Merope from the Hill

[scarp15]

Journeying into Northumberland on Saturday evening, I took along for this session, my 200mm F6 Dob and 85mm F7 refractor. Inspired by a series of recent threads, I was particularly motivated to observe nebulosity within the Pleiades. When having set up, the sky at 8pm looked to be promising, conditions best described as feeling very raw, certainly the coldest night so far this winter. 

Starting with and positioning both scopes centred on the delightful charm of M35, NGC 2158, I subsequently swept upwards, each scope in turn, through Auriga enjoying the presentation of open clusters.  

The hot blue stars of the Pleiades, light up the surrounding dust as a reflection nebula, the brightest of which is the sweeping fan like Merope nebula. M45 is nicely positioned, high in the East and with good transparency and dry optics, dark skies / dark adaption, an observation of the nebula regions are possible. Positioning the VX8L, 21Ethos providing x57 mag, onto M45, a hazy glow could easily be seen surrounding each star and the profile of the Merope nebula was quite distinct as an expansive fan shape that seemed to reach beyond towards the outer dust regions. Contrast for this observation was very good. The Pleiades was also very pleasing to observe through the refractor, but the nebulosity was not apparent at this aperture.  

Intending to return to the Pleiades a little later, I went on to observe the California nebula in Perseus, IC 410 and aspects of the Flaming Star in Auriga, the Eskimo nebula in Gemini and Orion nebula, with either a H-beta, UHC or non. Thin cloud had begun to form thwarting an observation of the very distant open cluster, the Intergalactic Wanderer in Lynx. focusing back towards the Pleiades, with a 31mm Nagler, this time I could not discern the nebulosity, the sky had deteriorated, ice was forming everywhere by 10pm. The waning moon appeared incredibly crisp and imposing on the approach homewards. 

[alan potts]

Nice report there iain, I have managed to see this but with a fair bit bigger scope, well done.

[Alan White]

Made me smile, nice report.

I had a shorter session on Friday and spent time observing the same but managed some once observing of the nebulosity before like you it got icy and I got cold.

Winter is upon us.

[scarp15]

The icy circumstances made for some good observing conditions but could become a bit of a caution, such as removing my gloves briefly for a filter change and my fingers sticking to the scope tube. The refractor optics iced over towards the end of the session to. Another nice open cluster that Id encountered up in Auriga was NGC 2281 nicknamed Broken Heart Cluster. 

[alanjgreen]

Nice report Iain. Scope certainly looks cold in your photo  

Once my fingers get cold, I tend to give up on filters, although now I have a 2" eyepiece heater tape, I find that it can double up as a finger warmer if you pretend your hand is an eyepiece and hold the warm tape while you observe!

Alan