Back on The Hill

[scarp15]

Arriving later than I'd intended, this Saturday evening, the Lunar crescent was low and beginning to set at my location, just inside the Northumberland National Park. The snow was crisp and crunchy underfoot, as I lay down the rubber ground mat at my customary placement in preparation for the 350mm dob. Tonight would place emphasis on open clusters and planetary nebula. 

M45, the Pleiades and the Merope nebula fanned widely, gaining quite good contrast on either side at x59. M35 and NGC 2158, a vividly stimulating spectacle. Attaching my original version Lumicon filter, I went in pursuit of PN; NGC 2022 Collarbone nebula in Orion. At low power appearing as a bright star, with increased magnification the PN becomes more apparent and impressive, bright, blue and round with my 6mm eyepiece at x313. Keeping in Orion I went to M42, M43, the image profoundly engaging, vivid colouration was extensive and apparent, green within the interior and outer reaches of the Trapezium, the extensive nebula structure was tinged in a burnt orange. An extraordinary view that I would have gladly wished to share with others. Sitting in the stillness on my observers chair in the sub zero and white environment, cocooned inside five layers of clothing and peering at this view is totally life affirming.

The Christmas Tree cluster followed, I meandered downward in pursuit for Hubble's Variable, the OIII filter probably not a good option and arrived instead at the Rosette Nebula. Open cluster NGC 2244 appearing to be harnessed and surrounded by the cloudy formations of this large and impressive nebula. I drifted up to Gemini for IC 443, supernova remnant the Jellyfish Nebula. Faint yet detectable as a curve almost boomerang shape, this is perhaps one for the NV guys, yet I'm happy to take this as it is. My next objective was a bipolar planetary in Monoceros NGC 2346, Hour Glass nebula. Quite diffuse and grey it never the less took high power quite well and with my 8mm eyepiece, x230, applying averted vision, the central star would readily be seen as was a little more of a widening structure determining the wings.  

It had also been my intention to go in pursuit of some select galaxies, such as NGC 2403, which was positioned directly overhead, transparency was beginning to deteriorate and after a short attempt I decided that it would be best to continue with observing open clusters. Auriga looked in good fettle so I enjoyed a tour among M37, M36 and M38. In the location to M38 there is NGC 1907, a small speckled and compact cluster, interesting to observe and which held my attention at x142. Cloud from the West continued to further deteriorate transparency and so I completed with NGC 1907 and will conclude this report with a few words concerning this cluster.

NGC 1907 is older than the close associate cluster M38, considered to be 500 million years old. There are approximately thirty stars in the cluster and it is situated 4,500 light years from Earth.   

 

[jetstream]

Great report Iain!

The 350mm will sure reveal the Merope nicely as does my 15". I was observing the Pleiades last night myself with the 200mm f3.8 and the favorite NGC 2403 as well, what a good galaxy to observe. It seems as if we observe common objects lol!

[Stu]

Very nice read Iain, your description of observing M42/43 particularly emotive. Thank you and agreed  

[Littleguy80]

Great report, Iain. I tried a UHC filter on Hubble’s Variable Nebula but that made the view worse. I forgot to mention that in my report. It’s a fun object to observe with it’s comet like appearance. I’m impressed that you got the jellyfish nebula. It’s one of those targets that I’d assumed was only good for imagers!

[Nyctimene]

A good read, Iain, under cloud-covered skies here in SW Germany. The Collarbone nebula is one of my favourites, and I can make out it's tiny disk (25 arc sec, acc.to SkySafari) regularly even with my 8"f/4 Hofheim dob using 200x mag, in 5.6 mag skies; better, with ring structure, in the 18".

When I first heard of the "Collarbone nebula", I was imagining (-retired physician-) a very oblongated and warped nebula, some kind of celestial bone, until I realised, whereof it has got it's name - the localisation in Orion's torso..... ashamed....;-)

Stephan

[mapstar]

Nice session. Some superb objects there.

I went out at the other side of the country with three others on the north yorkshire moors.

The skies were loaded with moisture even though the temperatures were well into the minus figures. 

After two hours the views deteriorated to the point where it was difficult to get focus on most objects. 

We all packed up and headed home.