Come December I will Be On The Hunt For This

[refractordude]

Anybody bagged this nebula, HD44179? I have a 120mm refractor, and will have a pair of 25x100 binoculars. I will be observing from bortle 3 skies.

[DeepSkyBagger]

There seems to be a lot of confusion over this object. It is a proto-planetary nebula designated pPN G 218.968-11.765, or IRAS 06176-1036. Several other designations are seen, like your HD 44179. These refer to the *star*, not the nebula. The star is a blue eruptive variable, designated V777 Mon. The star varies irregularly between magnitude 8.9 and 9.0.

Much of the information on the net, for example this: https://www.universeguide.com/star/redrectanglenebula completely confuses the star and the nebula. 

Bear in mind that the pPN was only discovered in 1973 from a rocket-based infra-red survey. The IRAS designation also refers to a later infra-red survey. 

This nebula is *not* visual magnitude 9. 

It is a small object emitting principally in the infra-red. I am not aware of any visual observations of it.

You will certainly be able to see the star, but you won't be able to see the pPN around it with your instruments.

A far easier object in the same category is the pPN known as 'Frosty Leo', which lies at  9h 39m 54s +11 58' 52", visible with sufficient aperture and magnification as a tiny bead. You could try for that one, but I think maybe you lack the aperture at 120mm. It's distinguishable as non-stellar at 300mm, and some detail can be made out at 450mm.

Note that OIII filters do not assist with most pPNs.

Best of luck!

[refractordude]

3 hours ago, DeepSkyBagger said:

There seems to be a lot of confusion over this object. It is a proto-planetary nebula designated pPN G 218.968-11.765, or IRAS 06176-1036. Several other designations are seen, like your HD 44179. These refer to the *star*, not the nebula. The star is a blue eruptive variable, designated V777 Mon. The star varies irregularly between magnitude 8.9 and 9.0.

Much of the information on the net, for example this: https://www.universeguide.com/star/redrectanglenebula completely confuses the star and the nebula. 

Bear in mind that the pPN was only discovered in 1973 from a rocket-based infra-red survey. The IRAS designation also refers to a later infra-red survey. 

This nebula is *not* visual magnitude 9. 

It is a small object emitting principally in the infra-red. I am not aware of any visual observations of it.

You will certainly be able to see the star, but you won't be able to see the pPN around it with your instruments.

A far easier object in the same category is the pPN known as 'Frosty Leo', which lies at  9h 39m 54s +11 58' 52", visible with sufficient aperture and magnification as a tiny bead. You could try for that one, but I think maybe you lack the aperture at 120mm. It's distinguishable as non-stellar at 300mm, and some detail can be made out at 450mm.

Note that OIII filters do not assist with most pPNs.

Best of luck!

Thanks