hope you liked the report.

 

2017-10-22 - IMPORTANT NOTE:

My sketch is NOT the Heart nebula, it's a series of clusters close to CASS Ruchbah.

 

[Richard Hather]

Lovely sketches Neptune, I haven’t observed any but the way you describe your observations and the sketch to look at I almost feel like I have ?

 

[Littleguy80]

Lovely report. A first viewing is always special. I enjoyed reading about the heart nebula too. I haven’t seen it mentioned in observing reports very often so I wasn’t sure that it was object that showed up well for visual observers 

[N3ptune]

3 hours ago, Richard Hather said:

Lovely sketches Neptune, I haven’t observed any but the way you describe your observations and the sketch to look at I almost feel like I have ?

 

Success! (: this is attractive, I am going out again tonight, same temperature has last night.

2 hours ago, Littleguy80 said:

Lovely report. A first viewing is always special. I enjoyed reading about the heart nebula too. I haven’t seen it mentioned in observing reports very often so I wasn’t sure that it was object that showed up well for visual observers 

It's a vast and complex object. I tried it a few times in the past without a success but last night, I saw some nebulosity. Incredible.

[PeterW]

I guess one of the brighter spots in the heart was ngc896 on the edge, more obvious than the looping edge of the nebula. Did you try peeking at the soul nearby?

 

PeterW

[N3ptune]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

I guess one of the brighter spots in the heart was ngc896 on the edge, more obvious than the looping edge of the nebula. Did you try peeking at the soul nearby?

 

PeterW

Hello, nope I didn't go see the soul but there was another visible part of the heart which is out of my sketch but was visible in the FOV. I could fit all of it in the FOV but I preferred to do the sketch like I did. 

I had problems identifying the content of the EP with stellarium. We could think the problem is 100% me... but I really think there is a difference is field of view size and position of stars also. Even with the following image, picture from Sellarium with the right FOV nothing is very clear.

 

 

[N3ptune]

I made a mistake here, the content of my sketch is not the Heart nebula. I looked at the region 3 times since this sketch and what I claimed was the heart is in fact the series of star cluster in Cassiopeia has the blue circle in the map bellow..

sorry about that, I am learning.

 

 

[PeterW]

I believe stock2 is also quite a dense cluster.. pretty sure that’s what I saw last week.

 

peter

[Sky-J]

Great report and sketch of Neptune. I agree that it makes you feel like we were there with you! 

Going to try and find out myself when the clouds go. 

[N3ptune]

On 2017/10/24 at 12:07, PeterW said:

I believe stock2 is also quite a dense cluster.. pretty sure that’s what I saw last week.

 

peter

When I look at ST2, I see 2 major cluster. One with bright stars and one with many more faint stars both more then 2 degrees diameter.  Did you noticed that too ?

 

@Sky-J thanks! Glad the report was good for you ((;  Great targets to look at too.

[Mr niall]

Great report - I love the Neptune drawing, it really is a tiny target isn’t it!?

[Dave In Vermont]

I can't figure out how I missed this one! A belated 'thank you!' for the excellent sketches of a personal favorite of mine! Good rendering of the colour. You've caught the feeling of distance - more than just excellent contrast. Neptune always manages to gives me a glimpse of the ineffable!

Great Work!

Dave

 

[N3ptune]

hey hello,

Thanks.