5 Aug - Big Dob sees the magic of the wizard as the journey through the Sharpless catalog continues

[alanjgreen]

Date: Sunday 5^th August 2300-0120

Scope: 20” f3.6 Lukehurst Dob with Paracorr (fl = 2089mm & f4.1).

Eyepieces: 55mm (f2 x38). Night Vision: PVS-14 with Photonis 4g INTENS.

Filters: Astronomik 6nm Ha CCD.

Moon: 0%

 

Take every chance that comes along

After getting out last night for a short session, it was unexpected to see the skies clearing again last night as I sat watching the TV. I checked outside at 2200 and there was thin wispy stuff overhead so decided that tonight was not going to happen.

Back outside an hour later and there were plenty of stars visible with the same wispy cloud scattered about. But I had the urge to get out so decided to get setup and observing. At least with the Dob permanently setup in the shed, it’s no great effort to get started.

I decided to forego the collimation as I had only done it the previous night and just proceed with speed to observing.

With the roof open, alignment was straightforward as there were more stars than the previous night and so I just picked the same pair to complete the Nexus 2-star alignment procedure.

 

Confirm the observations of the previous night

I worked my way through the Crescent, Tulip, sh2-104, sh2-106, Veil, Propeller, and sh2-112 as I retraced my steps from last night. All targets were quickly centred and viewed using the 55mm Plossl, PVS-14 NVD and Astronomik 6nm Ha CCD filter.

The plan from the previous night to add stars to my observing list where the “missing Sky Safari nebula” were worked well and the targets were found directly.

My observing was only disturbed by the passing thin clouds which made the targets come and go, some were more successful than others.

I was also benefiting from having reviewed the previous targets via internet images during the day (as I wrote my previous night’s report) and this also added further interest to my observing of these objects.

 

Continue onto new targets

Sh2-115 – Showed itself as a large shapely outline with a clearer black area in the centre. I thought that it looked like a Chinese dragon head or maybe the head of a dog. There was a separate bright blob showing below (which I think is Abell-73 according to the Bracken Sky Atlas! ).

 

Sh2-120 & sh2-121 – Now onto two more targets that are “missing from Sky Safari”. My fight to find them was being hampered by layering clouds above and the visibility was coming and going. In a clear spell I bagged one of them as a small bright circular blob blinking around 2 tight stars. In a further clearer spell a second smaller blob was seen at the edge of the same FOV. Images confirm my observation this morning so I did get them!

 

Brighter targets with clouds above

As the clouds were now thickening, I decided to travel through some brighter targets and visited the Cocoon (seen it better), IC1396 (really nice detail seen in the Elephant Trunk and other black areas within) and the Cave (bright leading edge clear but the rest not so good). I have reported on these objects in previous posts so if you are interested then search them out.

 

NGC7380 “Wizard” – Onto something new. It is marked in BOLD typeface in the Sky Atlas meaning that’s is on the imagers bucket list. Sky Safari did not respond to a search for the “Wizard” so I used the index of the Atlas to find out it is also known as NGC7380. With that information, I soon had it centred with the push-to setup and Wow, its good! The nebula is large and fills the FOV of the NVD and it’s bright. Within the nebula I could see black shapes that did not look like a “wizard”. To me the shapes looked more like a “horse”. Checking images this morning the shape is definitely a “horse” so where the “wizard” comes from I have no idea?

 

Bubble nebula – Popping over to the Bubble next, the results were an improvement on the previous night with all three sections of nebulosity visible and the circle of the bubble visible. It took averted vision to get the full circle but then it was cloudy overhead!

 

Sh2-132 – Another good one! It is a large bright nebula that looked a bit like an “arrow head” with three vertical dark lanes running through it. There were also two small brighter patches of nebula within the nebula. Checking images this morning then I see all these features and can’t wait to revisit on a dark night when the clouds are gone!

 

Sh2-135 – Appears as a medium sized bright nebula. What does it look like? This was a tricky one, my thoughts were UFO, Jet fighter or bright triangle. Looking at images then none of these seem a true reflection. I really needed to up the magnification and have the clouds go away. But it was certainly bright and another one for the “must revisit” list.

 

Sh2-146 – small faintish blob

Sh2-149 – small brightish patch

 

Sh2-152 & sh2-153 – I have observed these previously but as they were near me on Sky Safari I had to pop over. The larger “whale” was less visible than previously but the small bright “baby” was sharp and clear. This is a nice pair of objects.

 

IC1470 – small very bright patch. Looks like a planetary at first sight.

Sh2-168 – A medium sized patch of nebula. There is a brighter central small patch within it.

 

Sh2-170 - Brightish good sized nebula. "Stingray" shaped with dark central area. Worth another look under better conditions. 

 

CED214 – At last, an object recommended by @PeterW. The back of my head was rubbing on the shed wall as I squeezed my eye into the eyepiece! I managed to nudge in 2 directions and saw a lovely thick textured nebula (not dissimilar from the beauty of the Gamma Cygni region) with multiple segments/clouds within. Stars appeared to be clearing some black sections within. Definite revisit needed but the scope needs to be more central on the shed floor next time!

 

< CLOUDS ROLLED OVER>

 

Thoughts of the observer

I felt pretty chuffed at the end of the session. I had very low expectations when setting off down the garden. The thin clouds were there for the whole session but I managed to eek out several new targets and was very happy as I made my way back inside.

It should also be noted that I had a few "fails" on sharpless objects during the night, but the clouds must have been affecting the dimmer objects. I was amazed that I was able to keep viewing when up above I could see mainly clouds and not many stars at all!

I am now going to start writing some notes into the back of the Bracken Sky Atlas where the Sharpless objects are presented in a nice table. I can then track which ones I have seen and which  ones need to be revisited year on year…

 

Clear Skies,

Alan

[Rob]

What a super report!.. Really seems you had very successful night - Congrats

[PeterW]

Sounds like you should help taken on adding to my protolist from CN....

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/521870-nviee-observing-list/

 

Peter